Windtalkers: Directors' Cut Giftset! (3 discs)

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 01 May 2005, 10:32

Any idea as to how this compares to the theatrical version?

http://www.dvdsoon.com/product-details.xml?uid=49418

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 01 May 2005, 11:21

Firstly it's the best DVD of the film out there and secondly I never worked out why this got such a bad rap.

Sure it has flaws but so do many films such as "The Fast and the Furious" and that was a huge hit. It's not Woo's best by a long shot but I disagree when people say it glorifies violence. Even if it does how is it wrong to glorify war violence but it's suddenly acceptable to glorify other violence? (Hard Boiled, The Killer, ABT, ABT2 the list goes one).

There is a review over at DVD Times which states the film goes from one battle to the next with barely any character development. Hello this is a common flaw with Woo films (note not all: The Killer).

The DVD looks pretty good:

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=1086

I find it hard to believe the extra lengths mentioned here, they've barely filled each disc. If this is true 2 discs would've been fine:

http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=2504

It does say:

"The 3-Disc nature of this DVD set is a total gimmick - DISC TWO and DISC THREE could easily have fitted on a single DVD-5"

They're right if you add them up the extras on disc 2 & 3 add up to 60-70 minutes.

As for the two cuts see here (it's roughly 30 mins longer):

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245562/alternateversions

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 01 May 2005, 11:42

I agree Brad it had flaws but I thought it was pretty good, nowhere near as bad as critics said

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 01 May 2005, 12:01

bradavon wrote:There is a review over at DVD Times which states the film goes from one battle to the next with barely any character development. Hello this is a common flaw with Woo films (note not all: The Killer).

More exceptions are ABT1 (also to a much lesser extent ABT2, in the case of the awful Dean Shek's annoying Ah Lung) and the superb Bullet in the Head. Brad you seen BitH yet?

I haven't bothered to see any of Woo's film made after Face/Off. I'll watch them if they're shown on free TV down here and if I have the time. As for renting, there's many many movies I'd choose above Woo's Hollywood offerings.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 01 May 2005, 14:28

I like WT a lot, I own the Longer cut but never watched it yet sadly, but hey he still makes good films and Iwill still watch them.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 01 May 2005, 23:17

I'd recommend MI:2 Eva along with Face/Off. Another film that I never got why it was so bashed.

I guess people were expecting more of the same (why I don't know Woo is a very different director to DePalma) and instead got a hard as nails action film. I prefer it, it's lots of fun.

EvaUnit02 wrote:Brad you seen BitH yet?

Nope I know I should. I have the HKL DVD.

gojensen · Post by **gojensen** » 03 May 2005, 06:48

WT didn't quite work for me - part of that was Nick Cage (come on! he CAN NOT act!

) and part was the horrendous archive footage that was inserted into the film proper.

Now I only saw the longer cut - but I wouldn't agree that it just went from one clip to the other... but hey, it IS a war movie.

And hey, Romero? Wisescreen any day for me please 8)

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 03 May 2005, 11:15

Have you seen "Leaving Las Vegas"? Cage can act (IMO).

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 03 May 2005, 23:07

Same with Matchstick Men, Adaptation etc. Cage is a superb actor IMO. :rr:

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 04 May 2005, 02:50

Nic Cage is a good actor, the problem is he's done numerous bad movies (just like Michael Caine and Johnny Depp).

gojensen · Post by **gojensen** » 04 May 2005, 11:42

Bah, he's a one expression one tone man

He looks sounds and acts the same... And yeah, I've seen Matchstick Men, Leaving Las Vegas, etc. etc.

Thing is, he's starred in several good movies... but that doesn't mean I think he acted well in them

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 04 May 2005, 15:46

He is a strange actor in all his film esspecially recent ones, but he is likable always and is always watchable (cannot beat Con Air,The Rock and Face Off for his action man trilogy)

Beer · Post by **Beer** » 20 May 2005, 08:07

bradavon wrote:I'd recommend MI:2 Eva along with Face/Off. Another film that I never got why it was so bashed.

Count me in: at first MI2 was a disappointment to me. Then, viewing after viewing, I started to appreciate it as one of the most elegant action movies ever made.

It's so cool and stylish... Sure, it's completely over the top and ridiculous, but it's that exaggeration and shamelessness that makes it so great. Switch off your brain and enjoy!

On the other hand, Windtalkers made me puke... Very little stylish, dull, slow, predictable, flat.