This review comes to you as part of my montly Patreon rewards, where if you would like to support and participate in this site, for just $1 a month you can help decide what I watch and review here each month. This was one of the surprise superhero movies that came out during the first year of this site back in 2012. Back then it was hailed as a breath of fresh air for both superhero movies as well as found footage films as it was one of the first popular found footage movies to step away from horror and one of the first superhero movies to focus more on the villain rather than the hero. As far as the differences between the director’s cut and the original cut, there are really only a few minor changes here and there but I do think that they mostly add to the film rather than take away from it.

One of the most difficult things about revisiting this film is how far both Josh Trank and Max Landis have fallen after the huge potential coming off of this film. It’s still a film that can be enjoyed, but there is a slight taint to it now. But it’s really the chemistry between the three leads, or really more specifically between Michael B Jordan’s Steve and Dane Dehaan’s Andrew. There are a handful of extra scenes and moments throughout that really help sell their relationship and friendship and it’s really the part of the film that held the most gravity this time around. It really feels like a realistic relationship where two people from different walks of life find this one uncommon connection and become friends because of it. But because Andrew has a generally tormented social and home life, he is distrustful of it and lashes out like a teenager would, with disastrous consequences. And while it’s an important part of his character’s journey, it would have been nice to have Steve be in more of the film.

On the downside, this time around I did notice how poorly developed Matt was as a character, and how completely unimportant Casey is outside of having an excuse for a second camera in a couple scenes before the climax. He isn’t really fleshed out as a character outside of a wet blanket and he disappears for a bit towards the middle as the friendship between Steve and Andrew grows until Steve’s death. Where Casey is just window dressing and the director’s cut makes it even worse because the only thing added on that front was a very brief moment where Matt has her camera and turns it around on her where she is mostly naked that makes her even less of a character and more of an object. The last brief addition was during the climax, which was just as great seeing it this time around, the chaos and confusion with the multiple camera angles only catching brief glimpses of the fight from odd angles. But the added moment felt like a rip off of Magneto from the X-Men as Andrew stops a hail of bullets and causes them to drop on the ground around him. While the director’s cut doesn’t add a whole lot, there are some good moments that are worth watching if you have the choice between the director’s cut and theatrical. Until next time, this has been Bubbawheat for Flights, Tights, and Movie Nights.