Product Details

• Actors: Ian Somerhalder, B.D. Wong, Brian Dennehy, Mark Jax, Kee Thuan Chye
• Directors: Kevin Connor
• Format: Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Rhi Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: August 14, 2007
• Run Time: 165 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000PE0GXC
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,734 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Marco Polo" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Marco Polo was a 13th-century explorer whose epic journey from Venice to Asia and beyond has fascinated the world for centuries. This two-part, 176-minute miniseries is a realistic first-person retrospective based on the published journals of Marco Polo in which viewers are treated to Marco Polo's (Lost's Ian Somerhalder) reminiscing about his travels from Venice through what is now Russia and Iran to China and beyond. Considered a barbarian in China, Polo developed an unusual relationship with China's leader Kublai Kahn (Brian Dennehy), becoming a trusted advisor and explorer under the Kahn while simultaneously remaining under the constant suspicion of the court. Nonetheless, Kublai Kahn sent Polo to explore then-unknown places like (modern-day) Thailand, Pakistan, India, Vietnam, and the Spice Islands where he encountered countless wonders, a host of foreign concepts, and new and exciting peoples. Shot entirely in China, viewers are transported to 13th-century China where they experience first-hand Marco Polo's incredible drive to explore unseen lands, the physical and emotional hardships of his journey, and his sense of exhilaration and wonderment on traveling through new lands. Action and adventure abound throughout the production, balanced by a careful exploration of the intricacies of Polo's relationship with the Kahn, his servant Pedro (B.D. Wong), and the women of the court Temulun and Kensai (both played by Desiree Slahaan). Just as fascinating as the actual journey is the depiction of the man Marco Polo; his commitment to truth, openness to new concepts, unceasing quest for knowledge, sense of duty, and seemingly instinctive understanding of human nature. This is a gripping, timeless telling of a classic adventure that's sure to be a favorite with history buffs, adventure lovers, and anyone who loves a good story. (Ages 10 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Product Description

This is the absorbing true story of Venetian explorer Marco Polo’s arduous trek to the East—and beyond. The story follows Marco (Ian Somerhalder) as he is enlisted to accompany a pair of priests to the court of Kublai Khan (Golden Globe winner Brian Dennehy), Mongol conqueror of the East. Featuring Desiree Siahaan and BD Wong, Marco Polo is a gripping look at two of world history’s most enigmatic men and a sensuous vision of a legendary time and place. Now available for the first time on DVD in an extended version featuring all-new bonus features! Literally, it’s the adventure of a lifetime.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The mini series was excellent, August 22, 2007

By	Joanne A. Vega "Bad Mama" (Staten Island, New York USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This mini series is very close to the one in the early 80's that was the best ever made. I would definitely recommend this to lovers of history.

1.0 out of 5 stars Innacurate - Hatred of Western Europe, October 14, 2009

A Kid's Review

All you have to do is look up Marco Polo in Wikipedia and you will see this show gets its history completely wrong. The actual history is much more intresting, this thing is not.

Also, every other line is some attack on western europe. It can't go more than a couple of minutes without some put down of the west. Apparently the author hates europeans. Oh, and he also hate christians, as that is constantly mocked (typical hollywood cliches of priests, etc.)

Someone should actually make a decent movie about Marco Polo, this is just a Hollywood, european hating film.

4.0 out of 5 stars Hollywood sensationalism...that may not go far enough!, May 24, 2009

By	Kent Davis "Devata.org - Khmer Studies" (Anna Maria Island, FL USA) - See all my reviews

One lazy Sunday I drifted into watching this mini-series. My first impression was that it was a silly, romanticized Hollywood treatment of a classic historical account (admittedly, one that I hadn't personally read at the time).

And, yes, seeing Brian Dennehy cast as Kublai Khan made it especially hard to buy into the treatment! But the sets, costumes and storyline were all quite extraordinary. A lot of effort obviously went into the production , which was made in China with a substantial budget.

But many things just didn't sit right with me: the magnificence of Kublai Kahn's court, his cities, the military technology, and a romance between Marco and a Chinese princess? And then the Kahn charges Marco with delivering the princess to the other side of the planet???

I watched it to the end...and then ran to Amazon to find a book to get the facts. The book I found was The Travels of Marco Polo: Edited by Peter Harris (Everyman's Library (Cloth)).

Amazing news...this "sensationalized" mini-series barely scratches the surface of the astounding things Marco Polo reports in his 700 year old tale of travel!

His adventures, many of which are dramatized in this DVD, seemed absolutely unbelievable...until I found most of them proven true in the book... including the story about delivering the princess.

And the romance? Well, I suspect that Marco left quite a few personal facts out of his life in China. So kudos to the scriptwriters who wrote a little love between the lines of his historic journey.

Bottom line - a great film for couples or anyone with an interest in history.

If you just watch the film, marvel that there's more truth in this account than there is fiction! And if you want to know the truth, treat yourself to the book.