DVD Town: Video: 9/10, Audio: 9/10 (http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/troy/5127/2)
High-Def Digest: Video: 4.5/5, Audio: 4.5/5 (http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/977/troy_dc.html)

Ah, now this is what I like to hear! A film that is 3.25 hours, top notch video, top notch audio, and a plethora of extras to boot! :)

Here is a snippet from the DVD Town review:

Video:
The picture quality in standard definition was already excellent, and, not surprisingly, the HD DVD outshines it. The screen size equals the movie's 2.40:1 theatrical ratio (measuring about 2.26:1 across my television, given its small degree of overscan), and almost everything about the image is first-rate. What impresses me most about this video is the naturalness of the colors. While they can be bright and deep, with solid black levels, they are never gaudy as in so many modern motion pictures. They simply look realistic, often filmed in what appears to be natural light; yet detail is clearly visible even in the darkest scenes. The blues of the sea are especially rich, as are the sands of the plains and other earth tones. There is good definition, of course, if sometimes a trifle soft, probably a condition of the original print; there is little or no grain; and there are practically no moiré effects, rippling lines. Pitt shows some rippling muscles, true, but there's nary a distortion in sight. I love high definition.

Audio:
As on WB's previous HD DVD release of "Troy," the studio includes both Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD 5.1, and they are splendid. The frequency response is remarkably wide, from the highest treble to the deepest bass, the latter making itself eminently manifest during the opening title music. The dynamics are strong and forceful, with a sharpness of attack that is as impressive as almost any movie soundtrack you'll hear. The impression one gets from both DD+ and TrueHD 5.1 is of clean, clear sonics, certainly cleaner and clearer than in regular Dolby Digital 5.1. The front-channel stereo spread is broad, the lows are taut, and the surrounds fill the listening area 360 degrees with the noises of war, the clash of armies, and the activity of men and equipment. Yet it is done with restraint and never overpowering. The advantage I hear with TrueHD 5.1 is slightly greater smoothness and openness and a more-incisive transient response.

Note, however, that Dolby Digital Plus is the movie's default audio; if you're going to use TrueHD, remember to select it from the disc menu.

Extras:
Besides improved picture and sound, another advantage of HD DVD is that a single disc can usually embrace an entire feature film, even one as long as this Director's cut, plus have room left over for extras. Moreover, we get forty-five scene selections; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, and Korean subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.

In addition, the disc contains all of the bonus items found on the second disc of the SD Special Edition. These begin with a two-and-a-half minute introduction by director Wolfgang Petersen, in HD, and a number of brief but worthwhile featurettes in standard definition. The first featurette is an eleven-part, making-of documentary, "Troy in Focus." It contains, in order, "Adapting Homer," about two minutes; "On Set With Brad Pitt," two minutes; "Casting Helen," a little over a minute; "Agamemnon," three minutes; and "From Malta to Mexico," three minutes; "Battles and Weapons," two minutes; "Hector and Ajax," one minute; "Breiseis and Achilles," two minutes; "Two Great Warriors," one minute; "A King's Request," two minutes; and "The Trojan Horse," two minutes. Fortunately, there are "Play All" features to make this stuff more manageable. Next is another multipart, behind-the-scenes sequence, the seventeen-minute "In The Thick of the Battle," that shows us how the filmmakers created some of the action sequences. After that is a fourteen-minute, six-part extra, "From Ruins to Reality," that explains how archaeologists found the ruins of ancient Troy and excavated them, and how the moviemakers fashioned their own design for the city. After that is "Troy: An Effects Odyssey," seven parts, revealing how the filmmakers created some of the movie's visual effects. Then, there is the three-part "Attacking Troy" that includes "Homer, A Story for the Ages," seven minutes; "Designing a Fighting Style," six minutes; and "Flipping the Chariot," two minutes; followed by a cute CGI bit called "Greek Ship Towing" that you won't want to miss. Finally, there is a widescreen theatrical trailer.

As always with WB's HD DVDs, the disc also includes pop-up menus, a guide to elapsed time, a zoom-and-pan feature, bookmarks, and an Elite Red HD case.http://reviews.avsforum.com/data/3/large/Troy-DC.jpg

Did this guy even bother comparing it to the older release?

great,i pre order this one.

A 196 minute movie WITH True HD and extras. Wow.

Seems to be getting strong word of mouth, a clear improvement...I like the DVDtalk review myself (its for the dvd, but he REALLY covers the new material and thats what really matters here, we KNEW it was gonna look great ;))...

LINK (http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review.php?ID=30134) ;-)

Also for the dvd, but again, the early user reviews are very positive: 94% @ RT (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/troy/?critic=3)

I just hope they have this in store at BB next week, their site lists it @ $24.99 - not bad, I wan't this one, will not be a x2 dip, never owned or saw the theatrical cut. =)

Does it have the IME the original Troy had?

Looks good, I may pre-order (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TGGJKK/?tag=technofrblog-20) this one.

I love that we get a volume of content that probably wouldn't have even been possible on one disc in SD on DVD. Three cheers for efficient codecs, eh? Who needs TL51?

Did this guy even bother comparing it to the older release?

This is what I need to know. I love this movie, I would happily buy a second one if the PQ is upgraded.

Does it have the IME the original Troy had?

It doesn't sound like it does from this review..

It doesn't sound like it does from this review..

It doesn't sound like it, but I don't know if Warner would simply port the old IME to the new Troy, or make a new one. I don't know if I want to double dip for this one.

If Troy DC, with its long running time, evidently great PQ and loads of extras can get the lossless treatment why, oh why, can't Transformers be shown the same love???

Is the super deluxe edition still even an option? I could have sworn there was one coming that had a helmet, some cards and a booklet?

Video: 9/10, Audio: 9/10 (http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/troy/5127/2)

Ah, now this is what I like to hear! A film that is 3.25 hours, top notch video, top notch audio, and a plethora of extras to boot! :)

A plethora. Do you even know what a plethora is Jefe??? :D

If Troy DC, with its long running time, evidently great PQ and loads of extras can get the lossless treatment why, oh why, can't Transformers be shown the same love???

Isn't it obvious by now? So you have to buy the same title again with the super-fabulous-director's-cut (with extra extras) version in 3-6 months after the initial release.

This is why I have never bought a new release in years.

-RA

What's the difference between this version and the previous HD DVD version?

What's the difference between this version and the previous HD DVD version?

This is the directors cut which is 34 minutes longer (196 minutes v. 162 minutes) the original HD DVD release was the theatrical release which was 162 minutes.

Sadly, the IME is gone as well. I have read one good review, one its about the same and one bad. I may cancel my order. The IME of theoriginal hddvd was very good and I hate to lose it.

Thanks Michael

Did they make it not suck with the Director's cut (similar to how Kingdom of Heaven went from crap to amazing with a director's cut)??

So what is the difference with the movie? I loved the Theatrical version, so I'm kind of weary on this release since it was not needed unlike Kingdom of Heaven and Alexander.

He should have compared this with the original HD DVD which most of us have.

"The picture quality in standard definition was already excellent, and, not surprisingly, the HD DVD outshines it" Duh?

A 196 minute movie WITH True HD and extras. Wow.

tell me about it. This prooves that a TrueHD track for movies like "Transformers" and King Kong were possible. Are these studios just being lazy?

Review up on Home Theater Forum (http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showthread.php?t=262041).

Sadly, the IME is gone as well. I have read one good review, one its about the same and one bad. I may cancel my order. The IME of theoriginal hddvd was very good and I hate to lose it.

what does IME mean?

"One of the arguments about Troy's problematic disagreement with "The Iliad" is that the book holds a much bloodier and brutal tone. Rest assured, this discrepancy has also been taken into account. Care for a dish of dismemberment, impalement, puncture, blood, guts, gore, and all-around fiery battle frenzy with the adapted story of Troy? Then this cut is for you, because you'll be pleasantly surprised at how brutal Petersen's new cut is in comparison. There's several added sequence featuring Ajax, a downplayed character in the film with a more prominent part in the book. His barbarity in the film only piqued a few times in the theatrical cut, whereas in this cut he's a fierce machine who gets nearly as much accomplished on the battlefield as Achilles. Where the battle in Troy felt like generic summer blockbuster fare almost worthy of a nap, these new additions to the battles are packed with tense grandiose that'll really suck you in."

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review.php?ID=30134

That did it for me, it's a must buy now. :D

Review up on Home Theater Forum (http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showthread.php?t=262041).

Thanks for the link. Was nice to read a review from someone who never saw the theatrical cut, like myself.

I'll be getting this one. =)

Isn't it obvious by now? So you have to buy the same title again with the super-fabulous-director's-cut (with extra extras) version in 3-6 months after the initial release.

This is why I have never bought a new release in years.

-RA

Sad if true..

what does IME mean?

In Movie Experience...or the ability to watch extras related to a particular movie scene while the movie is playing. It has nothing to do with movie playback, sound or video...

It looks as if the studios [rightly] decided to leave this feature out of this version of the film.

Sadly, the IME is gone as well. I have read one good review, one its about the same and one bad. I may cancel my order. The IME of theoriginal hddvd was very good and I hate to lose it.

woohoo! I hate supplements. More bits for a/v!

I'll probably pick this one up. I got the original Theatrical release for a steal at Frys ($12.99) so I don't really mind the double dip here if the extras are good. Funny though..I didn't really care for the movie overall but I like O'Toole's "Priam" and the final battle between Hector and Achilles was worth the admission.

Pre-ordered at WB online w/ %25 off. Glad I held off buying the original version.

more violence. More sex.. How can you go wrong :D

buy dot com and amazon show this HD-DVD as back-ordered; and amazon mentions "shipping in 4 to 5 weeks." Wasn't it supposed to release today?

Sounds like a winner. I wonder how many people here will prefer the DD+ after comparing the two ;)

buy dot com and amazon show this HD-DVD as back-ordered; and amazon mentions "shipping in 4 to 5 weeks." Wasn't it supposed to release today?

Yes....none of the Best Buys in Chicago and surrounding areas have it in stock either. DVDpacific.com is showing it on order and Amazon still has not shipped mine but Alexander did ship

brilliant. the Best Buy by me said they didn't get the HD-DVD version in today, but they do have the blu ray

I just bought it at Best Buy. Looks like Warner didn't press enough copies.

I just bought it at Best Buy. Looks like Warner didn't press enough copies.

Warner never presses enough HD DVD copies. I couldn't find The Departed, 300 or Planet Earth at any Best Buy. Which is fine because I just order it via Amazon :p

It is already back ordered at BestBuy.com (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&id=pcat17071&type=page&ks=960&st=Troy&sc=Global&cp=1&sp=&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1%7E%7Eq54726f79%7E%7Enccat02015%23%230%23%235p&list=n&usc=All+Categories&nrp=15&iht=n)

Local Fry's had a ton of BR copies, but no HD DVD.

Any spec info on the HD DVD version? The Blu-ray is confirmed (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=910074) to have PCM 5.1 and extras.

I'd like a comparison before I buy.

EDIT: DOH! Never mind... the OP was a review! :o

Eh I want to fight the double dip... even if my minuscule stand means nothing to WB. I will rent this one.

Troy is a great epic, I am surely grabbing this set. Too bad they didn't too interactive features. What is an Elite Red Case? And what are the different HD DVD cases out there? I have only seen the red Amaray style one. Thanks.

Nobody should rent this. It's a must buy. It's not Kingdom of Heaven The Director's Cut nor Gladiator's extended cut but it's much, much better than King Arthur The Director's Cut and Alexander The Final Cut.

The flaws now are mostly execution flaws by Petersen but it's an improvement over the theatrical cut not only in content but appearance. The new color scheme is wonderful. It doesn't feel flat anymore.

The music is much better, even if it's pretty much pieced together from the old score, new score, and score from other films...especially the Achilles and Hector battle. The choice to use Danny Elfman's Planet of the Apes theme from that particular better gives the fight a totally different feel and emphasis. Not saying it's better, but it changes it the emphasis, with success.

Definitely worth getting.

And if you want to go standard DVD, that Collector's Edition set is a monster. It's a lot bigger than people are expecting....

......

Wow, so that actually changed the overall color palette from the previous version? Very interesting. Also wasn't aware of the actual score changes as well. Thanks for the info.

Oh, yeah. The color palette is leaps and bounds better than the theatrical version. It's more vivid, more lively.

The score is what it is. I'm sure if Petersen had more time and money, I think he would've re-scored the film from scratch. Still, it works much better than the theatrical version, except for the battle between Hector and Achilles. Again, I like the use of the Planet of the Apes main theme. It gives it a different feeling. But, the original score that battle still would've worked and it a tad missed since it's the only memorable piece of the theatrical score.

Awesome, off to Fry's I go at lunch :D

WOW.. I ordered it through Amazon since none of the my local B&M stores have it...I even checked on BB for local pick-up and ALL 5-6 stores surrounding me don't have it !

I also signed up for the 1 month trial of Amazon Prime--brought my order down to 25 bucks and change with 1 day shipping. However, the estimate ship date says October 8?!! WTF?! Any other suggestions? I'm hoping to get a copy at least by the end of this week. I was really looking forward on seeing this tonight.

wtf!!! noone in town freaking has this!!!!!. Does anyone know in the Tucson Area where you can pick up a copy??? every BB and CC in town is sold out of it or didn't receive copies. wth is this????? warner seriously screwed up here.

A plethora. Do you even know what a plethora is Jefe??? :D


Yes El Guapo.

Then tell me, what is it.

I don't know El Guapo.

How can you tell me I have a plethora, if you don't even know what a plethora is?!?!?

That movie is great, It'd probably look pretty good on HD DVD.

buy dot com and amazon show this HD-DVD as back-ordered; and amazon mentions "shipping in 4 to 5 weeks." Wasn't it supposed to release today?

All the vendors that dvdpricesearch.com gave me, have it on back-order. Blu-ray is available though.

wtf!!! noone in town freaking has this!!!!!.

amen. I was so looking forward to watching this tonight. :(

Nobody should rent this. It's a must buy. It's not Kingdom of Heaven The Director's Cut nor Gladiator's extended cut but it's much, much better than King Arthur The Director's Cut and Alexander The Final Cut.

The flaws now are mostly execution flaws by Petersen but it's an improvement over the theatrical cut not only in content but appearance. The new color scheme is wonderful. It doesn't feel flat anymore.

The music is much better, even if it's pretty much pieced together from the old score, new score, and score from other films...especially the Achilles and Hector battle. The choice to use Danny Elfman's Planet of the Apes theme from that particular better gives the fight a totally different feel and emphasis. Not saying it's better, but it changes it the emphasis, with success.

Definitely worth getting.

And if you want to go standard DVD, that Collector's Edition set is a monster. It's a lot bigger than people are expecting....

Really? So you are saying that the PQ is actually improved from the previous HD DVD release?
That is what I wanted to hear, I will buy this version as well....one of my favorites.:)

I would love to pick this up, but........


NO ONE HAS IT.

Why was this movie not produced in a sufficient quantity????

All the stores had the new Elvis films in HD DVD, they had Deliverance, they had We Are Marshall.

But none of them had Troy DC and Alexander.

Its driving me nuts!!!!!!

"One of the arguments about Troy's problematic disagreement with "The Iliad" is that the book holds a much bloodier and brutal tone. Rest assured, this discrepancy has also been taken into account. Care for a dish of dismemberment, impalement, puncture, blood, guts, gore, and all-around fiery battle frenzy with the adapted story of Troy? Then this cut is for you, because you'll be pleasantly surprised at how brutal Petersen's new cut is in comparison. There's several added sequence featuring Ajax, a downplayed character in the film with a more prominent part in the book. His barbarity in the film only piqued a few times in the theatrical cut, whereas in this cut he's a fierce machine who gets nearly as much accomplished on the battlefield as Achilles. Where the battle in Troy felt like generic summer blockbuster fare almost worthy of a nap, these new additions to the battles are packed with tense grandiose that'll really suck you in."

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review.php?ID=30134

That did it for me, it's a must buy now. :D

OK, I'm double dipping.

:eek: is the movie and all the extras on 1 hd-dvd disc?

I'm patiently waiting for my shortchanged BD version to be delivered.

Any reason why I can't find this title on HD DVD at any of the Best Buys?

Looks like this is Warners first BD exclusive title. ;)

I pre-ordered from Amazon. They sent me an email today saying it shipped.

Here in Tulsa I check'd 2 Best Buy's & 2 Circuit City's and 1 Target and no one had it in stock. I don't know if they didn't order it to sell OR if the demand ways high for the release and they sold out quickly. Either way I wasn't able to spend my money on it yesterday. I'll order it today online..........

This is riddiculous!:(

Fry's said they were sold out! how many copies did they order anyway?:rolleyes:

I saw NONE at my local Fry's today :(

The High Def Digest review (http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/977/troy_dc.html) is up, and it gets 4.5/5 for PQ and 4.5/5 for AQ. Man I can't wait to get this!

The Video: Sizing Up the Picture

'Troy' first hit HD DVD late last year in its 163-minute theatrical cut form, and now we get the retooled 198-minute 'Director's Cut.' The integration of the new material is seamless -- I never noticed a single jump or inconsistent quality from scene to scene. Even better, I generally found this presentation slightly superior to the previous version -- it's a bit more natural, better balanced and a tad more three dimensional.

Warner again presents the film in its original 2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio and 1080p/VC-1 video. As I wrote in my original HD DVD review of 'Troy,' I found that transfer to be a bit too blown out in the whites, which left the many ultra-bright exteriors looking somewhat washed-out. I also thought that sharpness was a bit lacking at times, with darker scenes looking rather soft. This version doesn't completely eradicate those issues, but it does lessen them somewhat. I still feel the sun-drenched panoramas are too brightly lit -- the visual style veers towards television banality -- but contrast is kept slightly more in check, making fine details a bit more visible. Blacks are also spot-on, although as before, darker scenes still feel rather flat and soft.

All other aspects of the transfer are first-rate. Colors are excellent, with the rich palette perfectly saturated with no noise, smearing, or fuzziness. Fleshtones are an absolutely lovely shade of orange throughout. The presentation also boasts a wonderful sense of three-dimensionality that often rivals the best high-def -- even the widest shots have excellent clarity and fine detail. Compression artifacts are also not an issue, with no banding, pixelization or macroblocking evident.

The Audio: Rating the Sound

Things divurge slightly in the audio department, with the HD DVD and Blu-ray editions of 'Troy: Director's Cut' getting slightly different audio tracks -- like its predecessor, this HD DVD gets Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround (48kHz/16-bit), while the Blu-ray edition gets an uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround (48kHz/16-bit). Although I generally tend to enjoy PCM tracks slightly more than Dolby TrueHD, after doing a back-and-forth compare of a quintet of scenes, in this case I found the differences to be negligible at best. Both tracks are excellent, and I'd be completely happy with either mix. (Note that both editions also include optional 640kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes.)

The movie’s sound design is maximized to clobber you over the head. If any scene features a clanking sword or Eric Bana screaming, "For Troy!", then you're going to hear it in your surrounds. Fine sonic shadings are easily discernible in the rears, and the overall "wall of sound" effect during the battle scenes is quite impressive. The accuracy of localized effects is excellent throughout, and imaging is transparent -- the "360-degree effect" is palpable. Dynamics also border on the stunning, with the subwoofer delivering a wallop, and Howard Shore's score sounding particularly rich and soaring. Dialogue is also expertly balanced, which is especially welcome on a big-budget, bombastic action spectacle like this.

As was the case with the previous HD DVD, however, I still found non-action scenes lacking in sustained atmosphere. Disappointingly, the sound design for the newly-added scenes seems to be a slight cut below the rest, as if not quite as much attention was paid to maintaining a consistency in terms of aggressiveness. Still, where it counts most, both the Dolby TrueHD and PCM soundtracks deliver in spades.

I'm relieved the video is improved, the last release was very flat. Can't wait to watch it when it arrives tomorrow!

The High Def Digest review (http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/977/troy_dc.html) is up, and it gets 4.5/5 for PQ and 4.5/5 for AQ. Man I can't wait to get this!

Great, now I won't feel bad for double dipping.:D

I was pleased with the picture quality of the last release, so if it has been improved, that's icing on the cake.

I'm relieved the video is improved, the last release was very flat. Can't wait to watch it when it arrives tomorrow!

Yeah, I did a back and forth comparison and the new transfer is way better than the first. One scene in particular to compare is where Achilles is confronting his mother before heading off to Troy....before he confronts her there is a scene with boats rowing....the colors on the old disc are muted and dark with detail dropping off....the new version has dazzling color and much better detail. The water color is just like a dark blue on the old disc and a bright emerald color on the new version which looks more realistic and the background shows greater depth and detail.

Just did a quick check...its the beginning of chapter 8. Thats just one example.

Im wondering if the first few discs put out could be improved upon the way this one was just one year later? Kind of cool cause I felt it was a pretty noticeable upgrade.

Thanks tk, I sure hope some local stores have this stocked soon. Everywhere I checked yesterday didn't have it (Future Shop, Best Buy, Walmart, Blockbuster, Rogers Video).

The first title on HD DVD I double-dipped on. Sold my first version for 10 bucks.

This is riddiculous!:(

Fry's said they were sold out! how many copies did they order anyway?:rolleyes:

A few of my local Bestbuy's are showing it in stock. I'll try Fry's again today at noon. Hopefully they got there shipment in as well.

Really looking forward to this now, never bought\saw the first ver, glad I held off...and you gotta hand it to Warner yet again, a 3hr 18 min movie with stellar PQ AND TrueHD audio, plus extras...man, they are setting the bar high. :)

The High Def Digest review (http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/977/troy_dc.html) is up, and it gets 4.5/5 for PQ and 4.5/5 for AQ. Man I can't wait to get this!

So much for Blu-Boy talking point #2

"HD DVD doesn't have room for a 3 hour movie with lossless audio"

It's currently #453 in Amazon's DVD best seller list and #16 in the HD DVD list, so it's not THAT in demand yet I can't find it anywhere. If it was just Best Buy I would blame it on the retailer, but Amazon is 2 to 4 weeks out as well. It seems like Warner really underestimated the demand for this release. :(

well, i supposedly have on one hold from a local bestbuy via the 'in store pickup'

something tells me though when i get there it will be the old version (not D.C.). even though the order page explicitly lists the SKU...

well, i supposedly have on one hold from a local bestbuy via the 'in store pickup'

something tells me though when i get there it will be the old version (not D.C.). even though the order page explicitly lists the SKU...

It's possible. I went to the BB here and I was told by 3 people (including the store manager), "We can't find it." The website shows that they have it in stock and they even show it in stock in their system. But the movie is nowhere to be found.

Check out this article (http://www.dvdtalk.com/hd/new_cuts_for_new_formats.html).

The two main highlights about the director's cut of Troy is Petersen's explanation of the new color palette (ie, the theatrical version is nowhere near what he wanted and essentially had to rush to get it finished) and the music used for the epic battle between Achilles and Hector (ie, Danny Elfman's theme to Planet of the Apes was the temp track during post and he fell in love with that temp track and was never happy with Horner's track for the battle.)

Cool little tidbits in the article....

well, i supposedly have on one hold from a local bestbuy via the 'in store pickup'

something tells me though when i get there it will be the old version (not D.C.). even though the order page explicitly lists the SKU...

Well, I did the same today. When I got there to pick up the DVD the lady gave me the theatrical version. Fortunately, they had 3 copies of the D.C. out on the floor so I was able to swap it.

I just got off the phone bestbuy.com. Not one store in los angeles will have in stock troy d.cut till next week, so they have it at the Texas wherehouse where i called. I ordered payd $8 for overnite and am receiving it saturday , along with Viva Las Vegas. This movies is MIA in the entire Los angeles area b&M store community. No one has it. Pay the extra money get from best.buy. com they now have it in stock

Well, I did the same today. When I got there to pick up the DVD the lady gave me the theatrical version. Fortunately, they had 3 copies of the D.C. out on the floor so I was able to swap it.

i was shocked- they actually had the DC waiting for me. they said it was their last copy (of the .... 2 they received...)

Don't worry everyone, Warner was terribly slow on sending their shipments out to retailers and in some cases barley sent any. Retailers should start receiving these within the next few days or so. Lots of Best Buys in my area have them but VERY few, maybe two or three copies at best.

My best buy had a couple copies today and both were priced at 24.99 just like the non directors cut.(is this right? maybe accidental?) they didn't have any on blu-ray though (on the shelves at least).

And they had doubled the display area for both BD and HD which was very nice.

Does this not have an insert? I am curious, since mine did not. Surprised no slipcover.

Does this not have an insert? I am curious, since mine did not. Surprised no slipcover.

I was also surprised there was no slip cover since the DVD version got one.

WOW! :)

Great PQ, a very noticable upgrade. I was so impressed with the improvement that I just listed my previous copy in my Ebay store.:D

Well I've been sitting on this for 3 days so far. I have the movie but no reciever to hear it on. It's in the shop and hopefully I'll get it back Tues or Wed.

I had no idea that this film had so much blood and gore like Gladiator, it is even more bloody! They edited it out of the theaterical version.:eek:

The DC is so much better, and thestory makes more sense with all of the missing parts added back in. :)

I own both and yes the IME of the original is excellent. Contrary to reviews that say the IME contents are in the new documentaries this is not true. Maybe 20% of them are. I really do not like the break down of the older and newer documaentaries either into 2 minute segments on the new disc. Many of them stop right in the middle of a sentence where on theolder disc they simply play right through as they should. I have yet to watch the film so I am not sure which one to keep. I say the newer version is a slight upgrade in picture quality with a warmed up color palette.

I went from being "meh" about the theatrical version...to loving this DC version. And right now, it's PQ is the standard by which I judge all others.

Quick question roughly how much longer is the first battle scene?
It is it much improved over the Theatrical release?
Only one copy left at my local walmart. (walmart out of places carries this hard to find copy)

I suggest renting it from netflix. The battle scenes are a tad longer and far bloodier. A little more nudity as well.

Quick question roughly how much longer is the first battle scene?
It is it much improved over the Theatrical release?
Only one copy left at my local walmart. (walmart out of places carries this hard to find copy)

Length wise you probably won't notice a huge difference, but there are a lot of quick little moments you will definitely notice that were not there before.

Ajax gets a little more spotlight.