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Thoughts on the extended cut: The extended cut adds a little bit more footage back to the theatrical cut but all of it is superfluous. I think there's a little bit more of Johnny and his dad talking and also a scene where the Caretaker/Slade is attacked by Blackheart. The rest of it is the odd bit here or there--a shot here or there, etc. The new edition makes no difference to the overall plot or to improving the characters.
After watching this most recent time I think I have identified why I don't feel this movie is quite up to par. For one thing, Nicholas Cage depiction of Johnny Blaze is aloof and disconnected. All the emotional elements are there yet he doesn't play on them for some reason which leads to the viewer not connecting with him as character the way we should.
Additionally, there are some plot issues. For example, the evidence Johnny is a murderer is circumstantial at best yet the police surround him (with four cops to a squad car in the first scene! That would never happen). Even after they learn he's a flaming creature they pursue him in full force with SWAT teams. What exactly do the police expect to do to him? Also, a little bit more reaction from them at the fact he's a supernatural being would've been nice. As it is, we get some startled expressions but that's about it.
The whole thing with the contract and the souls is not well explained. Apparently, the more souls you have the more powerful you are. We infer this from watching but it's never explicitly stated. A simple line or two from Blackheart or Mephisto would've helped to clarify this point.
I also don't understand why Carter Slade bothers to go with Johnny in the end yet has to stop before they get there. If he can't truly help, why is he even there? They could just as easily have had Blackheart kill him (then Johnny stumbles upon the hidden contract/gets it from a dying Carter). Or, they could have had him go help Johnny against the last demon and/or Blackheart but take a mortal wound. He could then give Johnny some sage words of wisdom and die, leaving Johnny to finish the fight. As it is, his fate in the film is anti-climactic and pointless.
Thoughts on the extended cut: The Extended Cut adds 11 minutes back near the beginning of the film. Basically, we get the full back story on Hal Jordan's childhood. We meet his father and watch as he is killed in a plane accident. The scene is ultimately extraneous though since the highlights of this footage were already in the theatrical version. If anything, this footage slows the flow of the movie down further and does nothing to resolve the bad editing issues this film had. The original theatrical cut is recommended over this version as longer doesn't necessarily equate to better in this case.
Thoughts on the theatrical cut: A story about a psycho that stalks women and then kills them with his super car. Death Proof was good in some aspects but the long character stuff in the beginning bogged it down a little. Still, the killer (Kurt Russell) was made interesting here too. Once the deed is committed, though, he apparently targets some more women some time later. Then it becomes a case of rinse and repeat. More long dialogue, establishing these women and what they do, blah, blah... then, Stuntman Mike finds them somehow and tries to kill them all. But they won't be quite so easy prey... At first, I thought maybe the second women were a flashback or something but I may have assumed wrong from the editing, which didn't make it clear. Either way, apparently Mike becomes really stupid in-between times. Where his first murder incident was well plotted out this time he just gets out there with no forethought and things go wrong. Add to that, both groups of women were irritating and I was kinda disappointed by the outcome of his second encounter. Death Proof also fails to tell us much about the killer and his motivations--I understand this is aping a bad "b" movie but it was a detail that would've helped (even if it ended up being something stupid/funny). Planet Terror used the "missing reel" trick to cut down some of the unnecessary running around in it's story--and that worked for both time and comedy in it's case. In Death Proof, I think a little more background and a little less repetition would've helped. Perhaps it's flaws were intentional--Tarentino mocking some movie(s) of which I'm not aware but if so, I didn't get the reference and feel a bit let down by that one.
Thoughts on the extended cut: This version runs two hours over the original and is marginally better. For one thing, we get a clear title between the first and second parts of the movie, confirming that the second group of girls is definitely later on in time (assumed by most, but it could have been a flashback explaining Stuntman Mike's motivations). We also get the lap dance scene by Arlene in it's entirety (totally superfluous, but...) There's also a lot more of an opening to the second set of women, involving a long scene at the convenience store. And still more, yack, yack, yack... Unfortunately, the ending is still the same stupid crap that it was--I wanted those characters to get theirs, but sadly they don't. Neither is Mike's motivations ever explained... Still, this version is a bit better over the first one and likely a better choice to experience Death Proof.
Thoughts on the theatrical cut: When I originally saw this movie in 2003, I recall hating it. For one thing, Ben Affleck was unconvincing as the Daredevil vigilante--instead of seeming menacing in the costume, he just looked stupid (and if you can't make the hero seem cool/menacing in its costume, the illusion is already broken). The story also had some strange elements to it--for example, when Matt Murdock and Elektra fight in the schoolyard. Wouldn't people notice the blind man's amazing fighting skills and start to wonder about him? Murdock seems to have no problems at all with this thought, which we can chock up to shoddy writing. I also felt Matt/Elektra got intimate too soon in the film. It seemed like they'd barely met and already were getting naked--I know this can happen in real life but it seems like there should've been more story getting there then there was. Despite getting beaten thoroughly, Daredevil can still go another round against Bullseye suddenly as well as then travel to the Kingpin and pick a fight with him too. Elektra's fighting background is never explained either. In the comic, she's an assassin/ninja but this is ignored entirely here so we have no idea why she can defend herself so well, merely that she can. The special effects are shoddy in places--obvious cgi moments and the total lack of consideration for physics. Like when Kingpin throws Daredevil against a wall--obvious wire work and it doesn't look like it could possibly happen in real life. Also, some of the later fight scenes made it seem like Daredevil had superhuman jumping abilities or something. Definitely one of the worst superhero movies I've seen...
Thoughts on the Director's Cut: Some of my prior arguments still apply. Like I said, Daredevil's ready to give up after his encounter with Elektra/Bullseye then he has the most unbelievable second wind where he takes out Bullseye and Kingpin! I also noticed some annoying music video-like moments where the camera work gets annoying and almost makes it feel like the director is making fun of his own film. Like he's saying "Look at this! It's just a stupid comic book movie!" I'm sure he thought those moments were cool but they really detract from the movie in reality. On the good side though, this version of the movie is actually watchable versus the mess that was the original theatrical cut. The quickie sex scene between Matt/Elektra is totally gone, making their relationship seem more deep and interesting then originally portrayed (she means something to him now instead of just being a good lay/whatever originally). An entire sub-plot where Matt/Foggy defend a murderer (Coolio) has been restored and helps the movie greatly. It may run a little longer but the plot thread ultimately contributes to the movie's conclusion and helps to clear up plot elements that were dropped originally. It makes the story better and helps it make more sense--we also get a bit better picture of Matt Murdock and who he is (not that the original version was bad for that but this version is just a bit better). A few incidental scenes are back as well--like a scene where Matt confronts a dirty cop and another where we meet Matt and Foggy's secretary. More importantly, the sub-plot with the reporter now actually makes sense--instead of being story baggage, he actually has a point in being there. If you want to experience Daredevil, watch this movie (not the theatrical cut). I can honestly say this is a decent/good movie now (it's still not spectacular--a film like Spiderman or Batman Begins beat it hands down). Recommended.
Thoughts on the theatrical cut - I originally loved this movie when it came out. I was six years old at the time and it was lots of special effects and action. What was there to hate? Over time as my tastes developed, I have realized the opening scene in Paris never made a lot of sense. Neither does a lot of what happens in this movie if you stop and think about it. For example, why does Clark go to such lengths to stop Lois from discovering who he is only to allow himself to fall into the fire and reveal his true self so soon after? Its the small things in this movie that spoil it (compared to the original movie). Imagine my surprise at learning the second movie had been largely cut and redone by a second director when the first was axed...
Thoughts on the "Richard Donner Cut" - Apparently the original 1981 movie was two-thirds of the way filmed when they fired the director and got a new one to finish it (I never even knew this until Superman Returns came out and I was reading up on it on the internet). The new guy (Richard Lester) re-filmed most of it and released the movie we all saw (er, assuming you've seen it). I always thought the first Superman movie was the best (also done by Donner) while Superman II was decent/good (and the subsequent two films stunk). Now, thanks to fan demand, this new version of the second movie's been done--they've restored all of Donner's footage (and used the odd part of the other director's scenes to shore up the unfilmed parts). The result is the same story but radically different at the same time. Marlon Brando is back in the movie as Jor-El--and that alone helps the story greatly. The music is now done by John Williams (the first cut had his music as done by someone else. I think this time they re-cut his first movie's soundtrack for it). The villians are less goofy (a good thing. They cut out much of their buffoonery from the original footage) and there seems to be a lot more depth between Clark, Lois and the whole Kal-El/Jor-El relationship. Some test footage was used in the Niagara Falls scene (but it's blended pretty well on the DVD. You can't really tell). In short, this is a vastly superior film... it does have the odd flaw--like the Phantom Zone traveling in the opening looks kinda cheap (new effects for this DVD) and the ending is pretty much a re-use of the original movie's ending (Supes time travels back and undoes that day). Despite that, the time travel is presented well (that is, it looks cool) and makes sense in the context of the film--it just seems a bit odd if taken along with the ending of Superman I as well (personally, I wonder why Lois can't just remember who Clark is and deal with it--making her forget it seems silly, imo). If you liked the Superman movies, this is definitely worth checking out.
More information: Superman 2 Wikipedia entry
Thoughts on the theatrical cut - There was a long and involved story in this movie, which I think was a good aspect. Many movies that have as much action as this take liberties with the story and even cut back on it in favor of the action. Unfortunately, something had to go and I think the story suffers greatly because there is far too little characterization. We know the characters are dark and broody, the war all consuming but unfortunately we find out nothing else. What do they think? What do they feel? Like? Hate? I watched this movie twice and just barely detected the “relationship” between the two main characters. He saves her once, she saves him and they kiss once–that’s it. We get no sense that they really like each other or have anything in common (beyond the obvious conflict). I think that really hurts the movie... the viewer doesn’t really care what happens to the characters or identify with them. They’re merely there to move the story along... on the bright side, Kate Beckinsale is smoking hot in that skin tight costume she wears–I enjoyed that part of the movie... :-) I also think that Lucian, the leader of the werewolves, was greatly underused in the story. He has an imposing presence but doesn’t really do much throughout the story. Otherwise, the movie borrowed a few elements here and there from the Matrix’s style (more of an observation then a strike against it–too many other shows have done the same at this point). Too much style, too little substance. A mediocre movie, at best.
Thoughts on the Unrated Extended Cut - For the most part, it seems like this movie is the same thing with a few bits added back here and there. I confess to not being a complete expert on the theatrical cut but it seems like there was more with the Erika character (a sub-plot involving her scheming to get in Marcus’ good graces). The one biggest and most significant change was when Selena and Michael compare their tragic back stories while in the vampire safe house. In the original version, she tells him her back story and how she’s vowed revenge on all Lycans. In the extended cut, he explains that he lost his wife in a tragic car accident some time before and has dedicated himself to trying to help people. This adds to his actions earlier in the movie where he saves a woman caught in the crossfire in the subway (possibly another new addition–I’m not certain). Additionally, this makes both characters more sympathetic to each other–each carries a past pain and can identify with one other. It also helps to explain why both are quiet and don’t seem to have much of a life outside of their respective careers. I take back what I said about Lucian–-he does do enough in the movie but his ultimate fate is a bit anti-climatic, in my opinion (nothing really changes with him in this version of the movie though). Generally, this movie and my opinion are pretty much the same as before. However, this movie gets a little bit of a boost from the aforementioned addition of some back story for Michael. At least they made an attempt to give him some development... if you haven’t seen Underworld and are considering it, I definitely recommend the Unrated Extended Cut over the original.
