When I want to play Pandemic, it's always between Iberia for a more "serious" puzzle, or Reign of Cthulhu when I want a shorter, wackier, and more fun experience.
Yes there's randomness, but that's part of the series. While bad luck can bog you down, good decisions and teamwork can usually save the day even as cultists, monsters, and old ones spawn into the map to ruin your night.
The production quality is incredible from the cards, artwork, minis for all characters and enemies, custom die, well written rule book... I am very happy I picked this version up. Lovecraft fans will also love this one... it drips with theme (example: the French Tarot cards which they printed the various "old ones" on). The production value in this series is generally high, but this title is especially beautiful.
"Fun" varies from person to person, but this game has never fizzled whenever I brought it out. And with its shorter playtime, you can get multiple plays in the same time you would with regular Pandemic -- but not at the expense of getting the core experience.
I would go as far as to say if I could only have one iteration of Pandemic, this one would be a strong contender... this one or Iberia -- (Fall of Rome is good, but different enough that I think the "Pandemic" label was more for marketing).