Star Wars: Episode I - Cloak Of Deception

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9.2 (49)
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27%
 
2%
3-5 stars
 
0%
1-3 stars
 
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Overall rating
 
9.2
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.6(49)
Audio Editing
 
9.6(49)
Visual Editing
 
9.6(49)
Narrative
 
8.7(49)
Enjoyment
 
8.3(49)
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49 results - showing 11 - 15
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Overall rating
 
8.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
7.0
Visual Editing
 
8.0
Narrative
 
8.0
Enjoyment
 
7.0
I watched HAL's Ep I last night, expecting an improvement on L8wrtr's because other reviewers have compared the two and come to that conclusion. Not so IMO.

JarJar Binks and his silliness is in there a lot more than in L8wrtr's. So minus there. I liked that L8wrtr added the Anakin fight scene. HAL added the atrocious deleted scene "Padme gives Anakin a blankie on Tatooine" instead. Bad unfinished visual effect and doesn't add up for the narrative, IMO.

HAL eliminating the entire Gungan city sequence works flawlessly so I like that better than L8wrtr who kept some of it in.

While an interesting idea, I think John Williams' original score for the race works better than the editor using the trench run music from Ep IV.

Visually the movie looks great (at 20GB it better) and the editing is good. It is better than the theatrical release.

But L8wrtr's version is better and my go-to version at this point, for this movie. I will still check out HAL's Ep II and III.

User Review

Format Watched?
Digital
Owner's reply May 01, 2014

Thanks for the review. :)
Minor point of clarification: No music was removed from the podrace sequence, only added.
And, yes, there is more than your average amount of Jar Jar. I felt that keeping as much as possible helps sell the removal of the offensive bits. There are deep Jar Jar cuts, so I try to counteract that by keeping his other mostly harmless bits in the interest of believability as a non-fan-edit.

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Overall rating
 
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
Ok, where to begin. I like many other children of the seventies i grew up on star wars. Then we waited years for a continuation and got prequels. Then we had to watch in horror as all was lost from our childhoods with Lucas intent on drafting terrible scripts, with dreadful direction coupled with actors - Lloyd & Christensen, who couldn't act!!

**Rant over**

Hal9000 has done what i considered impossible - make me like and enjoy ep 1. I read the prior reviews, considered other versions but liked the points made that the pacing was about spot on. The thought of a rushed edit was not for me, so i watched with an open mind and about half way through realised i hadn't made my tea. Oh my god i actually felt connected and sympathetic towards Anakin and thought Hals version nailed it. Jar Jar? Unobtrusive yet he almost ground the film in his 'everyman' role - being swept up in some grand adventure.

I'm blown away and frankly chuffed that i can actually watch TPM without forwarding to certain scenes or watching the clock - amazing work.

Criticisms - none. The pod race was awesome and i loved the new mix of music which i felt fitted and linked it soooo nicely to the original trilogy. The AV was perfect, the cuts were seamless and and i really liked the insertions of alternate scenes - very clever and illuminating.

10/10 for the lot - i owe Hal9000 a pint :)

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Blu-Ray
F
2 reviews
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(Updated: March 08, 2015)
Overall rating
 
7.2
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
9.0
Narrative
 
6.0
Enjoyment
 
3.0
I've watched a bunch of edits of this film in the vain hope that it can be made into a good film, but alas, I have come to the realisation that some bad movies just cannot be made into good movies no matter much is cut and changed.
In saying that, the editing that has gone into this is top notch and it is well done, it just isn't for me and I don't think I'll ever watch this movie again in any format, edited or not.

User Review

Format Watched?
DVD
Y
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(Updated: May 15, 2022)
Overall rating
 
6.2
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
5.0
Visual Editing
 
9.0
Narrative
 
4.0
Enjoyment
 
4.0
While I admire the ambition to rework TPM so significantly, sadly I don't think this works very well.

Quite a lot of times, the rhythm and pacing of the editing is off with scenes feeling rushed or jumpy.
Some edits make little narrative sense (Jar Jar tagging along for no reason and Gungans appearing out of nowhere via jarring (pun intended) voice over, which must be the only use of it in SW outside of Force voices, being the worst offenders I think). Others, while trying to get at something interesting, just feel chaotic (the final battle).
Music editing also needed more work between the newly created transitions as cues often sound just faded at random points with no regards to phrasing.

That said, I counted ca. 20 smaller trims that work very well and would certainly find their place in a perfect edit.
I just don't think it's technically possible to fulfill the ambitions of this edit with materials available commercially to fans and not throw the whole rhythm of the edit off.

User Review

Format Watched?
Digital
A
2 reviews
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Overall rating
 
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
My first time seeing this, along with the other prequels, since the first viewing in theatres. Somehow it seems like the same movie (major plot points and characters are intact) while nevertheless feeling vastly improved in terms of tone, story and characterization. Hal9000 is a master and has utterly redeemed this trilogy, while keeping his handiwork nearly invisible. A difficult balance, but it looks effortless.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
R
Top 10 Reviewer 156 reviews
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