Review Detail

WARNING! This review will contain SPOILERS!!!!

One of my all time favorite Superman fan edits is ADM's SUPERMAN REDEEMED, merging SIII and SIV into a single adventure. This new fan edit by Avid is similar in concept but much bolder and grander in scope.

There tons of great things in this edit that I enjoyed immensely. The use of real news footage about the Nuclear Threat added some much needed weight to the storyline. The diner scene with the news report of Nuclear Man attacking Metropolis was perfectly done (great work on the audio!!). I loved the inclusion of the flashback of young Clark from Superman Returns, it really made the scene incredibly emotional and heartfelt. Gus has been fantastically edited and toned down, he now feels like a member of the ensemble rather than an out of control scene stealer.

That said, there were some things about the new narrative that did not work for me or I thought was unneeded. I thought the prison scene with Lex and Otis was completely unneeded and served no purpose since Otis is never seen again. I think Lex in the rock quarry would have worked sufficiently to reintroduce Lex.

The fact Lex and Superman never physically meet in this version was a bit dissatisfying. More so because the two fight scenes between Superman and Nuclear Man at Lex's headquarters play very choppy because of Lex's removal.

The turning Superman into Evil is the same as Redeemed, but I think it would have been clearer and played stronger if you had included the scene of Clark being sick afterwards to at least suggest he is undergoing some sort of transformation.

But these are all minor compared to one thing that completely did not work for me -- the reinterpretted romance between Superman and Lois. Superman's motivations come across as very murky at best..... and complete douche bag at worst. In this version, Superman seems greatly perplexed by the nuclear debate, he invites Lois over, reveals his identity to I assume to discuss his dilemma but surprisingly there is no discussion of the nuclear crisis. Instead he takes her back to the Fortress and seduces her. He then disarms the planet and then gives up his powers. For me this all plays very hollow. As a stand alone movie, I think the story would have worked better without this subplot but I am assuming you are setting up your third act with Lois and Clark's love child.

Otherwise, the rest of the edit works very well. I was really surprised how well the two completely different plots played off each other and how you were able to cleverly interconnect them. Lots of tight editing over all, some great video/fx polishing and over all the audio is solid though again a few cue transitions could have been smoother.

While I don't agree with some of the narrative choices, I do acknowledge there are some very innovative and fresh ideas that make this edit worth watching. And it is definitely action packed, featuring some of the very best moments of Superman III and IV, making for a very entertaining experience.

Thanks for the show Avid. You have made me very curious what you are going to do for your final act of your Superman Trilogy.