O.K. first things first:
I think it sucks that Ghosts Of The Abyss isn't being presented in 3D as it was in theaters.
There's even an opening "warning" that this 90 minute extended 2D version is significantly altered from the 3D version that was in theaters. Many shots have been recomposited from 3D to 2D.
The original 60 minute theatrical version is intact though, nothing has been re-composited and apparently the only modification is that it is now 2D.
I personally wasn't that impressed with the IMAX 3D presentation, but I still feel as though it should have been offered here. Oh well.
There are two versions of the film on this 2 disc DVD. Disc one contains the 60 minute original theatrical feature and the 90 minute extended feature.
Both are offered in the original AR of 1.78:1 enhanced for widescreen televisions.
I watched all of the extended theatrical version and the original 60 minute version and they both look fantastic. I am watching it on a properly calibrated 65" SONY 16x9 set. It may not be as big as an IMAX screen, but it does the job nicely. I didn't notice any flaws. They both looked great to these non professional eyes. Crystal clear.
The sound is DD 5.1 and is, as expected, terrific. Plenty of surround effects and some frequent Lfe "oomph" moments.
The extended versions contains many extended scenes with additional footage such as of the fireman's mess, life aboard the Keldysh research vessel, the breakdown and rescue of Jake and Elwood, creatures of the Titanic, just to name a few.
Disc 2 contains fascinating, but rather slim extras. 2 documentaries, both Non-Anamorphic.
"Reflections From The Deep" runs 36 minutes and is broken up into a few parts.
It covers, among other things:
1.The visual effect aspect of how they superimposed the "ghost" images over the real footage of the Titanic.
2.Bill Paxtons real fear of diving to the wreck.
3.The story of the "bots" Jake and Elwood and their near disaster.
4.The effects that 9/11 had on everyone while they were filming.
"The Mir Experience" runs about 53 minutes* and is a interactive multi angle feature.
What this cool extra allows you to do is choose the footage you want to see from six cameras on one of the dives to the Titanic. Actually, the one where Jake, or is it Elwood, has a system crash.
*The total run time is actually about 9 minutes, so times that by 6 and there you get that 53 minute run time.
The film itself is a fascinating examination of what the Titanic looks like today. James Cameron and his crew along with actor and Titanic star Bill Paxton go deeper into the Titanic than anyone ever has before and virtually maps every square inch of her. The bots Jake and Elwood steal the show!
If you are a huge fan of James Cameron's Titanic, this amazing film makes a great companion piece to the epic film.
Highly Recommended
I think it sucks that Ghosts Of The Abyss isn't being presented in 3D as it was in theaters.
There's even an opening "warning" that this 90 minute extended 2D version is significantly altered from the 3D version that was in theaters. Many shots have been recomposited from 3D to 2D.
The original 60 minute theatrical version is intact though, nothing has been re-composited and apparently the only modification is that it is now 2D.
I personally wasn't that impressed with the IMAX 3D presentation, but I still feel as though it should have been offered here. Oh well.
There are two versions of the film on this 2 disc DVD. Disc one contains the 60 minute original theatrical feature and the 90 minute extended feature.
Both are offered in the original AR of 1.78:1 enhanced for widescreen televisions.
I watched all of the extended theatrical version and the original 60 minute version and they both look fantastic. I am watching it on a properly calibrated 65" SONY 16x9 set. It may not be as big as an IMAX screen, but it does the job nicely. I didn't notice any flaws. They both looked great to these non professional eyes. Crystal clear.
The sound is DD 5.1 and is, as expected, terrific. Plenty of surround effects and some frequent Lfe "oomph" moments.
The extended versions contains many extended scenes with additional footage such as of the fireman's mess, life aboard the Keldysh research vessel, the breakdown and rescue of Jake and Elwood, creatures of the Titanic, just to name a few.
Disc 2 contains fascinating, but rather slim extras. 2 documentaries, both Non-Anamorphic.
"Reflections From The Deep" runs 36 minutes and is broken up into a few parts.
It covers, among other things:
1.The visual effect aspect of how they superimposed the "ghost" images over the real footage of the Titanic.
2.Bill Paxtons real fear of diving to the wreck.
3.The story of the "bots" Jake and Elwood and their near disaster.
4.The effects that 9/11 had on everyone while they were filming.
"The Mir Experience" runs about 53 minutes* and is a interactive multi angle feature.
What this cool extra allows you to do is choose the footage you want to see from six cameras on one of the dives to the Titanic. Actually, the one where Jake, or is it Elwood, has a system crash.
*The total run time is actually about 9 minutes, so times that by 6 and there you get that 53 minute run time.
The film itself is a fascinating examination of what the Titanic looks like today. James Cameron and his crew along with actor and Titanic star Bill Paxton go deeper into the Titanic than anyone ever has before and virtually maps every square inch of her. The bots Jake and Elwood steal the show!
If you are a huge fan of James Cameron's Titanic, this amazing film makes a great companion piece to the epic film.
Highly Recommended
