Please forgive me while I take a brief moment to indulge in a little nitpicking. James Cameron’s Titanic was first released in December of 1997. So this year is actually the film’s 26th anniversary, not the 25th, as touted on the outer sleeve. It’s a minor calculatory error that I doubt anyone has lost any sleep over. Besides, 25 years does sound like more of a milestone.
What really matters is Titanic is finally available in 4K, both as a standard release and this beautifully packaged Collector’s Edition loaded with all kinds of physical goodies fans are sure to get a kick out of. And since it remains one of the biggest films of all time (even taking inflation into account), there are obviously a lot of fans out there (though I know it's uncool in some circles to admit that).
So even though it’s very likely that a copy of Titanic on DVD or Blu-ray already sits in many of your movie collections, this one is definitely worth upgrading to 4K. The overall remastered picture reveals an extraordinary amount of detail while retaining enough grain so it still looks like a film. This more sharpened image does, however, tend to render a few of the once-jawdropping CGI-heavy scenes a bit more artificial, such as the ‘flyovers’ of the ship with people walking the decks. Still, the film looks gorgeous. The disc sounds great, too, with three audio options, the most immersive being a stunning new Dolby Atmos track.
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| Cinema snobs shouldn't bother. |
As for the movie itself, Titanic remains grand, old-fashioned entertainment on an epic scale, the kind of which they don’t make anymore (actually, they weren’t really making ‘em in the ‘90s, either). Sure, some of the dialogue has always been clunky and certain scenes are shamelessly manipulative, but unless you’re a smug, self-impressed cynic, the film is still a thrilling, emotionally-powerful crowdpleaser. Paramount has done right by its legacy with this outstanding boxed set.
EXTRA KIBBLES
TITANIC: STORIES FROM THE HEART - New interviews with directors James Cameron, producer Jon Landau and actor Kate Winslet.
REFLECTIONS ON TITANIC - A four-part, hour-long archival doc about the film’s production and cultural impact. Features interviews with numerous cast & crew.
TITANIC: 25 YEARS LATER - A new feature, running about 25 minutes, where director James Cameron explores and discusses real life details about the sinking and, more amusingly, tests whether or not Jack could have gotten on the raft with Rose.
FEATURETTES - Behind-the-Scenes Presentation (producer Jon Landau host, covering much of the same ground as other bonus features); Additional Behind-the-Scenes; Deep Dive Presentation (director James Cameron narrates his actual dive to the ship); $200,000,001: A Ship’s Odyssey (an amusing and cheeky montage assembled by the crew, with plenty of clowning around on-set); Videomatics (pre-production test footage with scale models and storyboards; Visual Effects (montage of various before & after effects sequences).
3 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By writer-director James Camron; 2) By various cast & crew; 3) Historical commentary by Don Lynch & Ken Marshall.
5 DELETED SCENES - With optional commentary by director James Cameron.
TRAILER PRESENTATION - Producer Jon Landau presents and discusses two very different trailers created for the film.
VIDEO: “MY HEART WILL GO ON” - Of course.
STILL GALLERIES - Titanic script; Storyboards; Production art; ; Photos; Ken Marshall Painting Gallery; Concept Posters & One Sheets (from 1997, 2012 and some additional fan-created art).
HARDCOVER BOOK - Text and behind-the-scenes photos of some of titanic’s most famous scenes.
PHYSICAL KIBBLES! - Titanic schematic blueprint (shows actual locations of various famous scenes on the ship); Titanic boarding pass replica; Launch viewing ticket replica; Meal menu replicas (1st, 2nd & 3rd class); Note replicas (Jack’s note to Rose and Rose’s note to Cal); “My Heart Will Go On” sheet music. (All this material comes in a large, sturdy envelope).
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