Amazon.com

This two-cassette set of Titanic has been formatted to fit your TV; the film itself is larger than life. When the theatrical release of James Cameron's Titanic was delayed from July to December of 1997, media pundits speculated that Cameron's $200-million disaster epic would cause the director's downfall, signal the end of the blockbuster era, and sink Paramount Pictures as quickly as the ill-fated luxury liner had sunk on that fateful night of April 14, 1912. Titanic would surpass the $1-billion mark in global box-office receipts, win 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Director, launch the best-selling movie soundtrack of all time, and make a global superstar of Leonardo DiCaprio. A bona fide pop-cultural phenomenon, the film has all the ingredients of a blockbuster (romance, passion, luxury, grand scale, a snidely villain, and an epic, life-threatening crisis), but Cameron's alchemy of these ingredients proved more popular than anyone could have predicted. His stroke of genius was to combine absolute authenticity with a pair of fictional lovers whose tragic fate would draw viewers into the heart-wrenching reality of the Titanic disaster. As starving artist Jack Dawson and soon-to-be-married socialite Rose DeWitt Bukater, DiCaprio and Kate Winslet won the hearts of viewers around the world, and their brief, but never forgotten, love affair provides the humanity that Cameron needed to turn Titanic into a moving emotional experience. Although some of the computer-generated visual effects look artificial, others--such as the climactic splitting of the ship's sinking hull--are state-of-the-art marvels of cinematic ingenuity. It's an event film and a monument to Cameron's risk-taking audacity, blending the tragic irony of the Titanic disaster with just enough narrative invention to give the historical event its fullest and most timeless dramatic impact. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (1707)

Titanic Triumphs Over Sinking Feeling
James Cameron's 1997 Titanic is, of course, the biggest box office hit of all time, edging out such blockbuster films as E.T., Star Wars, and Jurassic Park for that title. This film, with its tale of star-crossed lovers Rose and Jack intertwined with the real-life tragedy of the Royal Mail Steamer Titanic, won 11 Academy Awards and the loyalty of its millions of fans.
In 1997, though, no one involved in its making (except maybe the determined Cameron himself) believed this movie would float to box office glory. It was so ambitious and so expensive that not one but two studios (Paramount and 20th Century Fox) financed it, splitting the distribution rights and spending over $200,000,000 to recreate the fatal maiden voyage of the 1912 world's largest ocean liner. Yet Cameron, who had previously directed the first two Terminator movies, The Abyss, and True Lies, was proven correct when world-wide audiences embraced this touching and technically brilliant movie.
Yes, this first movie to reap $1 billion in box office gross did capture the hearts of millions of teenage girls who repeated screenings to see Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack Dawson woo Kate Winslet's feisty socialite (and soon-to-be-wed) Rose. And while many detractors scoff at this admittedly clichéd poor-boy-meets-rich-girl love story, it is exactly through this pairing that we get a feel for what it was like to travel at sea in those Gilded Era days before the First World War destroyed the old Europe forever.
This film has much going for it. It has, in addition to actual location shots of the real Titanic wreck (the minisub sequence is NOT special effects), a winsome couple, a classic mustache-twirling villain (Billy Zane) with the usual henchman (a menacing David Warner), a great supporting cast which includes Danny Nuccio, Bernard Fox (who used to guest star in TV series such as Hogan's Heroes and Bewitched), Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton (who has appeared in most of Cameron's movies) and Gloria Stuart (who plays the older Rose Dawson). Titanic also has a great musical score and incredible visuals: the sinking of the great liner is certainly realistic - even if the CGI effects are a bit artificial-looking. This picture certainly was difficult to make .... Thankfully, in spite of the media hype and negative publicity, Titanic proved to be a good and entertaining film. I recommend it to anyone who likes love stories or epic disaster films. This movie mixes both genres very well.

The Maiden Voyage
O.K. I'll admit it, while I'm usually not much for the sappy romantic films, James Cameron's Oscar winning epic Titanic is a very good movie. And I did see it more than once on the big screen.

An undersea expedition, led by explorer Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton), is searching for a valuable diamond aboard the wreckage of the Titanic. The team, instead finds a drawing of seventeen-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater, (Kate Winslet) who is on the way to her wedding to wealthy tycoon, Cal Hockley (Billy Zane). Now an old woman (Gloria Stuart) Rose tells her story of the fateful voyage to the team. While the ship races to meet its fate with an iceberg, Rose falls in love with Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) a free-spirited artist and third-class passenger who ignites a passion inside her.

The film itself is a technical marvel. Cameron and his crew recreated the ship and her history with such skill and percision that it's easy to go along for the ride. I liked the way the fictional story of Jack and Rose was interlaced with actual historical figures and facts. For example "The Unsinkable" Molly Brown (Kathy Bates), Captain Edward J. Smith (Bernard Hill), and shipbuilders J. Bruce Ismay (Jonathan Hyde) & Thomas Andrews (Victor Garber), all have a place within the love story. Speaking of which, for me, it's Stuart that sells the romance. Acting as "narrator", she makes it possible to care about these characters more than you would have otherwise. The chemistry between DiCaprio and Winslet is very apparent and Zane is pitch perfect as Cal. The sinking sequence is really something and no disaster film since has matched its scope.

As it stands right now, the DVD doesn't have any bonus material on it, save for the theatrical trailer. Enough time has passed that another edition is warranted. That said, the bare bones DVD is recomended. For some additiional perspective on the history of the disaster, I also suggest, James Cameron's documentary Ghosts Of The Abyss.

movie hits an expensive iceberg
this is my opinion should have its own category in the video store.by this i mean it should be under terrible movies that cost to much along with the day after tomorow.I think that this movie really did hit an iceberg and it was only popular because of its stars these stars i must add were not that great they were ok but nothing special.And i would rather shoot myself than hear another person singing my heart will go on.I really do not like this over expensive movie bu5 i suppose that thats just my opinion.

LOVE IT!
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORETE MOVIES OF ALL TIME!THE ONLY GROSS PART IS WHEN ROSE TAKES OF ALL HER CLOTHES!?YUCK!BUT ANYWAY,IT`S A GREAT AND ROMANTIC MOVIE!

build a bridge
titanic...The Movie....Is just that.
I enjoy the story, from that perspective.
I appreciate the effort to create a level of interest in such an event. Drama can attempt to capture, only you can respond!
In reading short 4-5star reviews, and Loooong 2-3star reviews, I believe the connection has been made, as planned! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Titanic-philes lured by big-screen cinematic experiences will want to indulge in this letterbox widescreen edition of the two-cassette set.

When the theatrical release of James Cameron's Titanic was delayed from July to December of 1997, media pundits speculated that Cameron's $200 million disaster epic would cause the director's downfall, signal the end of the blockbuster era, and sink Paramount Pictures as quickly as the ill-fated luxury liner had sunk on that fateful night of April 14, 1912. Titanic would surpass the $1-billion mark in global box-office receipts, win 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Director, launch the best-selling movie soundtrack of all time, and make a global superstar of Leonardo DiCaprio. A bona fide pop-cultural phenomenon, the film has all the ingredients of a blockbuster (romance, passion, luxury, grand scale, a snidely villain, and an epic, life-threatening crisis), but Cameron's alchemy of these ingredients proved more popular than anyone could have predicted. His stroke of genius was to combine absolute authenticity with a pair of fictional lovers whose tragic fate would draw viewers into the heart-wrenching reality of the Titanic disaster. As starving artist Jack Dawson and soon-to-be-married socialite Rose DeWitt Bukater, DiCaprio and Kate Winslet won the hearts of viewers around the world, and their brief, but never forgotten, love affair provides the humanity that Cameron needed to turn Titanic into a moving emotional experience. Although some of the computer-generated visual effects look artificial, others--such as the climactic splitting of the ship's sinking hull--are state-of-the-art marvels of cinematic ingenuity. It's an event film and a monument to Cameron's risk-taking audacity, blending the tragic irony of the Titanic disaster with just enough narrative invention to give the historical event its fullest and most timeless dramatic impact. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (1707)

Titanic Triumphs Over Sinking Feeling
James Cameron's 1997 Titanic is, of course, the biggest box office hit of all time, edging out such blockbuster films as E.T., Star Wars, and Jurassic Park for that title. This film, with its tale of star-crossed lovers Rose and Jack intertwined with the real-life tragedy of the Royal Mail Steamer Titanic, won 11 Academy Awards and the loyalty of its millions of fans.
In 1997, though, no one involved in its making (except maybe the determined Cameron himself) believed this movie would float to box office glory. It was so ambitious and so expensive that not one but two studios (Paramount and 20th Century Fox) financed it, splitting the distribution rights and spending over $200,000,000 to recreate the fatal maiden voyage of the 1912 world's largest ocean liner. Yet Cameron, who had previously directed the first two Terminator movies, The Abyss, and True Lies, was proven correct when world-wide audiences embraced this touching and technically brilliant movie.
Yes, this first movie to reap $1 billion in box office gross did capture the hearts of millions of teenage girls who repeated screenings to see Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack Dawson woo Kate Winslet's feisty socialite (and soon-to-be-wed) Rose. And while many detractors scoff at this admittedly clichéd poor-boy-meets-rich-girl love story, it is exactly through this pairing that we get a feel for what it was like to travel at sea in those Gilded Era days before the First World War destroyed the old Europe forever.
This film has much going for it. It has, in addition to actual location shots of the real Titanic wreck (the minisub sequence is NOT special effects), a winsome couple, a classic mustache-twirling villain (Billy Zane) with the usual henchman (a menacing David Warner), a great supporting cast which includes Danny Nuccio, Bernard Fox (who used to guest star in TV series such as Hogan's Heroes and Bewitched), Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton (who has appeared in most of Cameron's movies) and Gloria Stuart (who plays the older Rose Dawson). Titanic also has a great musical score and incredible visuals: the sinking of the great liner is certainly realistic - even if the CGI effects are a bit artificial-looking. This picture certainly was difficult to make .... Thankfully, in spite of the media hype and negative publicity, Titanic proved to be a good and entertaining film. I recommend it to anyone who likes love stories or epic disaster films. This movie mixes both genres very well.

The Maiden Voyage
O.K. I'll admit it, while I'm usually not much for the sappy romantic films, James Cameron's Oscar winning epic Titanic is a very good movie. And I did see it more than once on the big screen.

An undersea expedition, led by explorer Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton), is searching for a valuable diamond aboard the wreckage of the Titanic. The team, instead finds a drawing of seventeen-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater, (Kate Winslet) who is on the way to her wedding to wealthy tycoon, Cal Hockley (Billy Zane). Now an old woman (Gloria Stuart) Rose tells her story of the fateful voyage to the team. While the ship races to meet its fate with an iceberg, Rose falls in love with Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) a free-spirited artist and third-class passenger who ignites a passion inside her.

The film itself is a technical marvel. Cameron and his crew recreated the ship and her history with such skill and percision that it's easy to go along for the ride. I liked the way the fictional story of Jack and Rose was interlaced with actual historical figures and facts. For example "The Unsinkable" Molly Brown (Kathy Bates), Captain Edward J. Smith (Bernard Hill), and shipbuilders J. Bruce Ismay (Jonathan Hyde) & Thomas Andrews (Victor Garber), all have a place within the love story. Speaking of which, for me, it's Stuart that sells the romance. Acting as "narrator", she makes it possible to care about these characters more than you would have otherwise. The chemistry between DiCaprio and Winslet is very apparent and Zane is pitch perfect as Cal. The sinking sequence is really something and no disaster film since has matched its scope.

As it stands right now, the DVD doesn't have any bonus material on it, save for the theatrical trailer. Enough time has passed that another edition is warranted. That said, the bare bones DVD is recomended. For some additiional perspective on the history of the disaster, I also suggest, James Cameron's documentary Ghosts Of The Abyss.

movie hits an expensive iceberg
this is my opinion should have its own category in the video store.by this i mean it should be under terrible movies that cost to much along with the day after tomorow.I think that this movie really did hit an iceberg and it was only popular because of its stars these stars i must add were not that great they were ok but nothing special.And i would rather shoot myself than hear another person singing my heart will go on.I really do not like this over expensive movie bu5 i suppose that thats just my opinion.

LOVE IT!
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORETE MOVIES OF ALL TIME!THE ONLY GROSS PART IS WHEN ROSE TAKES OF ALL HER CLOTHES!?YUCK!BUT ANYWAY,IT`S A GREAT AND ROMANTIC MOVIE!

build a bridge
titanic...The Movie....Is just that.
I enjoy the story, from that perspective.
I appreciate the effort to create a level of interest in such an event. Drama can attempt to capture, only you can respond!
In reading short 4-5star reviews, and Loooong 2-3star reviews, I believe the connection has been made, as planned! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Movie To Remember!
Walter Lord titled his book about the Titanic sinking "A Night To Remember" and this film is one that will ALWAYS be remembered, for it is perfect, absolutely perfect. The costumes are wonderful, the acting is wonderful, the special effects are wonderful, and the props, which were exact replicas of the items which were found on the real Titanic, are wonderful. The maiden voyage of the doomed Titanic is the setting for the touching love story about Rose DeWitt Bukator, an unhappily engaged society girl (Winslet) and Jack Dawson, a poor as a church mouse artistically gifted drifter (DiCaprio). It is a story that will touch your heart, inspire you, move you to tears, and make you ponder over one thought in particular - the thought that perhaps there was a real life Jack and Rose aboard the real Titanic. Perhaps romance blossomed between 2 passengers during the 4 days prior to the sinking of the vessel, a romance that was destined never to come to fruitition. It's a sad thought, isn't it? And it is wonderful to see that in such a cynical age, a glorious and beautiful movie such as this can emerge from the cash for trash rota of Hollywood, depicting the sinking itself and the loss of so many lives in such a sensitive, non exploitive way. For that is really what the story of Titanic is about - the death of over 1500 passengers and crew, but through the many books and movies which have documented this tragedy so well for the past 88 years, they, and the ship itself, have achieved the status of immortality and will never and should never be forgotten.

The end of the age of innocence
I anxiously awaited this movie's opening in the theaters because since I was in high school I have had a great interest in the horrible tragedy that took place in the North Atlantic in April 1912. Being very familiar with the true story, I was afraid that when this movie came out I would be seeing a 1997 version of the Poseidon Adventure. I couldn't have been more wrong. First of all, I would like to thank the makers of this film for going to the actual wreck of the Titanic and filming scenes of areas within the wreck that hadn't been seen before. The scenes early in the movie of this great ship lying on the bottom of the ocean were heart wrenching. Gloria Stuart was just beautiful as a survivor of the wreck who returned 85 years later to take care of some unfinished business. The romance, which I believe was included to basically hold the story together, was pretty much according to formula and predictable, but you still grow to care about these people and what happens to them. But it is more important to remember this--Jack and Rose were fictional characters who may or may not have had experiences like those portrayed in the movie. There were more than 1500 real people who died when the Titanic sank. This is especially poignant in the scene in the movie where we look across the ocean and see all of the dead, frozen in the icy cold water. Only one lifeboat went back to try to help anyone. And they were too late. The ending, when Rose drops the necklace into the ocean, sending it back to the Titanic is a nice finish. And I think the treasure hunters/grave robbers in this movie have learned something in the end. Maybe more people will learn some day. Lets hope.

Titanic
One of the best movies i've ever seen - interesting from beginning to end!

What happened to real films?
"Titanic" is a film that wants to be an epic like "Citizen Kane" or even "The Sound of Music". When I saw it I couldn't believe that people actually thought this was good cinema! Come on! The acting wasn't even near top noch, the story a total blow, script really nothing! Even the soundtrack was just, oh too simple! And I love James Horner! The special effects were very good but otherwise this is just a "wannabe film" that actually got somewhere.

THE EPIC OF THE NINETIES... AND BEYOND
What has been said about this glorious film that has not been remarked already? Probably nothing. However, in the last year or so, I have noticed a sharp and ignorant dissension toward TITANIC that is not one bit appropriate. Ever since James Cameron became an overnight sensation after shouting he was "the king of the world" during the Oscar telecast of March 1998, many seemed to falter from the Titanic band wagon, losing touch with the magic that enraptured the film when it was first released. I, for one, have not forgotten and am still amazed by what Cameron has left us with: an amazing voyage into our hearts and souls. During the production of Titanic, the media had a field day in bashing Cameron for grabbing up hordes of Paramount's and 20th Century Fox's money to create his epic based on the luxury liner. On many occasions, it seemed as though he would never follow through. Lest we forget, Spielberg has many of the same woes while filming Jaws, only he was not enhanced by computer imaging like Cameron was. However, once the Canadian-born director completed the project with flying colors and the money started to roll in, he was laughing all the way to the bank. In my humble opinion, I believe he has every right to feel like a king, especially after so many of his fellow media groupies harped that he would never climb out of debt. Cameron was able to swim to the surface, and is still valiantly kicking up a storm.

I had never really appreciated the talent of Cameron's direction until I went to see Titanic in January of '98. I even admit I was late to take in what the world had already embraced, but once I joined this huge international swarm of moviegoers, I was blown away. Since then, I went to see Titanic twice more in the theatres (a meagre amount compared to some avid viewers) and purchased it on video the day it was released. Unlike many of Cameron's earlier ventures, including Aliens, The Terminator I and II, and True Lies, Titanic finds a deeper human quality in its story that is not obscured by visual effects. It took me by surprise that Cameron would bother to take the time to broaden the romance of the story, extend the characters and how they related to each other, and sympathize with their causes. There is no one person who viewed the picture who could not relate to or feel for someone on that ship. Even if the romance was not as appealing to some, the tragedy of the unfortunate lower-class individuals left to die on the sunken vessel could not fail to touch even the worst curmudgeon. When I continue to watch Titanic, I always cry for two reasons: for Jack and Rose, and also for the many who drowned or froze to death in the aftermath. Only a film like Schindler's List could pack such a wallop, but Titanic is able to match such an emotional intensity.

Some have stated that the beginning and ending portions of the films, namely the two bookends with Brock Lovett searching for the long-lost "Heart of the Ocean" and the older Rose telling her tale, are unnecessarily added to the epic. I believe the story would not have come off as well if the history of Titanic was not put into perspective. Rose Calvert (Gloria Stuart) adds structure and experience to the story, where her survival is proof of one's heart continuing to go on. Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton) is evidence that others like him are starstruck by the majesty of the Titanic legend, and that we often forget what actually did occur on board. The events leading up to the sinking are more greatly felt and understood when told by someone who was in fact there and whose life was changed because of it.

Roger Ebert, in his review on the film, made an interesting point that it is perfectly fine to 'Hollywoodize' this story because the Titanic itself was also advertised during its time with glamour and hype. Why is it a sin to commercialize such a film if, in reality, this is exactly how it was presented to the world in the first place? I know quite a few of my fellow movie critics refuse to rave films like this because they are filled with nothing but sap. When we shut our hearts off to these movies, we become too analytical and rigid. I guarantee that if we watch films, even Titanic, with an open mind and an open heart, we will receive a much more wholesome experience. I'm not talking about being sentimental or idealized here, but if you watch movies with the soul purpose of remaining unmoved and sustained, you came for all the wrong reasons.

Why is the story of Jack and Rose different in cinema history? I think it especially works for audiences because it takes on a spiritual quality that few romances dare to traverse. Their love is not scarred by lust or complete immaturity. They are each fascinated by each other, unable to go on without the other, and willing to sacrifice their lives for each other. If this is sap, then let my cup runneth over.

You not only have a great romantic couple, you also have a great cluster of villains. I think Billy Zane was gipped for an Oscar in his role of Calvin Hockley. He is pure elitist trash, but also has to think twice before letting Rose go. He has slight traces of sympathy, but his desire for money and position mar his heart.

Titanic is entertainment on a grand visual and emotional scale, a film which we have not seen the likes of in almost thirty years...END ... Read more

Reviews (30)

I love this movie... it's my favorite!
The movie Titanic is an epic love story brought to life on the doomed maiden voyage of the grandest ship in the world. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet bring to life Jack and Rose, the lovers that would let nothing come between them. The love story touched my heart the no other could and the historical story was tragic and relived in the movie. THIS MOVIE MUST BE SEEN!!

Titanic Is a Superior Film
I just watched Titanic again this past week. I never saw the film in a theatre, but the first time I saw it I was struck by the movie's scale and grandeur. The acting is great. I never found myself sitting there saying "Oh, come on, I could do better than that." Far from it, I could not ever match the talent displayed here. Kate Winslet is so beautiful in many ways, from the obvious exterior to her winning personality that shines onscreen. I have heard so many complaints about Leonardo DiCaprio, lame jokes made about his name, mocking a person who is surely not deserving of such treatment. He acts his part so well, Jack's love for Rose may as well have been real for all we know. As to that, I wish everyone had love like these two characters do. The scripting is tight and seamless, you get a true sense of the love, the greed, the confidence and the despair of those on board the Titanic. Many scenes are heartwarming, as is mentioned by other reviewers here at Amazon; several are dark and moody; suspense later, with a universal fear of being drowned exuded by the emotion and cinematography in the later portion of the film. Humor, love, good and evil, class conflicts, all these and more shown perfectly. Titanic is a film I never thought I would like; I will watch this movie every six months or so when I get my own copy. I highly recommend it.

"Written By" does not mean great script.
The movie industry really took a nose dive with this movie. It went over-time, way over-budget, spending so much money that Fox had to ask Paramount to help fiance the rest of production. And in the end, was this big movie that people either enjoyed a lot or hated with every breath they took. This movie is both insulting to watch and is so mis-cast that it has come to represent Hollywood as this new "dream factory" that turns out movies that have so little substance to them, that it makes you want to never go to a movie theater again. What I don't care for is that this movie had no script. Cameron useually writes and directs his own movies, and he is a very weak writer. His characters come off as something between cartoons with no life or cardboard characters made out of wood. Which was the case here. If this movie was such a success to his career, how come he has not done any more major projects since then?

FANTASTIC!
I absolutely love this movie. I got this collector's edition, and its great! You know the movie, so I will just write about the benefits of this peticular edition. It comes eith a 24 page book of great scenes from the movie, along with qoutes and a very interesting opening by James Cameron. Along with this is a film strip (each box comes with one of seventen). The film strip is framed in a pretty matte frame. Along with this is the wiidescreen edition (VERY nice) of Titanic in Two video cassetes. The whole package comes in a pretty box with an inside picture of some scenes. If you already own the Titanic movie, it is probably not worth getting for the book/strip, but if you don't, this is a very nice package to get.

SKEPTICAL
I fought against seeing this film for so long. I refused to see it in the cinema and refused to watch it on video. I was so tired of the hype of hearing about it and about how wonderful and sad it was. As if the tragedy of the real Titanic weren't enough! I am not a Leonardo DiCaprio fan by any means. The stories of cost overruns on the set and the thought of Billy Zane running through a ship that is sinking anyhow shooting a gun to kill DiCaprio is just inane (not to add, insane). One day, though, I don't know how, I got sucked into watching this film. It was too long. The dialogue was completely stilted and forced. And of course there were ridiculous parts, like Billy Zane chasing people with a gun on a ship that was already doomed. The love story I could have done without. The story of the Titanic and its doomed maiden voyage... classic, well told and duly dramatic enough to convey the sheer magnitude of this tragedy. The set and costumes were lovely. Kate Winslet was the star of this film in every way (she usually is in all her films anyhow). I cannot join the legions of people who heap meaningless praise on to the film, but I have to say that it was well crafted and happily all the hype is over. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

I love this movie... it's my favorite!
The movie Titanic is an epic love story brought to life on the doomed maiden voyage of the grandest ship in the world. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet bring to life Jack and Rose, the lovers that would let nothing come between them. The love story touched my heart the no other could and the historical story was tragic and relived in the movie. THIS MOVIE MUST BE SEEN!!

Titanic Is a Superior Film
I just watched Titanic again this past week. I never saw the film in a theatre, but the first time I saw it I was struck by the movie's scale and grandeur. The acting is great. I never found myself sitting there saying "Oh, come on, I could do better than that." Far from it, I could not ever match the talent displayed here. Kate Winslet is so beautiful in many ways, from the obvious exterior to her winning personality that shines onscreen. I have heard so many complaints about Leonardo DiCaprio, lame jokes made about his name, mocking a person who is surely not deserving of such treatment. He acts his part so well, Jack's love for Rose may as well have been real for all we know. As to that, I wish everyone had love like these two characters do. The scripting is tight and seamless, you get a true sense of the love, the greed, the confidence and the despair of those on board the Titanic. Many scenes are heartwarming, as is mentioned by other reviewers here at Amazon; several are dark and moody; suspense later, with a universal fear of being drowned exuded by the emotion and cinematography in the later portion of the film. Humor, love, good and evil, class conflicts, all these and more shown perfectly. Titanic is a film I never thought I would like; I will watch this movie every six months or so when I get my own copy. I highly recommend it.

"Written By" does not mean great script.
The movie industry really took a nose dive with this movie. It went over-time, way over-budget, spending so much money that Fox had to ask Paramount to help fiance the rest of production. And in the end, was this big movie that people either enjoyed a lot or hated with every breath they took. This movie is both insulting to watch and is so mis-cast that it has come to represent Hollywood as this new "dream factory" that turns out movies that have so little substance to them, that it makes you want to never go to a movie theater again. What I don't care for is that this movie had no script. Cameron useually writes and directs his own movies, and he is a very weak writer. His characters come off as something between cartoons with no life or cardboard characters made out of wood. Which was the case here. If this movie was such a success to his career, how come he has not done any more major projects since then?

FANTASTIC!
I absolutely love this movie. I got this collector's edition, and its great! You know the movie, so I will just write about the benefits of this peticular edition. It comes eith a 24 page book of great scenes from the movie, along with qoutes and a very interesting opening by James Cameron. Along with this is a film strip (each box comes with one of seventen). The film strip is framed in a pretty matte frame. Along with this is the wiidescreen edition (VERY nice) of Titanic in Two video cassetes. The whole package comes in a pretty box with an inside picture of some scenes. If you already own the Titanic movie, it is probably not worth getting for the book/strip, but if you don't, this is a very nice package to get.

SKEPTICAL
I fought against seeing this film for so long. I refused to see it in the cinema and refused to watch it on video. I was so tired of the hype of hearing about it and about how wonderful and sad it was. As if the tragedy of the real Titanic weren't enough! I am not a Leonardo DiCaprio fan by any means. The stories of cost overruns on the set and the thought of Billy Zane running through a ship that is sinking anyhow shooting a gun to kill DiCaprio is just inane (not to add, insane). One day, though, I don't know how, I got sucked into watching this film. It was too long. The dialogue was completely stilted and forced. And of course there were ridiculous parts, like Billy Zane chasing people with a gun on a ship that was already doomed. The love story I could have done without. The story of the Titanic and its doomed maiden voyage... classic, well told and duly dramatic enough to convey the sheer magnitude of this tragedy. The set and costumes were lovely. Kate Winslet was the star of this film in every way (she usually is in all her films anyhow). I cannot join the legions of people who heap meaningless praise on to the film, but I have to say that it was well crafted and happily all the hype is over. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

When the theatrical release of James Cameron's Titanic was delayed from July to December of 1997, media pundits speculated that Cameron's $200 million disaster epic would cause the director's downfall, signal the end of the blockbuster era, and sink Paramount Studios as quickly as the ill-fated luxury liner had sunk on that fateful night of April 14, 1912. Some studio executives were confident, others horrified, but the clarity of hindsight turned Cameron into an Oscar-winning genius, a shrewd businessman, and one of the most successful directors in the history of motion pictures. Titanic would surpass the $1 billion mark in global box-office receipts (largely due to multiple viewings, the majority by teenage girls), win 11 Academy Awards including best picture and director, produce the best-selling movie soundtrack of all time, and make a global superstar of Leonardo DiCaprio. A bona fide pop-cultural phenomenon, the film has all the ingredients of a blockbuster (romance, passion, luxury, grand scale, a snidely villain, and an epic, life-threatening crisis), but Cameron's alchemy of these ingredients proved more popular than anyone could have predicted. His stroke of genius was to combine absolute authenticity with a pair of fictional lovers whose tragic fate would draw viewers into the heart-wrenching reality of the Titanic disaster. As starving artist Jack Dawson and soon-to-be-married socialite Rose DeWitt Bukater, DiCaprio and Kate Winslet won the hearts of viewers around the world, and their brief but never-forgotten love affair provides the humanity that Cameron needed to turn Titanic into an emotional experience. Present-day framing scenes (featuring Gloria Stuart as the 101-year-old Rose) add additional resonance to the story, and although some viewers proved vehemently immune to Cameron's manipulations, few can deny the production's impressive achievements. Although some of the computer-generated visual effects look artificial, others--such as the sunset silhouette of Titanic during its first evening at sea, or the climactic splitting of the ship's sinking hull--are state-of-the-art marvels. In terms of sets and costumes alone, the film is never less than astounding. More than anything else, however, the film's overwhelming popularity speaks for itself. Titanic is an event film and a monument to Cameron's risk-taking audacity, blending the tragic irony of the Titanic disaster with just enough narrative invention to give the historical event its fullest and most timeless dramatic impact.Titanic is an epic love story on par with Gone with the Wind, and like that earlier box-office phenomenon, it's a film for the ages. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (30)

I love this movie... it's my favorite!
The movie Titanic is an epic love story brought to life on the doomed maiden voyage of the grandest ship in the world. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet bring to life Jack and Rose, the lovers that would let nothing come between them. The love story touched my heart the no other could and the historical story was tragic and relived in the movie. THIS MOVIE MUST BE SEEN!!

Titanic Is a Superior Film
I just watched Titanic again this past week. I never saw the film in a theatre, but the first time I saw it I was struck by the movie's scale and grandeur. The acting is great. I never found myself sitting there saying "Oh, come on, I could do better than that." Far from it, I could not ever match the talent displayed here. Kate Winslet is so beautiful in many ways, from the obvious exterior to her winning personality that shines onscreen. I have heard so many complaints about Leonardo DiCaprio, lame jokes made about his name, mocking a person who is surely not deserving of such treatment. He acts his part so well, Jack's love for Rose may as well have been real for all we know. As to that, I wish everyone had love like these two characters do. The scripting is tight and seamless, you get a true sense of the love, the greed, the confidence and the despair of those on board the Titanic. Many scenes are heartwarming, as is mentioned by other reviewers here at Amazon; several are dark and moody; suspense later, with a universal fear of being drowned exuded by the emotion and cinematography in the later portion of the film. Humor, love, good and evil, class conflicts, all these and more shown perfectly. Titanic is a film I never thought I would like; I will watch this movie every six months or so when I get my own copy. I highly recommend it.

"Written By" does not mean great script.
The movie industry really took a nose dive with this movie. It went over-time, way over-budget, spending so much money that Fox had to ask Paramount to help fiance the rest of production. And in the end, was this big movie that people either enjoyed a lot or hated with every breath they took. This movie is both insulting to watch and is so mis-cast that it has come to represent Hollywood as this new "dream factory" that turns out movies that have so little substance to them, that it makes you want to never go to a movie theater again. What I don't care for is that this movie had no script. Cameron useually writes and directs his own movies, and he is a very weak writer. His characters come off as something between cartoons with no life or cardboard characters made out of wood. Which was the case here. If this movie was such a success to his career, how come he has not done any more major projects since then?

FANTASTIC!
I absolutely love this movie. I got this collector's edition, and its great! You know the movie, so I will just write about the benefits of this peticular edition. It comes eith a 24 page book of great scenes from the movie, along with qoutes and a very interesting opening by James Cameron. Along with this is a film strip (each box comes with one of seventen). The film strip is framed in a pretty matte frame. Along with this is the wiidescreen edition (VERY nice) of Titanic in Two video cassetes. The whole package comes in a pretty box with an inside picture of some scenes. If you already own the Titanic movie, it is probably not worth getting for the book/strip, but if you don't, this is a very nice package to get.

SKEPTICAL
I fought against seeing this film for so long. I refused to see it in the cinema and refused to watch it on video. I was so tired of the hype of hearing about it and about how wonderful and sad it was. As if the tragedy of the real Titanic weren't enough! I am not a Leonardo DiCaprio fan by any means. The stories of cost overruns on the set and the thought of Billy Zane running through a ship that is sinking anyhow shooting a gun to kill DiCaprio is just inane (not to add, insane). One day, though, I don't know how, I got sucked into watching this film. It was too long. The dialogue was completely stilted and forced. And of course there were ridiculous parts, like Billy Zane chasing people with a gun on a ship that was already doomed. The love story I could have done without. The story of the Titanic and its doomed maiden voyage... classic, well told and duly dramatic enough to convey the sheer magnitude of this tragedy. The set and costumes were lovely. Kate Winslet was the star of this film in every way (she usually is in all her films anyhow). I cannot join the legions of people who heap meaningless praise on to the film, but I have to say that it was well crafted and happily all the hype is over. ... Read more

Reviews (1707)

Titanic Triumphs Over Sinking Feeling
James Cameron's 1997 Titanic is, of course, the biggest box office hit of all time, edging out such blockbuster films as E.T., Star Wars, and Jurassic Park for that title. This film, with its tale of star-crossed lovers Rose and Jack intertwined with the real-life tragedy of the Royal Mail Steamer Titanic, won 11 Academy Awards and the loyalty of its millions of fans.
In 1997, though, no one involved in its making (except maybe the determined Cameron himself) believed this movie would float to box office glory. It was so ambitious and so expensive that not one but two studios (Paramount and 20th Century Fox) financed it, splitting the distribution rights and spending over $200,000,000 to recreate the fatal maiden voyage of the 1912 world's largest ocean liner. Yet Cameron, who had previously directed the first two Terminator movies, The Abyss, and True Lies, was proven correct when world-wide audiences embraced this touching and technically brilliant movie.
Yes, this first movie to reap $1 billion in box office gross did capture the hearts of millions of teenage girls who repeated screenings to see Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack Dawson woo Kate Winslet's feisty socialite (and soon-to-be-wed) Rose. And while many detractors scoff at this admittedly clichéd poor-boy-meets-rich-girl love story, it is exactly through this pairing that we get a feel for what it was like to travel at sea in those Gilded Era days before the First World War destroyed the old Europe forever.
This film has much going for it. It has, in addition to actual location shots of the real Titanic wreck (the minisub sequence is NOT special effects), a winsome couple, a classic mustache-twirling villain (Billy Zane) with the usual henchman (a menacing David Warner), a great supporting cast which includes Danny Nuccio, Bernard Fox (who used to guest star in TV series such as Hogan's Heroes and Bewitched), Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton (who has appeared in most of Cameron's movies) and Gloria Stuart (who plays the older Rose Dawson). Titanic also has a great musical score and incredible visuals: the sinking of the great liner is certainly realistic - even if the CGI effects are a bit artificial-looking. This picture certainly was difficult to make .... Thankfully, in spite of the media hype and negative publicity, Titanic proved to be a good and entertaining film. I recommend it to anyone who likes love stories or epic disaster films. This movie mixes both genres very well.

The Maiden Voyage
O.K. I'll admit it, while I'm usually not much for the sappy romantic films, James Cameron's Oscar winning epic Titanic is a very good movie. And I did see it more than once on the big screen.

An undersea expedition, led by explorer Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton), is searching for a valuable diamond aboard the wreckage of the Titanic. The team, instead finds a drawing of seventeen-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater, (Kate Winslet) who is on the way to her wedding to wealthy tycoon, Cal Hockley (Billy Zane). Now an old woman (Gloria Stuart) Rose tells her story of the fateful voyage to the team. While the ship races to meet its fate with an iceberg, Rose falls in love with Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) a free-spirited artist and third-class passenger who ignites a passion inside her.

The film itself is a technical marvel. Cameron and his crew recreated the ship and her history with such skill and percision that it's easy to go along for the ride. I liked the way the fictional story of Jack and Rose was interlaced with actual historical figures and facts. For example "The Unsinkable" Molly Brown (Kathy Bates), Captain Edward J. Smith (Bernard Hill), and shipbuilders J. Bruce Ismay (Jonathan Hyde) & Thomas Andrews (Victor Garber), all have a place within the love story. Speaking of which, for me, it's Stuart that sells the romance. Acting as "narrator", she makes it possible to care about these characters more than you would have otherwise. The chemistry between DiCaprio and Winslet is very apparent and Zane is pitch perfect as Cal. The sinking sequence is really something and no disaster film since has matched its scope.

As it stands right now, the DVD doesn't have any bonus material on it, save for the theatrical trailer. Enough time has passed that another edition is warranted. That said, the bare bones DVD is recomended. For some additiional perspective on the history of the disaster, I also suggest, James Cameron's documentary Ghosts Of The Abyss.

movie hits an expensive iceberg
this is my opinion should have its own category in the video store.by this i mean it should be under terrible movies that cost to much along with the day after tomorow.I think that this movie really did hit an iceberg and it was only popular because of its stars these stars i must add were not that great they were ok but nothing special.And i would rather shoot myself than hear another person singing my heart will go on.I really do not like this over expensive movie bu5 i suppose that thats just my opinion.

LOVE IT!
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORETE MOVIES OF ALL TIME!THE ONLY GROSS PART IS WHEN ROSE TAKES OF ALL HER CLOTHES!?YUCK!BUT ANYWAY,IT`S A GREAT AND ROMANTIC MOVIE!

build a bridge
titanic...The Movie....Is just that.
I enjoy the story, from that perspective.
I appreciate the effort to create a level of interest in such an event. Drama can attempt to capture, only you can respond!
In reading short 4-5star reviews, and Loooong 2-3star reviews, I believe the connection has been made, as planned! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Even without its original 3-D IMAX presentation, James Cameron's Ghosts of the Abyss is still an eerily elegant tour of history's most infamous shipwreck. Six years after his original journey to the rusting hulk of the Titanic (where he captured footage for his 1997 blockbuster), Cameron returned to the wreckage with actor Bill Paxton, a team of Russian and American scientists, the world's most knowledgeable Titanic historians, and enough state-of-the-art technology to film the most complete and intimate exploration of the ill-fated ship's remains. Astonishing footage, flawless digital animation, and ghostly re-creations of the ship's final hours are seamlessly combined to orient the viewer at an intersection of tragic past and awe-inspiring present, emphasizing more than ever the sheer scale of Titanic's gargantuan construction. Signs of luxury remain, 90 years later, while the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (occurring here in mid-mission) place this unforgettable journey into resonant, humanitarian perspective. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Extraordinary Photography, but Barely Passable Documentary.
"Ghosts of the Abyss" documents the 2001 expedition of the Russian research vessel Keldysh to explore and film the wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic where it has lain on the ocean floor since 1912. Director James Cameron, whose fascination with the Titanic appears undiminished since the success of his blockbuster film, joined a team of historians, scientists, engineers, and cutting-edge technicians on this first-ever attempt to penetrate the wreck. Actor Bill Paxton accompanied the crew and narrates most of this film. The crew is transported 2.5 miles into the ocean's depth in a pair of deep-sea submersibles, Mir I and Mir 2. Two small, maneuverable "bots", designed by Mike Cameron, take us inside the decaying shipwreck. The ship's exterior is illuminated by Medusa, a huge ROV containing a bank of lights that was positioned just above the wreck.

The images of the Titanic itself are extraordinary, especially those inside the ship. It was probably a mistake to superimpose modern reenactments on them, however. Bill Paxton's narration is poor. The occasional commentary by James Cameron and Charles Pellegrino is better. The modern technology used to transport the crew to the ocean floor and capture these images is interesting, but begs for more knowledgeable and organized commentary. So does the wreck, itself. The screen is too often cluttered with multiple images, which are difficult to discern. Basically, "Ghosts of the Abyss" is a poorly produced documentary on an interesting subject. But it's worth seeing for the cinematography alone, which is why I'm giving it four stars. Dubbing is available in French, and captioning is available in English.

The Extended Version: The DVD contains both the Theatrical Version, which is one hour long, and an hour-and-a-half Extended Version. Basically, there is more of the same in the extended version. For example, there are 6 additional minutes about the attempt to rescue the malfunctioning bot. If the bots interest you, this is worth seeing, but it was understandably considered extraneous to the theatrical version of the film. Subtitles are available in French, and captioning is available in English on the Extended Version.

Incredible footage, but the film sometimes loses its focus
In Ghosts of the Abyss, James Cameron returns to the watery grave of the Titanic in an effort to let the ill-fated ship tell the story of her own demise. Equipped with space age technology and twin little exploratory robots designed specifically for exploring the Titanic, Cameron and his team manage to take us into rooms unseen by human eye since April 1912. Not only do you get the theatrical version of this documentary film (albeit without the 3-D experience offered by IMAX), you also get an extended version featuring an extra half hour of material. Most people would just watch the extended version, but I wanted to get a feel for the difference the extra footage makes, so I watched both versions back to back. I was actually rather amazed to discover that the extended version is ten times better than the original - basically, all of the best material was left out of the theatrical release.

I have to admit I found Bill Paxton, the de facto narrator of the film, rather annoying at times. As he freely admits, he isn't really qualified for this type of deep-sea mission, and his giddiness and nervous humor tend to grow old pretty quickly. Like most people, I just wanted to see footage of the wreckage, not a chronicling of Paxton's anxiety over traveling to the ocean floor. I did enjoy the glimpses provided of the other crew members on the expedition, however - they are an interesting assortment of scientists, filmmakers, historians, and Russian seamen.

Ghosts of the Abyss does succeed in showing Titanic in all of her mysterious glory, and the underwater footage makes this film well worth watching. The footage obtained from the two submersible vessels floating around and above the ship is breathtaking, but the true magic happens when two specially-designed robots, Jake and Elroy, are guided (remotely) down into the ship herself. The bots move in and out of individual rooms, giving us glimpses of Colonel Smith's bathtub, ornate windows (still intact) from the main dining room, personal effects of passengers still lying where their owners left them, etc. This allows the filmmakers to further personalize the visual experience. For the first time, we are able to move down into the bowels of the ship herself and see, for example, the area where the firemen lived, worked, and died. The best footage of all can be found only in the extended version - only here, for example, can you travel down into the steerage section of the ship for the very first time. I was very surprised to see that this important and unprecedented footage was cut out of the theatrical release. If you're like me, you are also are curious about the animals you know must be calling the Titanic home, but only in the extended version will you find any footage of these mysterious, ocean-bottom dwellers.

Cameron makes extensive use of CGI in order to show the audience what we are actually looking at. You'll be watching the video footage of a certain location, and then the filmmakers will overlay pictures showing how the room would have looked back in 1912, and many times transparent, ghostly images are also overlaid over the footage. The intention is to really bring the past alive. It works to some degree, but some may see it as overdramatization. Of course, the bots steal the show. Jake and Elwood are fascinating little gizmos that become our eyes and show us the wreckage of the Titanic as we have never seen it before. One of them adds additional drama to the story by malfunctioning; the rescue mission is really the most exciting aspect of the entire film.

A second disc contains some 50 minutes of interviews and additional footage, most of which is quite interesting. I was very glad to see a feature on the "cowboys" who go out to hook the resurfaced submersibles to the surface vessel; seeing these guys work in turbulent seas is just incredible. You also get to watch a few minutes of one dive's footage from your choice of six different camera angles - you can switch back and forth between views from the submersibles, Jake and Elwood, and the submersible cabin views. All in all, this is a great DVD package, but it is not perfect. I think all of us would like to have seen more of the actual footage and a good deal less of Bill Paxton, but there is no denying the fact that Ghosts of the Abyss offers viewers the most eye-opening tour available of the proud wreckage of the Titanic.

PRETTY GOOD!
I LIKED IT ALOT!I LIKED THE MOVIE"TITANIC",MUCH BETTER,THOUGH!BUT THIS PICKS UP WHERE TITANIC LEFT OF!

NOT WHAT I EXPECTED
I WAS EXCITED WHEN IT FINALLY CAME OUT ON VIDEO .MY FRIEND BROUGHT IT OVER AND WE WATCHED IT. IT BORED THE SOCKS OFF ME .THE ONLY COOL PARTS WERE WHEN THEY FINALLY WENT DOWN TO SEE THE TITANIC . SHE'S STILL SO BEAUTIFUL AFTER ALL THESES YEARS . IT WAS MORE LIKE A DOCUMENTARY THEY NEED TO SHOW MORE OF THE TITANIC.IAM SO GLAD I DIDN'T BUT IT .

A Stunning and Unique Documentary
Years after the filming of his blockbuster motion picture, director James Cameron returns to the wreck of Titanic. It's a big expedition with a large research vessel, two deep submersibles, and two ROVs nicknamed Jake and Elwood. Actor Bill Paxton is also along, presumably to help put a human face on the difficulties of making a 12-hour dive down to Titanic laying in her grave 12,000 ft below.

I was really surprised by this film. Cameron spares us the usual filler in Titanic documentaries that spend more time on stills of the construction and controversies surrounding the great ship than they do in actually exploring the wreck. But the really stunning thing is the way Cameron blends shots of the Titanic as she appears today with how she appeared back in 1912. This makes it easier to see how Titanic looked then, and also makes us feel the loss of this then brand-new machine even more. As if this wasn't enough, Cameron then places people in the spaces on the ship, bringing home in a dramatic way the magnitude of the loss of life on Titanic. Added to this is a misadventure with one of the ROVs and Bill Paxton's ever-present anxiety. The result is an absolutely unique documentary. I'm not sure every single minute of this movie works, but in total the experience is amazing. Extras include a really neat sequence where you can shift which camera you're watching at any given moment. There's also a documentary on the "cowboys" who attach the lift line to the submersibles. The DVDs include both a 2-D version of the original IMAX 3-D movie, and an extended version that works much better.

Ghosts of the Abyss effectively shows the true scale of Titanic herself, and the magnitude of the (unnecessary) loss of life as well as the loss of a beautiful ship. This is an excellent movie. ... Read more