Customer Reviews

Pretty Woman [VHS]

5 star:		(181)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(38)

 

 

This review refers to the Special 10th Anniversary DVD Edition(Touchstone) of "Pretty Woman"...

There are a couple of reasons why you may want to go with this "Special" edition of this charming and very modern update of the classic "Cinderella" story. The first is that at this time, the original edition seems to be unavailable, except from the outside sellers with prices higher then this one. The second reason is the fabulous music video with Natalie Cole doing one of the best songs from the film, "Wild Women Do". Other then that, I did not find anything really "special" about this "special" edition.

Here's what you get...A "Behind the Scenes" featurette, which runs a couple of minutes and is just some footage of Geer, Roberts and Marshall, getting ready to shoot a scene at the Polo game with the "Pretty Woman" music playing in the background. There is a very short production featurette, and except for Garry Marshall telling us what the film is about, appeared to be nothing much more than a long trailer. There is also the option of Director commentary, which may be viewed during the film, and the film is in widescreen, but both of these features are also available on the original release.

There is also some extra footage. An added scene where Vivian takes Edward back to her stomping grounds so she can check on Kit, and the two are confronted by drug dealers hardly seemed necessary. As a matter of fact it seemed to detract from the story, as it too soon takes the audience back out Vivian's fairy tale world we have entered briefly.

As far as the film itself, I still love it 15 years after it's original release. Wonderfully directed by Garry Marshall, it's a feel good film, and a wonderful love story that makes you feel you can fulfill your dreams. A great soundtrack, and the superb cast including Laura San Giacomo(she was a great Kit), Jason Alexander, Hector Elizondo, Elinor Donahue, and legend Ralph Bellamy, all make this a very special film all on it's own.

The DVD presents a very nice picture in widescreen, and good sound in Dolby surround. There are nice captions in English for those needing them, but no other subtitles. The price is actually pretty decent for a "special" edition, just don't buy it expecting a ton of extra goodies.

"What's Your Dream?"....enjoy...Laurie

For anyone who simply wants to know if this is the original theatrical version, like myself--it's not. It's the same as the 10th Anniversary Edition, with the stuff from the cutting room floor thrown back into the movie, instead of in Bonus Features where it belongs. I'm so thankful I still have the oringinal release that I love on video.

First of all, I compared the 10th and 15th anniversary versions side-by-side and here's what I observed on my 65" widescreen HDTV:

1) while the 15th anniversary version claims to be "anamorphic widescreeen", there is absolutely no difference in the size of the picture onscreen (the 10th anniversary version was also presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, making it "anamorphic");

2) that said, however, the picture quality of the 15th anniversary version is far superior to the 10th anniversary version, which is marred by dark shadowing and lots of grain - the 15th anniversary version is cleaned-up, with a much brighter picture and virtually devoid of grain or flecks;

3) while the 10th anniversary version was "edited for content", the 15th anniversary version is the full-length, unedited theatrical version;

4) the 15th anniversary version includes a few bonus extras and bloopers.

The bottom line is, if you're a fan of "Pretty Woman", a full-length, improved-picture version of the movie makes it a must-have. Get it - if for nothing else, your significant live-in lady will love you for it.

The delightful and charming romantic comedy "PRETTY WOMAN" which would win hearts courtesy of the wonderful performances by Richard Gere and Julia Roberts and its fantastic music now makes its Blu-ray debut nearly 20 years after the film's debut.

When I first watched this film, I absolutely fell in love with it. I purchased it on VHS, the CD soundtrack, the director's cut LaserDisc, the 10th Anniversary and then the 15th Anniversary DVD special edition, multiple release which I didn't mind. The film has become so much of a favorite that I have traveled to Beverly Hills to check out the Beverly Wilshire, to looking for similar suits and ties around that time period that Edward Lewis would sport, discovering the opera "La Traviata" and eventually listening to opera music. Needless to say, this film at the time, really touched my life and it's hard to believe that nearly 20 years have passed by.

There are so many memorable moments in the film that are just classic, it's a film that has become a classic. Just to let everyone know, this version is the theatrical version and does not include the director's cut with the extra five minutes of footage. But how does the Blu-ray edition fare? Read on.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

The film is presented in 1080p high definition (1:85:1). The picture quality is not eye-popping beautiful if compared to a film created in the past few years but for a film nearly 20 years old, it looks pretty good on Blu-ray. There are a variety of scenes that I really looked closely, one being Vivian's first trip to Rodeo Drive and seeing how the outdoor shots would be, the second would be at the polo match and another would be during the restaurant scene. The picture quality was very good but it had a bit of grain, which is no surprise since grain is part of film. But again, it wasn't vibrant compared to a recent film but for a film of its time, it looks very good on Blu-ray.

In fact, the film on Blu-ray is the definitive version to own ala picture quality.

As for the audio, the audio is presented in English 5.1 uncompressed (48khz/24-bit) and having a lossless English 5.1 48khz, 24-bit track is pretty damn good. If anything dialogue is clear, music is very clear and it's what I expected from a dialogue-based film.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The special features included on this Blu-ray are special features that people have seen on DVD. Included are:

* Blooper Reel - A blooper reel that is quite dated ala picture quality-wise but otherwise fun to watch.
* "Live from the Wrap Party" - Richard Gere, Garry Marshall and band along with Julia Roberts jamming. Richard Gere was great on the piano and Marshall, playing the drums and Roberts singing. A fun featurette but was probably taken via a personal video camera because it looks dated.
* LA: The Pretty Woman Tour - This section allows people to select on a map, various locations featured in "Pretty Woman". For example, click "Beverly Hills Wilshire" and video plays with Garry Marshall giving you his memories of the location and information about it.
* 1990 Production Featurette - A featurette on the making of the film, interviews and more!
* "Wild Women Do" music video performed by Natalie Cole - I was really hoping that we would see other music video hits included such as Go West's "King of Wishful Thinking", Roxette's "It's Over Now" and more but only a single video which was on the original DVD release.
* Theatrical Trailer
* Feature Audio Commentary with Director Gary Marshall - This is the same commentary from the 15th Anniversary Edition which was released back in 2005. The 10th Anniversary Edition utilized the director's cut from the LD version and I'm often asked which commentary did I enjoy the most. The 15th Anniversary/Blu-ray commentary has newer commentary and you hear details that Marshall remembers of the film and how everyone has done since the release of the film "PRETTY WOMAN". But commentary-wise, I felt Marshall's director's cut commentary was very good because it was not long after the release of the film, so a lot of details were mentioned in his first commentary. Granted, for redoing a commentary for a film over 15 years later, was well done.

Now, surprising is that the deleted scenes (which were included on the film for the director's cut on LaserDisc and the special edition DVD's) are not included as a special feature. So, for those who prefer the extended version of the film, then the 15th Anniversary Edition DVD is the version to own.

I personally love this film and when the LaserDisc version first came out, it was technologically big because it included the director's cut and featured an audio commentary. With the Blu-ray edition, I wasn't sure if I would be blown away by the picture quality and the audio quality. The Blu-ray experience of "PRETTY WOMAN" was in the most part good but not great.

There are no extra special features that makes this better in content versus the 15th Anniversary DVD but its strength is that it's featured in 1080p High Definition and an uncompressed 5.1 track (48khz and 24-bit). Picture quality and audio-wise, if you have a television and receiver that can take advantage of the high definition treatment of this film, then it's even much more enjoyable because of the better quality. But anything more than that and unfortunately, there is nothing new special-feature wise compared to the 15th Anniversary Special Edition DVD. I would have loved to hear a commentary or a retrospective featurette with Garry Marshall and some of the talent but with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts doing quite well with their careers, not sure if we would ever see that. Hopefully in the 25th Anniversary release?

Also, there are some who prefer the theatrical version and some who will prefer the extended cut version. The Blu-ray version of the film is the theatrical version and the deleted scenes (extra five minutes of footage) added for the director's cut on LaserDisc and on the 15th Anniversary Special Edition DVD are not included on this Blu-ray edition.

But overall, this romantic comedy is still enjoyable and charming now as it was then. Richard Gere and Julia Roberts did a fantastic job, Garry Marshall did a spectacular job as well as with everyone cast in this film from Jason Alexander to Hector Elizondo, everyone did a great job. It's a fantastic film period and of all the previous versions that have been released, having owned so many previous releases, the Blu-ray edition is the definitive version to own.

I would like to as someone who understands DVD a little more than several people who have already "reviewed" this DVD give a little explanation on what is important about this release.

Unlike the two previous DVD releases, the 15th Anniversary edition finally offers the film in an Anamorpic Widescreen (aka "Enhanced For Widescreen TVs) transfer. What that means is that for people who have a Widescreen TV it will fill (or mostly fill, depending on the aspect ratio of the film) the TV. Even if you do not own a Widescreen TV yet you still will benefit on your standard shape TV since your DVD player inserts most of the black bars (henseforth the picture itself has extra resolution - which means a better more cleaner picture). Plus when you do get a Widescreen TV you will have a superior copy of "Pretty Woman" to watch on that TV (unlike the previous two which would leave you with black bars on all sides of the TV which you'd have to zoom in on, reducing the picture quality in the process).

I can understand the frustration of re-releases like this, but on the upside the new 15th Anniversary is within the same price as the previous 10th Anniversary and with the quality of the movie improved that alone to me is worth it (or in my case worth the wait, as I advoided the 10th Anniversary just for that reason). The only thing I wish that would of been on this release is at least a new audio commentary with Gary Marshall, as he is very entertaining to listen to (the "Runaway Bride" commentary is well worth a listen to - he points out things that you would of never noticed before during it).

As far as for the movie itself... well we all know its a classic so nothing more needs to be said.

Recommended because of its new features, namely the "Blooper Reel" and the "Wrap Party" which are both less than three minutes apiece, and I really wouldn't miss, but the keeper is the "L.A. Pretty Woman Tour" which takes you on a trip to the various filming locations in Los Angeles, narrated by Garry Marshall. The best extra is Marshall's audio commentary which is updated from the 10th Anniversary edition. If you know the movie very well, it's a welcome addition.

Fortunately, you can skip the previews of other movies at the beginning of the disc by pressing the Menu button.

The sound seems better on this disc than the earlier DVD. It has a better loudness ratio so the music is not too loud compared to the dialog. This is the Widescreen 1.85:1 version.

Finally, I don't know why this film is rated "R". There's virtually no nudity and they only curse three or four times during the whole movie. PG-13 is more like it (which these days is "R-Lite" but oh well).

Enjoy it!

The orginal release is a well-edited movie filled with some excellent sub-themes of self-worth, self-image, true selfless love versus lust, as well as a great visual lesson on real friendship versus friendship built on using someone for personal gain (the two prostitues vs. the billioniare and his lawyer).

I rate the original movie five stars. However, this new edition is a GREAT disappointment. The additional scenes do not even match in lighting, etc. and create a poorly edited version of a great story. The 'extra features' are sloppy and seem just tossed in to 'add value'. I'm guessing the studio did not want to spend the extra money to get the cast to sit down and do some meaningful interviews.

SAVE YOUR MONEY! Buy the orginal version on DVD or Video.

I've seen Pretty Woman twice in its theatrical release and maybe seven times on video, but when I got hold of the DVD and watched it with my family, it opened a whole new dimension of my liking to the film. The cause: Garry Marshall's commentary.

The director's views about his treatment of the film, behind-the-scene tidbits, and other pre-take preparations deserve a movie of its own. His natural wit and fluidity will make watchers want to look at the scene just described and try to bridge the original perception of the film with its new breadth. He should star in one of his films.

Garry Marshall is the true star of "Pretty Woman", a fact that only comes out if you buy the DVD and listen to his witty and insightful commentary on the side track. Starring Julia Roberts in her career-inspiring role as Vivian, and a stalwart Richard Gere looking more handsome than ever as stuffy but approachable Edward, this vehicle made these two stars shine in the heavens. The trick to their magic was Garry Marshall's directing, and his philosophy of making the stars look their very best. And he succeeded. Sure, this movie is predictable and campy, but buying the storyline isn't required to fully enjoy this charming classic. Thumbs up to "Pretty Woman" on DVD.

DVD owners: make sure you listen to Garry Marshall's commentary. I guarantee you will be laughing at some parts, and notice things you never have noticed before!

This is fantastic film, let down by a really poor audio track. Part of this is my fault for not noticing that this DVD is Dolby Surround 2.0 and NOT Dolby Digital 5.1. WHY!!! the boxed set with Runaway Bride WAS Dolby Digital 5.1 and great quality, unfortunately it was sold out before I got a chance to get a copy. In addition the sound level on the Audio is at least 50% lower than any other DVD I have and very thin in quality with little bass.

As for the movie itself I was expecting an uncut original version of the Film as nowhere did it indicate that the 10th Anniversary edition had been changed from the original. Imagine my surprise when the the introduction says that the film has been modified from the original version and has been edited for content, again WHY!!! the boxed set wasn't.

My advice is save your money for a better release than this 10th Anniversary edition. If you can find a source of the boxed set with Runaway Bride snap it up and save me a copy while you are about it. The boxed set was brilliant and I wish I had been quicker to buy it...