Ladyhawke Rescored

I recommend this cut of Ladyhawke which is now much better, overall, than the original. I was not a fan of the odd original score which intentionally had a very modern sound (for the time) but seemed not to ever really fit with the action happening on the screen. Did the musicians actually watch each scene they wrote music for? I really don't think so. For me much of the original music was laughably bad and way out of place. No amount of nostalgia could ever make me like those music choices.

In 99% of the revamped scenes of this edit, the audio replacement is undetectable. It just sounds like it could have been a studio release. The 1% that sounds a little too thin is because of the extreme noise reduction applied to a very small handful of dialogue parts in order to completely obliterate the original score. So a few times people's voices become tinny and one or twice a little hard to hear. I would have maybe not used quite that amount of noise reduction and just let the original soundtrack bleed over a bit, doing my best to mask it with new music. Either way, it's still a very acceptable trade-off.

I gave scores of 10 across the board here except for Audio/Video Quality and Audio Editing, which I gave an 8 and 9 respectively. In my book a score of 8 out of 10 (or 4 out of 5) means "good."

The reason I didn't give a perfect score for Audio/Video Quality was some slight blocking and color banding in some of the footage. Nothing very noticeable, but there if you're looking out for it. Also, the opening musical piece sounded a tad muddled to my ear, though that muddiness did not continue.

If a surround track is available but an edit is released in stereo, the highest I'll generally give the audio editing is a 9, which is what I did here. As much as I would prefer a surround version of this, the new scoring is just too good not make the edit a permanent fixture in my movie collection.

And the reason this edit works so well is the time effort and love put into arranging the new scoring. Well done!

Filesize = 11.3 GB, Video = 1920 X 1090p AVC, Audio = 221 kbps 2-Channel Stereo AAC, No subs.

A substantial edit, removing the 80’s soundtrack, replacing it with Jerry Goldsmith’s score for “Lionheart.”

Do not let the audio specs fool you. The music is robust and dynamic throughout, often swelling dramatically.

The audio editing is fabulous. Small scene removals, I never noticed.

This improves this film quite a bit, though I have always had reservations about it.

For one thing, the film still looks cheap to me. There are simply not enough extras. From pursuing soldiers to castle inhabitants, where is everyone?

Also, it is way too clean. Costumes always appear straight from EZ Sudz Washland.

For Rurgar Hauer fans, he is top flight in this! Glorious.

Aside from Michelle Pfieffer, every other actor borders on ham.

Mouse (and Mathew Broderick himself) remains excruciatingly annoying.

Ladyhawke itself is not a movie I have a ton of nostalgia for and I can't say it impressed me that greatly as a film on this rewatch. That said, this version definitely works better than the original. The Eliot Goldenthal score works quite well with the vision here presented by Richard Donner. There are parts where personally I felt the score was too jaunty over the action, or borderline sappy over the drama, but honestly that's totally in-keeping with Donner's tone and vision. It matches his directorial style here well, where he never fully goes for gripping action or sweeping drama, but tries to create a childlike sense of joy and wonder that pervades the story.

This film is honestly probably best viewed by someone around 12 years old, so any parents out there might want to seek this out. Personally I want my fantasy bigger and bolder and probably more exploitative, but there is a niche for this. A/V editing is top notch, fitting perfectly into the film. A 5.1 mix would be the natural direction to take this sweeping score, but I can give it a pass. For those with nostalgia for this, it may scratch an itch; for those with no real memories, this would be the preferred way to watch.

I don't get the hate for the Laydhawke score. Does every movie in this genre have to sound the same? I love it. Ladyhawke wouldn't be Ladyhawke without it. The score is what makes this movie unique and sets it apart from the rest of the cookie cutter medieval sword and sorcery type movies. That said... it's about time someone made this edit! We've all been hearing complaints about the Ladyhawke score for decades and it's very refreshing to see it finally come to light. Next time someone complains about the score, just point them here - they'll love it.

This is a great edit. I can't imagine the amount of work that went into this, and at the end of the day, the new score just sits there seamlessly, like it was meant to be there all along. And that's the biggest compliment I can give to this edit- that if you didn't know it was edited, you wouldn't think anything was amiss. Technically, there are a couple of issues. The opening credits are, for some reason, a different AR than the rest of the film, with black bars on the left and right sides. And a film like this really benefits from a proper 5.1 mix. Presenting it in stereo is fine, and likely makes the audio editing easier, but ultimately makes for a lesser experience. However, these do not greatly detract from the edit. I wouldn't consider this a superior version, but a much-needed alternative version of Ladyhawke. Highly recommended, especially if you didn't like the original.

Ladyhawk. A great Richard Donner adventure that time has not been kind to...

When first released in theatres way back in 1985, Ladyhawk felt fresh, fun and exciting. Powerhouse critics Siskel & Ebert both gave it a THUMBS UP; saying it had the potential to be "a classic". And yet, in Richard Donner's impressive pantheon of films, Ladyhawk often seems to neglected, forgotten or ridiculed by many modern movie lovers.

Why? Critics of the film usually point their disapproving finger at two things... Matthew Broderick's performance and the pop/rock soundtrack.

If you fall into this camp, then MusicEd has the Fan Edit for YOU!

While I personally enjoy many aspects of the original movie soundtrack, there is no doubt it instantly dates the film to it's 1980s origins and might feel at odds with the film's Medieval setting to the contemporary viewer.

But not anymore! MusicEd has arduously and meticulously replaced the original soundtrack with works of one of the greatest film composers ever -- Jerry Goldsmith!!! Ed has used Goldsmith's LIONHEART soundtrack with magical skill and has created a very different and wonderfully entertaining viewing experience.

As for Broderick? Again, Ed has mercifully trimmed back some of the more egregious moments, but in the end, there is only so much one can do without undermining the narrative.

The technical achievement here can not be understated. Audio replacement and film re-scoring is an extremely difficult task, that requires a great ear and exceptional patience. And while there are a few brief moments here and there in the fan edit where the viewer can hear the distinct tinny warble after effect of audio removal in some pieces of dialogue, this fan edit stands as a very impressive piece of work.

MusicEd taken a movie that very much felt like a product of the 80s and has given it a classic timeless quality.

Bravo!

Thumbs Up for a new generation!

:)