Heracles: A 007 Story

Solid work, it feels like a classic Bond, thing that was severely lacking not only in No Time to Die but in all of the Craig era. The relatively short runtime didn't bother me, Quantum of Solace was also pretty tight. I loved 007's introduction, it somehow reminded me of The Living Daylights's, use of flashbacks was smart and well crafted, I missed those, it was among the details that made Casino Royale special. The editing kept the narrative tight and the pace high. The sound was top-notch. I somewhat miss Ana De Armas, she was the perfect Bond Girl, I wished we could've gotten her instead of Lashana Lynch. Also, even if I'm happy Bond gets to live in this new version, as someone pointed out before me, it felt like a dream sequence, which isn't that bad, it could be left to the audience's interpretation.

Audio: Perfect
Video: Perfect
With seamless cutting so this is a high quality edit.

First of all I have no problem with the original version but reading that this version
cuts out more than an hour of the running time made me curious.
74 minutes is a lot of scenes and is this edit really gonna work was my question?
But yes it works for the most part.
There was some well made flashback scenes in black/white the fills some gaps and that worked really well.

The pace is very high and maybe that's what I felt was a bit off in this edit.
I mean no James Bond film has ever had a running time under 90 minutes and I think this edit could be a few minutes longer.
A little more flesh on the bones.
Bond films has always some travel/social interaction scenes before we get on with the action scenes, but sometimes I felt we just get from one place to another too fast.


The new ending was really well made but it doesn't have the punch of the original which I had no problem with.

So all in all this is a very good alternative version is you want a faster paced version.

Highly recommended!

I definitely recommend this edit to all Bond fans. First and foremost, the audio editing is perfect. There's no issues there. That is the first thing I look for in an edit. Nothing ruins a fan edit faster than jarring cuts or bad transitions and they are no where to be found here. Great job. Trimming the movie to 90 minutes was another thing I appreciated. Let's keep the focus on Bond. The way the trims were made with the scenes now used as flashbacks in black and white was just great work. Really great stuff. I was impressed. My only criticism would be the choice made at the end of the film. I knocked off ONE POINT in the narrative & enjoyment score because the new ending didn't quite work for ME although the execution was great as usual. I feel a little guilty doing it because the NEW ENDING was the entire point of the edit. I think the editor accomplished everything they were trying to accomplish. This edit is exactly as advertised. CHECK IT OUT! This is essential viewing for fans of 007.

The original story for me was a 6/10 and this edit made it a 7/10, so you did manage to improve it slightly!

The edit is done flawlessly. No cuts noticed, music was smooth, audio was great! The flashbacks were a great tool for keeping the story tight, but you may have needed more of them.

Unfortunately in the end I struggled with the disjointed timeline, and there were loose threads spread throughout that I struggled to keep up with (which I won't detail here), and the new ending feels a bit like a dream sequence.

You made a lot of tough choices but I think you worked with what you had. There just may not have been enough freedom to really fix the story, but you tried and partially succeeded!

The openings nicely parallel each other as both characters in the duel narrative lose someone to an armed killer which also has the benefit of subtlety foreshadowing said characters connection to one another and speaking of connections I can tell that you carefully thought out how to link each scene to the next with one good example being how you used Madeleine Swann’s occupation to lead into the interrogation scene as both instances link to the field of psychology and criminology and help to drive the narrative further forward.

Said narrative is now far more focused and easier to follow with the faster sequence of rearranged events in this new continuity heightening and maintaining the tension as said tension builds towards the adrenaline fuelled excitement that the Bond films are known for and in many cases gladly dish out to the audience, the sound quality is also amazing with everything playing in both the right channels and ears creating a truly immersive experience. The addition of film grain gave the edit that nostalgic VHS kind of feel and reminded me of the days when I watched the bond movies on VHS which I still own along with the 50th Anniversary Collection on DVD.

It’s interesting that you chose to add the name of Heracles as apart of the title for this edit as well it refers to the nature of Heracles in the film it’s also the name of a greek demi god who is the son of Zeus with superhuman strength who became the ultimate symbol of masculine power and bravery, what I am implying with this comparison is that through his masculine power and bravery Bond was able to overcome and power through many obstacles both physically and emotionally leading to the expression ‘’To perform a herculean task’’ so in a sense the title could also be an allegory for one mustering the will to unleash their inner strength to overcome difficult hurdles in life that may come their way.

The fact that he survives in this cut makes the double meaning all the more fitting and makes the happier ending feel earned, for me this is a self replacer and I am never watching the theatrical cut again unless of course it helps lead to more great edits of this film such as this. After I finished watching the edit I figured I’d take a look at your Behind The Barrel sequence and it’s interesting seeing the software that you used to make it happen along with hearing your voice for the first time, I had no idea that the name ‘’INIGHTMARES’’ was pronounced that way but at least I know how it’s meant to be said now.