I enjoyed the beginning of this before the final 30 minutes or so where it seems like the brains of before just gets replaced with brawn and everything working perfectly for Sly and Arnie. I do enjoy prison films on the whole though, so I'm a bit biased with the genre. It does most things well enough, especially in the first half to three quarters.
I like to think that a good test on a film's quality is whether or not the viewer is checking their watch during the movie, and for 180minutes, I don't think the length is an issue at all as it moves along. Why I don't rate this higher is that it is exhausting to watch. Every scene Melora Walters is in is tough/annoying to watch. The same can be said with Julianne Moore multiplied by ten. It's a similar case for Earl Partridge. That doesn't leave much. Frank T.J. Mackey/Tom Cruise being interviewed, among other scenes of his are quality, but that's about it.
First hour: A group of materialistic horrible teens steal clothing/shoes/jewellery and money from celebrities' houses. Throughout most of these, Marc says "let's go" and doesn't want to do it. Rebecca says "it's fine." This shows us that Marc has some remorse and is being pushed along, while Rebecca is the architect of the robberies which offer no excitement... We also see these characters trying on clothing and partying in slow motion. More excitement.
Final 30 minutes: They get caught, we hear some sob stories while they plead their innocence to the media, then they get sentenced.
I don't know if it's just the way the characters interact with each other, or the acting is actually average, but Nicki (Emma Watson) in particular just comes off as trying too hard. They did sh** all jail time as well for what they did in real life to make it worse. Overall, I just didn't find much of this interesting at all and there isn't one likeable character in the film.
Overall the addition of Brando, slightly better pacing, the removal of the ridiculous amnesia kiss, the S throw and one or two less fluffy moments put this just above the theatrical version. It doesn't really work as the end of Superman 1 is changed in the process and there is the addition of screen tests where Lois and Clark look different but disregarding that I think that this is a better version.
Notes on the Differences:
-the beginning / no Eiffel tower/terrorism plot at the start
-missile from SM1 cracks villains out of glass instead of a bomb from the elevator.
-no Clark walking across the streets into the car.
-no orange juice.
-why they go to Niagara Falls is explained by Perry White not briefly by Lois in the hotel.
-they don't get a tour of the hotel room.
-Lois doesn't quiz Clark after the Niagara Falls incident.
-different hotel - screen test
-father talks to Luthor in crystal not mother.
-Luthor dubbed
-Lois jumps at the start off the Daily Planet building, not into the rapids in Canada. Superman doesn't come like in the theatrical version.
-Lois shoots with a blank at Clark instead of Clark tripping and his hand going into the fire but not being burnt in the hotel.
-3 villains in the country town scene is different. no arm wrestle.
-no kid asks Zod to put his daddy down
-no superman collecting food for dinner from forest
-talks to father instead of mother when his powers are regenerated. -Conversation has a bit more bit to it. comes out in normal clothes. losers the superman outfit.
-Washington Monument takes the place of Mount Rushmore
-major fight scene varies. Statue of Liberty. no baseball hit. The underground fight lasts longer.
-concluding fight doesn't occur. no throwing the giant s and multiple supermans.
-Lois and Clark don't discuss the need to not be together.
-no amnesia kiss. instead rotates the world back to where he did at the end of the 1st
-pizza instead of hamburger-screentest
-no president scene at the end
t's funny how much the director Albert Pyun has disowned the theatrical version of the film. Apparently even to the point of his DVD commentary not being included with the DVD because it was so scathing. But if you look at all of his other movies, most if not all certainly haven't been award winners. This did have a lot of problems though like from budget cuts and actors only being able to be on set for a very small amount of time. Not terrible, but very average.