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111 of 113 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The End is Nigh.. But At Least It's the Ultimate Cut, November 8, 2009
Finally, Zac Synder's vision as it was meant to be. I can't believe they milked the DVD release for literally ever last penny they could. Nevertheless, I am incredibly pleased to own 'Watchmen: the Ultimate Cut'.
With 'the Black Freighter' interwoven into segments throughout the film, Synder's phenomenal and slavishly faithful adaptation of the 'Watchmen' is complete. It extends the movie to over three and a half hours long and fills in the missing pieces from the graphic novel along with a few other small live-action scenes, that weren't in the 'Director's Cut', making it all the more magnificently epic, fresh and unique. The extra material included is massive and comprehensive, which is only fair to the fans, who feel milked and cheated, or who just love the 'Watchmen'.
'The Black Freighter' is a grim tale that parallels the lives of different Watchmen, particularly Veidt's and Rorschach's, and their compulsion to fight evil everywhere they think they find it, blinded to the consequences of their actions. Tremendously realistic and beautiful animation and the voice of Gerald Butler, bring this intriguing and fan-favorite aspect of the story to life, but it's the effective and pragmatic interweaving of it, that reflects on the Watchmen and stays true to the original source.
The film is uncompromising, uncommercial, and unprecedented. It's the 'Watchmen' movie you always wanted, but never thought you'd get, but now, even more so. All the crime-noir, political satire, superhero mythology and science fiction is still there, so unless you forgot or missed the most ambitious, most reverent, most obsessively faithful (to a point) cinematic adaptation of a graphic novel ever and all the stunning and innovative movie magic and gore-porn that went with it, then there won't be much else new for you to get your hopes up for.
O, except maybe for the 4 additional discs with extra material, the set includes:
Disc 1
- Watchmen, the Ultimate Cut (215min)
- Commentary from Zac Snyder and Dave Gibbons (explains everything from prop inspirations to plot alterations)
Disc 2
- The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics
- Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes
- Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World
- Watchmen: Video Journals
- Under the Hood
- Story Within a Story: The Books of Watchmen
- Music Video: My Chemical Romance, 'Desolation Row'
Disc 3
- Digital Copy of the Theatrical Version.
Discs 4 & 5
- Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comics (325 minutes & in it's own case within the box)
WARNING:
- Disc 1 does not include 'Watchmen' WITHOUT 'the Black Freighter' integrated. The digital copy may somewhat compensate for this, but if you're still not satisfied, you'll have to purchase the 'Director's Cut' and 'the Black Freighter' separetely.
The box it comes in is pretty snazzy and durable.
I love 'Watchmen: the Ultimate Cut'. I'm glad I bought it. If you're a fan of the 'Watchmen', and need the complete version of the film, then you'll love it and be glad you bought it too.
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85 of 90 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The End is Nigh.. But at Least it's the Ultimate Cut, November 8, 2009
Finally, Zac Synder's vision as it was meant to be. I can't believe they milked the DVD release for literally ever last penny they could. Nevertheless, I am incredibly pleased to own 'Watchmen: the Ultimate Cut'.
The Set Includes:
Disc 1
- Watchmen, the Ultimate Cut (1080p/VC-1 Transfer, 215min)
- Commentary from Zac Snyder and Dave Gibbons (Explains everything from prop inspirations to plot alterations)
- BD Live
Disc 2
- The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics (HD 25min)
- Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes (HD 26min)
- Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World (HD 17min)
- Watchmen: Video Journals (HD 36mmin)
- Under the Hood (HD 38min)
- Story Within a Story: The Books of Watchmen (HD 36min)
- My Chemical Romance, 'Desolation Row' Music Video (HD, 3min)
Disc 3
- Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comics (1080p/VC-1 Transfer, 325).
- Watchmen Video Journal, Dave Gibbons (HD 3min)
- Wonder Woman Sneak Peak (SD 10min)
Disc 4
- Bonus Digital Copy (Not Blu-ray)- Digital Copy of the Theatrical Version. (Not Blu-Ray, Expires November 2010)
WARNING:
- Disc 1 does not include 'Watchmen' WITHOUT 'the Black Freighter' integrated. The digital copy may somewhat compensate for this, but if you're still not satisfied, you'll have to purchase the 'Director's Cut' and 'the Black Freighter' separetely.
'The Ultimate Cut':
With 'The Black Freighter' interwoven into segments throughout the film, it extends the movie to over three and a half hours long and fills in the missing pieces from the graphic novel along with a few other small live-action scenes, that weren't in the 'Director's Cut' and that bookend the 'comic within a comic', making it all the more magnificently epic and unique. And the extra material is massive, analytic and comprehensive, which is only fair to the fans, who feel milked and cheated, or who just love the 'Watchmen'.
'The Black Freighter' is a grim tale that parallels the lives of different Watchmen, particularly Veidt's and Rorschach's, and their compulsion to fight evil everywhere they think they find it, blinded to the consequences of their actions. Tremendously beautiful yet raw and simplistic animation and the voice of Gerald Butler, bring this intriguing and fan-favorite aspect of the story to life, but it's the effective and pragmatic interweaving of it, that reflects on the Watchmen and stays true to the original source.
In order to match the significance and caliber of the graphic novel, the cinematic version had to embody every thematic nuance and concept behind the 'Watchmen', yet still understand itself as a medium and push the limits of it's own boundaries. And if the 'Theatrical Cut' didn't than that's exactly what the 'Ultimate Cut' does.
The notion of a fluid time-line, explored by Dr. Manhattan's character and the story's complex degree of structuralism is as prevalent as ever. The dark realities of nuclear weapons and humanity's abuse of great power are portrayed in the film through the superhero genre as effectively as they are in Moore's literary masterpiece. The alternative chronology of Cold-War America, defined mostly by the social acceptance of costumed vigilantes, the existence of a superhuman, victory in Vietnam, an endless Nixon presidency and proliferating social rot, reflects upon actual history with profound relevance and cleverly parodies it as well. The cast of talented but unfamilair actors embraces the moral, emotional and psychological aspects of their characters, and the 'Watchmen' universe is equally fleshed out with over 200 elaborate and painstakingly detailed movie sets, that are literally straight out of the comic.
Inevitably, the plot is altered but constructed in a possibly more coherent manner, due to the controversial but practical trade of the bio-engineered squid fore an even more diabolical scheme to frame Dr. Manhattan. Also somewhat diverting from the novel, Snyder pays homage to the 80's inserting a few of his own era-specific grace notes via time-capsule references to Lee Iacocca and "The McLaughlin Group, the film's Reagan generation-friendly soundtrack, head-nods to films like 'Brazil' and 'Apocalypse Now, and capturing the fear and uncertainty felt during the Cold War .
The films depiction of brutality transcends the standard Hollywood repertory of effects; it is more like a cause, a principle.. an ideology. Snyder's marriage to violence exposes the shallow nihilism lurking beneath the intellectual and sophisticated pretensions of 'Watchmen'.
'Watchmen' is a post-modern tale about costumed vigilantes with complicated and true-to-life psychological profiles and a man with god-like earth-shaking powers, trying to function in a world without hope , and it was said to have been impossible to film. Some tried, and failed before they even began. It's probably a miracle it took decades to make the movie, Zac Snyder was the right man to do it.
The film is uncompromising, uncommercial, and unprecedented. It's the 'Watchmen' movie you always wanted, but never thought you'd get, but now, even more so. All the gritty crime-noir, political satire, superhero mythology and science fiction is still there, so unless you forgot or missed the most ambitious, most reverent, most obsessively faithful (to a point) cinematic adaptation of a graphic novel ever and all the stunning and innovative movie magic and gore-porn that went with it, then there won't be much else new for you to get your hopes up for.
O, except maybe for the 3 additional discs with extra material. The Box it comes in, is pretty snazzy and durable too.
I love 'Watchmen: the Ultimate Cut'. I'm glad I bought it. If you're a fan of the 'Watchmen', and need the complete version of the film, then you'll love it and be glad you bought it too.
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104 of 122 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What's included, September 24, 2009
I've held off on buying the Watchmen DVDs released so far, hoping for a "complete" set like this one (which I've now pre-ordered). What you get:
Disc 1:
* Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut Film (rated R), weaving together the "Tales of the Black Freighter" with the "Watchmen: Director's Cut". 215 minutes
* Audio Commentary with Zack Snyder and Dave Gibbons
Disc 2:
* The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics
* Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes
* Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World
* Watchmen: Video Journals
* My Chemical Romance Desolation Row
* Under the Hood (rated PG)
* Story Within a Story: The Books of Watchmen
Disc 3:
* Digital Copy of the Theatrical Version. (The drawback: no Blu-ray version of the theatrical release. But I didn't take a star off for this.)
Disc 4:
* Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comics (this is split across two discs on the non-Blu-ray edition) 325 minutes
Blu-ray exclusive: Connect to Facebook through BD-Live. The content is not rated except where noted.
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