Superman Part 1: The Superman
User reviews
User Review
In general I found this edit to be better than the Superman of Krypton, Avid 4D's sequel, though the sequel was definitely better than having to sit through Superman III and IV by themselves.
User Review
I have watched Son of Jor el and thought that that movie was the best edit of 2 Superman movies in one that exists, it was true until this edit appeared.
I was very curious on how this edit mashed up the two. I always hated the time traveling part of it. I found it ridiculous, sure it might exist is the comics but it doesn't really work in a movie, it causes errors. But the way that it was done in this edit is brilliant, it got me very excited as it was happening. The way that the villains arrived thanks to Lex and Superman was amazingly done. The issue though is the Jimmy olson continuation error. He randomly appears with Lois the second time. His appearance should have been cut . It bothers me.
I really enjoyed this edit. I would have also liked to see the jerk truck driver in this. I always liked Clark standing up to him. I'm waiting for the second edit to finish downloading. Hopefully it will be as entertaining and well edited as this one is. A+, thumbs up. Very good job.
User Review
Thanks bbib7... good to hear it provided a new look at an old story for you. I know what you mean about the Jimmy scene. I felt I had to keep the scene just for Supe and Lois kissing, because their romance is explored in my next installment (and the truck driver!) So, what I did was remove Jimmy's references to the earthquake as he is running toward them. He now just says "you dropped me in the middle of no where" without saying "during an earthquake." Doesn't solve it completely but at least there was definitely no earthquake the second time around. Thanks heaps for your review though and I'm glad you enjoyed the rest of it.
Another fan edit merging Superman I and II into a single epic adventure, and I have watched my fair share of them over the years, and I can say this one is pretty entertaining with some fresh ideas.
Technically the edit is very solid. Video quality is excellent. Most of the cuts are well executed, though there were a minor few that felt choppy or stood out from a continuity perspective -- Clark's introduction to the Daily Planet, one moment standing on one side of Perry's office, the next he beside the desk with the soda bottle. Or the detectives pursuing Otis through Grand Central Station and into the tunnels. But flip side, these cuts wonderfully tone down much of the bumbling humor provided by Clark and Otis, which I enjoyed.
Audio work is very solid. No pops or obvious audio cut sounds. But I thought there were instances during the transition of scenes from original material to new material, where the music or audio could have played/blended slightly longer and smoother from one scene into the next.
This fan edit incorporates material from Superman, Superman II, Superman III (clever use of the plant fire scene!!!) and IV, and for the most part the new narrative works well. But in order to get to the main plot faster, some of the editor cuts play a bit awkward. The one that really stood out to me was the cutting from Luthor and Tessmacher (why does the phone ring while in the bathrub) to Perry at the Planet (for a scene that lasts only 10 seconds) and then back to Luthor/Tessmacher and now Otis. Again, I understand why it was done, but it feels very...odd.
The losing of the Niagara Falls subplot and having the Kryptonian Villains arrive during the California earthquake works pretty well. It definitely explains why Superman was not aware of their arrival. Though the transition to Houston felt off, since clearly the aerial shot is of California where Lois has already been established. The cutting back and forth between Lois's death and Zod's speech.... I can not decide if I like it or not...LOL! It is definitely a bold creative decision and I give points for that. I wonder if it would have played more powerful with just straight cuts instead of crossfades?
The second timeline created after Superman spins the world, with the Villains arriving differently was nice. Smart cutting of any close up Cliff Claven at NASA since we already saw him once earlier on. Again, another clever solution of why Superman was not present for their arrival -- he is on a space mission. Good use of the SIV footage. Though you could have also used the news report from Supergirl which states Superman is off planet. The only issue I now have, is how does Superman learn Zod has escaped the Phantom Zone and is in Metropolis? Too bad there was not some way while Superman was on the Moon you could have shown him finding the destroyed Artemis craft....?
The climax comes together very nicely. Though I have an issue with the ending from a continuity stand point... Superman brings Luthor and Otis to prison. One, Luthor is obviously in completely different clothing and hair wig than he was just wearing in the Fortress. And two, why would Otis be there? He was not at the Fortress. Though it is conceivable Supes could have picked Otis up along the way. Once again, I understand the narrative choice and it ties everything up in a nice bow, but it does stand out like sore thumb to me. The original ending with the Polar Police would have worked just as well.... except for maybe the Lois stuff?
All in all, a good edit that moves swiftly with enough new and original narrative changes to hold your attention and keep it feeling somewhat fresh. I was entertained and I look forward to seeing the next installment of Avid's planned trilogy.
Thumbs UP.
User Review
Thanks BionicBob! Great feedback - perhaps I should get you to preview my edits from now on! I'll add to a couple of your comments. The detectives are no longer following Otis through the tunnels, they're just trying to track Lex's location. I know the Supergirl news report you're talking about, but I don't own a copy of Supergirl so couldn't use it. Agree though it would have been useful. Instead, Supe is on the moon, sees the flag leaning over and straightens it. I admit it's a stretch to link the leaning flag (where there is no wind on the moon) indicates to Supe that something has happened. I would have loved to use a shot of the damaged moon landing site here, but couldn't get a useable clean shot to insert. Finally, I had 2 choices for the ending, Supe bringing Lex to prison or landing on the roof of the white house. The white house would have removed the issues you noticed, but I really wanted the Lex scene because he is in prison in the beginning of The Superman Of Krypton, the next installment in my trilogy. I hope that you still enjoyed it though, and appreciate your review.
User Review
Thanks Neglify... hearing a non-fan found entertainment here is a nice compliment.