Star Trek 5 “This Other Eden”

This counts as my first ever viewing of a BionicBob edit. So I admit, I had no idea what to expect going in. I just know that Star Trek V is a film that, for lack of a better word, needs a good fixing. Now that I've seen this one, I can say that this is a much needed improvement over the theatrical release. It may not be suited to my personal taste, but when compared to the original film, it's fantastic!

It's refreshing to see this film without so many of the campy moments this film is known for. The infamous "Row row row your boat" song, the rocket boots escape and Uhura going naked are all gone here. And I also appreciate the restructure done on the Klingon warship subplot. These simple fixes are enough to make a lot of the more philosophical moments about religion easier to understand. I still wish the cat lady fight wasn't around, and I think the whole movie would've been improved if the whole Yellowstone adventure was cut out. But with my criticisms aside, I would still recommend this over the theatrical version in a heartbeat. If all you care about here is a better Star Trek V, this is a worthy fanfix.

However, I must stress what I said in paragraph one: It may not be suited to my personal taste. Why, you ask? Well, here's the deal. This edit takes a TV-style approach rather than a cinematic approach. In a lot of ways, this edit is like a really long episode of the original series. You can even see the points where the commercial breaks are supposed to occur. Reading previous reviews, it's clear to me that this is BionicBob's style of editing. My thoughts on this style are love-it-or-hate-it. If you're a trekkie who loves the idea of seeing these movies converted into TV episodes, then don't make me stop you. However, if you're a hardcore cinephile who wants to re-create the cinematic experience in your own living room and you have a weird love for the smell of 35mm film, like I am, this may not be the edit for you.

Still, I kept an open mind while watching it, and what I got was a satisfying take on what is arguably the worst film to feature the original series crew. And for me that's all that matters. I could complain about the style if I wanted, but that doesn't change the edit as a whole. Bottom line: this is a great edit! It may not be for everyone, but it is a worthy change of pace from the theatrical version, and well worth your time if you're willing to go back to Star Trek's TV show roots.

A much improved Star Trek 5. I’ve only seen Trek V once so I wasn’t completely certain of everything cut but it flowed a lot smoother this time. I wasn’t a big fan of the commercial breaks, even though they didn’t bother me in earlier BB Trek edits. Editing was good but some things felt odd (don’t ask me what, I’m a terrible reviewer).

A/V Quality - 9
Editing - 8 visual, 8 audio
Narrative - 8
Enjoyment - 8 (original 6)

Recommended drink: Romulan Ale

Review by Pagz — April 24, 2011 @ 10:13 pm

*This rating was given before reviews were required*

Review by havok1977 — April 24, 2011 @ 1:32 am

*This rating was given before reviews were required*

Review by L8wrtr — April 19, 2011 @ 7:46 am

*This rating was given before reviews were required*