A.J.'s DVD Rating: 3 Stars |
Review published March 24, 2001 |
The Not-So-Cool Stuff A.K.A. The Complaints Department: For such a great movie and relatively recent DVD release, the overall design of this DVD is very plain. No animated menus, music, cast info, or production notes. Final Thought: Unimaginative presentation aside, this is a pretty good DVD. The features it does have are well done, and enhance the experience of watching the film. I guess sometimes less is more! |
BRAVEHEART The Technical Stuff Region 1 encoding (US and Canada) Single Sided Disc Theatrical Widescreen Presentation; Enhanced for 16x9 Dolby Surround - English / French Dolby Digital 5.1 - English Language Tracks - English / French |
The Really Cool Stuff Best Feature: The best feature here is a very good 'Making of' documentary, which includes interviews, behind the scenes footage, and much more. Commentary Track: Feature Commentary with Mel Gibson: I must say that I'm forced to re-evaluate my criteria for what makes a good director's commentary track after hearing this one. Mel Gibson takes a minimalist approach to his and, to my surprise, that works quite nicely for this film. Unlike some other directors, Mel only cuts in with a comment when he actually has something to say. As a result, it's possible to watch this movie with the commentary track turned on and still not miss any important dialogue! Documentary: "Mel Gibson's Braveheart: A Filmmaker's Passion" This is a 28 minute documentary about the making of Braveheart. Includes interviews with the cast and crew, good background history on William Wallace, and great behind-the-scenes footage featuring the special effects and stuntwork of Braveheart's spectacular battle sequences. Mel Gibson also shares his thoughts on directing his first feature film. |
The Usual Stuff Menu Screen Presentation: Like Mel Gibson's feature commentary, the menu screens for Braveheart are decidedly minimalist in design. The Main Menu features a still image much like the DVD cover art, and includes options for Play, Set-up, Special Features, and Scene Selection. Sub-Menus feature still images of similar design. Scene Access features stills from appropriate scenes. There is no musical accompaniment to any menu screen. A simple overall design. Sound and Image Quality: Very good sound and image quality. Trailers: Two trailers for Braveheart are included. The first is a 90 second teaser trailer which is actually quite bad. The second is the official 3 minute trailer which is about a million times better than the first one. The first trailer helps explain why almost no one saw this movie when it was first released in May of 1995. Originally a critical hit, but a box-office flop, Braveheart disappeared from theatres quickly. It was given a second chance with a re-release that fall, and went on to win 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Subtitles: English captions are provided for the hearing impaired. Language Tracks: Language tracks are provided in English and French. |
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