Skyfall: Reborn

Skyfall is, by some margin, the absolute worst Bond film ever made. For this edit to make it watchable would be no inconsiderable achievement, but the fact that it actually comes out as an enjoyable couple of hours is testament to the editor’s skill.

In addition to cutting all of the illogical digs at a man in his early-40s being an old fart, the editor has also made the film feel much more like a proper Bond movie. The plot is somewhat more coherent, the villain feels more menacing and Craig behaves considerably more like a secret agent rather than a puffing old gizzard who everybody wants to retire.

The quality of the edits are seamless and, despite being presented with a stereo soundtrack, both the audio and visuals are comparable to the original, even when viewed with a decent AV setup.

The only real problem lies in what no editor can fix - that awful third act where Bond cooks up the most ridiculous plan in the history of the franchise. If I had the skill to be a fan editor, I’d be tempted to decimate this entire part of the film. Problem Elminator has taken a more subtle approach which has certainly made it less painful to sit through, but I’d have liked to have seen a few more ruthless cuts here (not least to the buttock-puckeringly embarrassing Home Alone sequence).

After despising Skyfall both in the cinema and on Blu-Ray, I can now finally enjoy watching it as a decent part of Craig’s highly variable story arc. If you hate Skyfall, you should absolutely give this edit a watch.

The only focus on Bond getting himself back together instead of adding his aging persona makes it more appropriate. The Roger Moore-ish CGI lizards are gone and the removal of a few Easter eggs from previous films retains it's theme perfectly. The only thing that bothers me is the Walter PPK's hand recognition subplot since the lizard scene was removed, Q's mention about it should have at least been cut and have the radio instead be the gadget. Overall, the pacing is excellent as any serious traditional Bond film.

This one's pretty good. The CGI helicopters are out, video/audio quality is amazing, some pretty good editing in general. This edit is almost perfect. I personally think the Skyfall defense preparation should be cut or trimmed more. It reminds me of home alone and it's just cringe for a Bond movie. But that's it! Everything else is amazing.

Problem Eliminator improves on the original. Some edits create big improvements (e.g. the shower on the boat is now enjoyable for the first time), some small. Some edits don't individually improve the film, but cumulatively they add up to a more streamlined and experience (e.g. cut the shot of M reading newspaper in car, though you still see her holding it in the following shot while listening to Tanner).

The edit loses a point in enjoyment for me because of frustrating parts in the original film, worst of all Silva derailing the Tube. Not the editor's fault, though leaving it in is an editing choice.
Problem Eliminator convincingly shows his editing skills, e.g. with the replaced music during the Shanghai elevator ride. With such eye for detail, I'd have loved to see a more rigorous edit to make this Bond even better.

This edit removes the distractions from the movie such as the bad CGI lizard and fight scene. I always hated that scene as felt out of place in a Bond movie and it's been totally removed. The constant reference to Bond's age have been removed where necessary and the few extra music pieces have been added. Overall I very much enjoyed this edit and will be go to movie for Skyfall.