Superman Part 1: The Superman

I consider Son of Jorel to be the best Superman edit that I have seen, so was not sure if Avid4D's take on a combined Superman 1 and 2 edit would be able to add much to the equation.

Thankfully, I can report that the edit certainly has a unique voice, and is a worthy addition to the long list of Superman fanedits on IFDB. The visual and audio editing is very good, and there are some really creative choices in the way the new narrative is structured. The use of the singular scene from Superman IV, for example, is employed skillfully to explain why Superman is not intervening while the super villains attack Washington.

The action is faster, as intended, and grating aspects of the original (Otis!) are much less present this time round.

From a narrative point of view, it mostly works... There is a sudden and abrupt jump in Lex's plan, attitude and behavior between movies which is hard to avoid, and the clunky implications of the world being turned back are still present, but it's not a deal breaker.

Enjoyable edit!

Warning! There will be spoilers in this review.

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.