Star Trek Vengeance

An excellent effort by TM2YC. I hadn't revisited the theatrical cut of this film since it first came out on video. I liked it okay but never really felt compelled to revisit it. Thanks to this fanedit, it has been improved a lot in my opinion.

A/V Quality - 10/10 - Looked spectacular, just as good my BD to my eye. Using the IMAX version was really smart and added grander scale to some shots.
Visual Editing - 10/10 - No noticeable cuts to me. It wasn't just that stuff was excised, it's that shots were repurposed and used for different effect. The Kirk/Spock argument was a great example of this, as well as the bar scene. Glancing at the cutlist after was pretty impressive; there were so many little touches and tweaks that were invisible.
Audio Editing - 10/10 - Everything sounded great. I'm not sure there was a lot changed but the score felt more continuous than I remember. I think the main theme was used a bit more, I think.
Narrative - This is where the edit shines. Khan is still not a great character but his exposition dumps are as limited as can be. Kirk and Spock's relationship tracks a lot better for me. Kirk isn't fired and then given command back right away for no real reason (and in this Kirk's dressing down works much better). Uhura's not a bundle of emotional nerves for no real reason at a time where it makes no real sense. There's no tacked on Vulcan talk and cameo. Carol is a lot less awful. Spock's raging bloodthirst now makes more sense (it's emotional AND logical now. Perfect for a Vulcan.) All of these benefits are basically at the cost of Uhura's role being reduced (sucks but I'd rather have her reduced and with some dignity) and Carol feeling like a walking plot device (that doesn't pay off). But in the original she was basically a walking plot device that doesn't pay off while also stripping and acting terribly. So, the character's big moment didn't play in the original really, either.
Enjoyment - 9/10 - TM2YC has turned a 6.5 for me into a 9. There are some inherent flaws in the script that really can't be changed, but I think the editor improved just about everything that could be improved.

Oh, and I didn't even mention the color grade. Huge improvement for me. It's fascinating what a little vibrancy can do to the tone of a film. I also have a shit eye for colors so take that with a huge grain of salt. :)

What can I say that hasn't already been said? I enjoyed Star Trek Into Darkness when it first came out, and have watched it since and enjoyed it as much, with only a few quibbles, all of which have been addressed here:
- Alive Eve no longer strips down in front of Kirk for fanservice is gone.
- Spock's cheesy (but rather understandable in the heat of the moment) KHAAAAAN is gone.
- Leonard Nimoy's cameo is gone.

I didn't follow the ITW thread for this edit, so I can't rightfully say where extra FX work was done, but given that it went unnoticed in the first place speaks volumes about TM2YC's work here. The color correction was great, no stray frames or any other errors in video editing. Bionicbob noted a pretty major audio sync issue with Scotty, but I never noticed it (I in no way mean to discount Bob's review - I simply never noticed).

Narratively, the film works very well. Nothing feels over-explained, and while I do think that Spock and Uhura's character arc felt a bit weak because the conflict between them was more or less eliminated, but then again, not every film needs a romantic subplot.

The A/V quality of the Blu-ray was great, pretty damn close to the retail disc. As a note, I really loved that TM2YC used the IMAX version from the Compendium release (which I also own) as a base for the edit. The expanded ratio looks amazing. The stereo audio track was great as well, nothing sounded out of place and levels were good. No complaints there.

Overall, I really enjoyed the edit and this is my go-to version. With 15 minutes cut, I only noticed a few significant things cut, but not due to poor editing. This is a solid edit and I highly recommend it.

Another stellar edit by TM2YC!

I loved his previous Trek project and thus had high hopes for his newest Trek endeavour... and I was not disappointed! :)

Like many, I too enjoyed INTO DARKNESS when originally released, and while I still think it is a very entertaining movie, its flaws become more apparent with each new viewing, particularly in the third act. I would rate ITD my third fave of the new Kelvin movies after Beyond and ST09.

What TM2YC has done here is mostly trims and tweaks, most of which are seamless and serve the narrative well. The two most brilliant edits are the removal of Kirk's demotion and the resequencing of the Khan superblood reveal --- now Spock is motivated to save his friend and not by emotional revenge, which I do not think the original version truly earned. I love these two changes and they immediately elevate this edit above the original cut.

However, the removal of the Uhura/Spock conversation in the shuttle to the Klingon home world does cause some minor narrative weaknesses. The kiss later feels slightly out of place and Spock's emotional journey is slightly softened.

But these are minor quibbles in the over scheme of things, and I found the edit moves at a brisk and engaging pace.

The colour work overall looks very good, though there were a couple of times where things looks a little off, such as the shipboard uniform pants not looking classic black but more teal-ish.

There is also a significant audio sync issue in the edit involving Scotty.

On the flip side, there is some very impressive visual fx work done that I would never even have noticed as not original if I had not been following the original production thread. Bravo TM2YC!!!

All in all, I was thoroughly entertained and would highly recommend this edit.
Thumbs up!

Star Trek: Into Darkness is the second entry into the rebooted franchise by J.J. Abrams, released in 2013 with mostly positive responses. As time went on with multiple viewings, myself included, cracks began to appear in the form of forced references, similarities and many dumb character choices. While the majority still see this film as a harmless, fun summer blockbuster, they agree that it is a step down from the '09 predecessor and the recent 2016 'Beyond'. TM2YC is back again with his take on the flawed sequel, looking at it with a mostly positive outlook when in the editing room.

I'll just say, this edit imo is geared towards those on the "liked it" side of the fence more so, and that's how I will review the project. And long story short it is a really good effort put forth, with a few "Wrath of Khan" references and dialogue lines cut, bad characterization and retreaded ideas snipped and the whole film regraded to a more saturated experience. For the most part, the color regrade works very well, I just found a few areas that left too much teal left in say the skin tones. Visually, there are no editing flaws in jump cuts or flash frames, and the quality has little artifacts with some banding but without distraction. Audio wise, it's over all good with a few noticeable problems. Around the 30 minute mark, the audio/video syncing starts to veer off slightly for about the next 3 minutes, then fixes itself seamlessly. It's not terrible nor is it a deal breaker since what was edited does work really well and again had a lot of time put into it. All IMAX footage flows along nicely with the rest, seeing that it's a really nice visual contrast and a nice touch, that reminded me of watching ''The Dark Knight'' all over again, it's a great creative and well executed choice.

Do I recommend this edit? Yes, I wholeheartedly do and I congratulate TM2YC and everyone else involved in the edit one way or another!

Belated review of this most excellent edit of Into Darkness!

I thoroughly enjoyed this edit, much more than the original movie! Perhaps CBS / Paramount etc could get some tips or offer TM2YC employment...? ;)

Others have noted the audio issue and that's the only issue I found while I was totally engrossed in the narrative.