Review Detail
9.1 25 10
(Updated: September 12, 2012)
Enjoyment
9.0
Review by bionicbob — January 1, 2011 @ 11:33 pm
The following review is based upon my viewing of the Single Layer dvd release,
and be warned, if you have not seen the edit yet,
there will be SPOILERS in the review.
“Rocketed to Earth from the doomed planet Krypton, the baby Kal-el was found and raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent in Smallville, Kanas. Now an adult, Clark Kent fights for Truth, Justice and the American Way as SUPERMAN!!!”
We all know the legend.
But never before has a Fan Edit so perfectly captured and retold the core Superman story of his Kryptonian origins!
L8wrtr and Jelio have created a wonderfully entertaining tale in their merging of Superman One and Two.
I found the entire viewing experience to be highly enjoyable and engaging.
The newly created Opening Credits are fantastically done.
Kudos for putting Chris Reeve’s name up first, it is well deserved!
The transition from the Fortress of Solitude to the Metropolis cab ride (Otis who?) is perfect.
The making of the Missile Toss as just another part of Superman’s first day on the job is brilliant.
Having Superman fly into the Metropolis sunrise towards the daylight missile crisis is very clever.
Though one will have to assume Metropolis is somewhere on the West Coast since it is only dawn there
and clearly full morning at the missile launch. Which is no big deal since on the tv series Smallville,
Clark’s home town is clearly stated to be in Kanas, and Metropolis is only around an hour commute away,
and yet Metropolis is clearly built along an ocean coast line!
…. hhmmmm…. geography in the DC Universe is very different than that of our world!
The swapping out of the Daily Planet Newspaper headline of Superman defeating Luthor
with the “I Spent A Night With Superman” was a very smart edit.
The infamous Niagra Falls hotel scene….. I have gone on the record before that this scene bugs me.
It bugged me in the official Donner Cut and it bugged me in the Booshman edit.
I fully acknowledge the scene is better written and acted than the Lester version,
but continual switching of Clark’s hair, glasses and overall physique I find very distracting and
breaks the “reality” the scene for me.
That said, I will admit, of all the versions I have seen (both official and editted),
this the strongest and most effective use of the Donner Hotel scene.
And that is entirely because of how cleverly L8 and Jelio have reconstructed the narrative–
well done guys!
Regarding the Moon and First Date timeline, I can see why some viewers have brought up the issue.
It might have been nice if the Moon sequence had resumed after the date ended and before the Newspaper
headline scene, but I think the timeline works either way. Zod and his co-horts are so Evil, I can easily see them up there on the Moon teasing and torturing the poor astronauts for hours and days on end until they got bored.
It is a creative choice and as a viewer I had no real issue with it.
As to the whole Lex Luthor controversy.
I think both L8wrtr and Jelio have clearly stated their reasoning
for their creative choice in this matter, and I see no reason to debate it.
It is their edit and I respect choice.
The 28 Hours scene is a FANTASTIC and a BRILLIANT choice.
This scene alone truly clarifies and deepens Kal-el’s relationship with Jor-el
and makes Jor-el’s final embrace/sacrifice all that more powerful.
BRAVO!!!
In regards to the ending, I think (like Booshman) it was a smart move having Lois retain knowledge
of Kal-el’s duel identities, it adds both a sad and hopeful lyrical quality to the story. Nice music replacement during the Kiss too!!!
All in all, an excellent edit.
Technically, I did not notice any significant issues, though I did only watch it on my computer screen and not on a fullscreen tv with stereo sound.
I think the new narrative in regards to Kal-el’s relationships with both Lois and Jor-el is poignant
and by far the best rendition of it I have come across thus far.
If you are Superman Fan,
a definite must see.
Thumbs Up!
I would give it a final score of 8.5 out of 10!
The following review is based upon my viewing of the Single Layer dvd release,
and be warned, if you have not seen the edit yet,
there will be SPOILERS in the review.
“Rocketed to Earth from the doomed planet Krypton, the baby Kal-el was found and raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent in Smallville, Kanas. Now an adult, Clark Kent fights for Truth, Justice and the American Way as SUPERMAN!!!”
We all know the legend.
But never before has a Fan Edit so perfectly captured and retold the core Superman story of his Kryptonian origins!
L8wrtr and Jelio have created a wonderfully entertaining tale in their merging of Superman One and Two.
I found the entire viewing experience to be highly enjoyable and engaging.
The newly created Opening Credits are fantastically done.
Kudos for putting Chris Reeve’s name up first, it is well deserved!
The transition from the Fortress of Solitude to the Metropolis cab ride (Otis who?) is perfect.
The making of the Missile Toss as just another part of Superman’s first day on the job is brilliant.
Having Superman fly into the Metropolis sunrise towards the daylight missile crisis is very clever.
Though one will have to assume Metropolis is somewhere on the West Coast since it is only dawn there
and clearly full morning at the missile launch. Which is no big deal since on the tv series Smallville,
Clark’s home town is clearly stated to be in Kanas, and Metropolis is only around an hour commute away,
and yet Metropolis is clearly built along an ocean coast line!
…. hhmmmm…. geography in the DC Universe is very different than that of our world!
The swapping out of the Daily Planet Newspaper headline of Superman defeating Luthor
with the “I Spent A Night With Superman” was a very smart edit.
The infamous Niagra Falls hotel scene….. I have gone on the record before that this scene bugs me.
It bugged me in the official Donner Cut and it bugged me in the Booshman edit.
I fully acknowledge the scene is better written and acted than the Lester version,
but continual switching of Clark’s hair, glasses and overall physique I find very distracting and
breaks the “reality” the scene for me.
That said, I will admit, of all the versions I have seen (both official and editted),
this the strongest and most effective use of the Donner Hotel scene.
And that is entirely because of how cleverly L8 and Jelio have reconstructed the narrative–
well done guys!
Regarding the Moon and First Date timeline, I can see why some viewers have brought up the issue.
It might have been nice if the Moon sequence had resumed after the date ended and before the Newspaper
headline scene, but I think the timeline works either way. Zod and his co-horts are so Evil, I can easily see them up there on the Moon teasing and torturing the poor astronauts for hours and days on end until they got bored.
It is a creative choice and as a viewer I had no real issue with it.
As to the whole Lex Luthor controversy.
I think both L8wrtr and Jelio have clearly stated their reasoning
for their creative choice in this matter, and I see no reason to debate it.
It is their edit and I respect choice.
The 28 Hours scene is a FANTASTIC and a BRILLIANT choice.
This scene alone truly clarifies and deepens Kal-el’s relationship with Jor-el
and makes Jor-el’s final embrace/sacrifice all that more powerful.
BRAVO!!!
In regards to the ending, I think (like Booshman) it was a smart move having Lois retain knowledge
of Kal-el’s duel identities, it adds both a sad and hopeful lyrical quality to the story. Nice music replacement during the Kiss too!!!
All in all, an excellent edit.
Technically, I did not notice any significant issues, though I did only watch it on my computer screen and not on a fullscreen tv with stereo sound.
I think the new narrative in regards to Kal-el’s relationships with both Lois and Jor-el is poignant
and by far the best rendition of it I have come across thus far.
If you are Superman Fan,
a definite must see.
Thumbs Up!
I would give it a final score of 8.5 out of 10!
B