Star Wars - Episode II: Attack of the Clones: The Super 8 Cut

Review by L8wrtr — July 2, 2011 @ 8:05 pm

I avoided watching too many Episode II edits while I worked on my own, and I purposefully avoided this edit as I wanted to be able to simply sit back and enjoy it. Finally this morning I sat down with my two boys and took this in.

Normally I divide a review into various categories of video, audio etc.. but this is no ordinary edit.

Simply put, this is just hands-down, grin-inducing fun. Is it perfect? No. And it shouldn’t be. Rogue’s vision was perfect and his execution of that vision was even better. His use of the aged look, jump-cut splicing, audio imperfections etc allowed him to make editing choices simply not possible with a traditional edit.

The only comprable edit I can think of is The Man Behind the Mask’s War of the Stars. Never intended as a replacement edit, this is another example of the power and potential of fanediting as an artform. By ignoring the boundaries of creating a ‘traditional’ edit, Rogue has crafted something fun, original and FAST out of a completely pre-existing work of art (insert snicker here about referring to Attack of the Clones as art).

From a story standpoint, what’s truly fascinating about this edit is that it also works as a commentary on Episode II itself. The editor himself describes the chunks of deleted footage as contributing to plot holes, however really, that is not the case. The missing footage creates some continuity errors, but really, the critical plot points of Episode II are told in roughly a half hour. While the nuance of the story only makes sense if you’ve seen the original, a first-time watcher would get the basics of the story, and that is quite a feat.

So all-in-all, this is a resounding 10/10 for me. Amazing work Rogue, well-done.

Review by DwightFry78 — March 6, 2011 @ 7:52 pm

*This rating was given before reviews were required*

Review by TMBTM — March 4, 2011 @ 1:52 am

It was a very nice way to revisit the movie although I feel that, for someone not knowing the movie, there are some little plot holes (well the original movie also have some: syfo dias anyone?).
How exactly Obi knows where is the planet to look for in the archive and the name of it? (a simple “a bounty hunter from Kamino…” line by Zam just before she dies would have make sens here). And who exactly is that Dooku vilain that every characters seems to know, but the audience not?
That said, those kind of missing things ARE parts of super 8 cuts of movies anyway, and they did not break the flow of the story at all.
The look of the edit is “gorgeous”, maybe a bit too beautiful, but it’s not a complain at all, I loved it. From the picture I saw before I was worried that it would be just a tinted black and white version, but no, it’s very smartly done.
The pace felt a bit like a “long” episode of the CG Clone Wars show and this is also a compliment.
I also liked the added music from the OT at times. Nice touch.

I’m also very pleased that some of the trailers that are on the DVD will maybe turn into future releases, because they looked great!

This is a solid first fanedit that shows a lot of work and passion. Congratulations.

Review by bionicbob — March 1, 2011 @ 10:52 pm

So let me just get it out of the way, and say up front,
this Fan Edit is EXCELLENT! I was thoroughly engaged and entertained.
Thumbs up from me!

Let’s get into specifics…

The Trailers….

All excellent vintage choices. Many of them childhood favorites.
I nearly pissed my pants with laughter when I saw the title Rogue gave the Bruce Lee movie! Awesomeness!!! (though maybe there should be a RESTRICTED WARNING for that one…)
It would have been really funny if the Flash Gordon trailer was presented in MONGO-vision…
One thing is clear from these trailers, Rogue loves to manipulate music, and he really shows his diverse tastes and talent. It definitely piqued my interest and left me wanting to see more.

When I was a little kid (this would be the mid/late 70s), we lived in a small town with a small independant movie theatre, and every Saturday they would have a double bill matinee of slightly older/poor print movies. I used to love going, it is where I saw the old Tarzan movies, Sinbad, tons of westerns and other B and C movies. Your trailers totally transported me back to that time.
Well done!

The Movie….

Okay, the very fact Rogue managed to cut Attack of the Clones down to less than 40 minutes and that it totally works, is brilliant in itself! He smartly built the story around 3 big action pieces, kept the mystery and key character moments, and it all blends together marvellously.

I love that Rogue totally cut the Emperor out of the movie except for the closing shot. I think this is fantastic choice. All the Naboo stuff is gone and not even missed. As I said, storywise, the edit completely works! Well done.

The Look/Tech…

I am no expert, and my old brain has trouble remembering what actual Super 8 footage looks like, but I do like what Rogue has done here. Whether it is truly a Super 8 Look or not doesn’t matter to me. What matters is he has taken something we have all seen more times than me like to admit and given it a fresh new look which I found to be very enjoyable.

I like that each reel has it’s own distinct look. I love the smudges and hairs that show up.
The audio is great with all the hiss and pops!
I found all the cuts to be clean and smooth, all the transistions worked well for me. The Full Screen format worked really well for this type of edit and enhances the illusion.

Technically, I think Rogue should be very happy with his acheivement.

November 17, 2011

Thumbs up.