James Cameron’s “Titanic” is without a doubt, a magnificent film. There are those who claim the fictional story of the star-crossed lovers on board detract from the history and the tragic loss of life presented in the film. They are, of course… wrong. The story of Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet), allowed for a look into the two worlds that existed due to the separation of classes on board the great unsinkable ship. Believable or not, their story made for an emotional ride meant to grab our attention up until the greater emotional ride to come.
There is little I could write about “Titanic” that I or others have not already written, but in a nutshell… James Cameron created, and actually re-created, in masterful detail the events, and moreover the setting, of the historical disaster. That loving detail, brought to you because of Cameron’s obsession with the Titanic, has never been more incredibly presented than in Paramount’s recent 2D and 3D Blu-ray release.
I am unfortunately not set up with a 3D TV at home, but thanks to a good friend I had the opportunity to watch what Cameron’s technical team had done with the film. As a rule, I am not a fan of 3D when films are put through the process after the fact as opposed to being shot in 3D to begin with. With the exception of animated films, the 3D monstrosities always look dark and murky, and the 3D never lives up to the hype.
Cameron set the bar with his release of “Avatar”, which is undoubtedly the only moviethat has really looked good in 3D, again because it was filmed that way. But if anyone was going to take an older film and put it through the process, Cameron is the guy to do it. He is obsessive (as mentioned before) and would undoubtedly never let it be released if it didn’t look right. And this appeared to be the case.
In 3D, “Titanic” is near perfect. A handful of scenes do look a little off, but on the whole, everything looks very natural. The ending sequences are absolutely breathtaking. I’m still not used to wearing the ‘cool’ glasses in the home, but the 3D experience this film offered was well worth the discomfort. Do be prepared that the image does look a little different from its 2D counterpart, in that it has been reframed at 1.78:1, which works much better for the overall effect. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is also perfectly mixed and offers an enormously immersive (or would that be… submersive)…. experience.
For those without a 3D TV, the 2D version on Blu-ray should not be discounted. Again, the transfer is nearly flawless, with only some of the grain evident to show its age.
Insofar as extras go, there are quite a few to speak of here. You’ll find three different commentaries, one by Cameron, a cast and crew commentary, and most interestingly… a historical commentary by Don Lynch and Ken Marshall. All were available on the prior release of “Titanic”, but if you haven’t listened to them, be sure to here.
“Reflections on the Titanic” is an hour long interview fest with cast and crew, talking mainly about what it was like working on the film. “Titanic: The Final Word” comes in at a little over an hour and a half and offers a definitive look at the film’s version of the sinking as opposed to the reality using footage from the actual wreckage site and the testimony of experts.
There are a ton of deleted scenes (introduced by Cameron), a lengthy behind the scenes feature, time-lapse footage of the construction of the film’s fateful ship, a Deep Dive presentation narrated by Cameron, videomatics, visual effects, trailers and the music video for “My Heart Will Go On.” And on and on it goes.
This 4-Disc release (the 3D takes up two discs) of “Titanic” is a must own, even if you already have the DVD version. The transfer on the Blu-ray (2D and 3D) are amazing and well worth the price of this set.
Directed by: James Cameron
Starring: Leonadro DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Gloria Stuart, Bill Paxton
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 9/11/2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13
