Nothing makes you feel older in life than looking at an ‘anniversary edition’ of a film you watched in the theater. It’s like listening to the radio and jamming out to 90s music, only to find out that you’re on the classic radio station. A little defeating in a sense, but still very enjoyable.
Anyway, Paramount Pictures recently released Titanic – 25th Anniversary on 4KUHD, and I am very impressed. Not only did it come with a well-deserved academy award-winning film, but the way the package was developed and what extra goodies that came with it are nothing short of impressive.
Let’s talk about this sinking ship and how well this anniversary edition keeps it afloat.
Still a movie to behold
While the story of Jack and Rose is subtle and simple in nature, as it’s a shallow re-telling of Romeo and Juliet (does that make Cal, Tybalt? Gross), it’s merely a means to an end so that James Cameron can put us on the fateful journey of Titanic and make us feel the panic and despair the passengers felt once the ship hit the North Atlantic iceberg. It’s an absolute marvel on a technological and production planning level that was perfectly executed to bring us one of the more real experiences of Titanic that film has ever captured.
As much as it is an emotional journey led by tragedy, it is also a journey led by astounding filmmaking and innovative methods. Cameron building half a ship and filming in water with cast and crew to make an authentic representation of the chain of events that occurred that night is something to behold. When that man gets a bee in his bonnet to innovate and get the most out of a film, he goes full force, and Titanic is proof of that. Even 25 years removed, watching the film again reminds me of how Cameron is dedicated to the lens, the moment, and bringing the most to the audience in new ways. Cameron did it with Terminator 2 and Avatar, so Titanic was certainly not a one-off effort in that regard.
Now, all this said, I was never a huge fan of the story in the film.
As stated previously, I think it was just a reason to push the technological and filmmaking boundaries. The story of Jack and Rose is nothing special. No extraordinary set of plot points or twists – none of that at all. It’s a simple story of forbidden love, where a girl who has it all falls in love with a boy who has nothing. No one outside of the tight circle of Cal, Rose, Jack, Cal’s bodyguard, and Rose’s mother truly gives a hoot about the young couple. It’s a small self-contained story that lives within a more interesting and tragic event and does its best to bring out the breadcrumbs leading up to the sinking of the giant ship. It is nothing more, nothing less.
We have seen this story before, and we will see this type of story again in a different scenario and capacity. The ship and its story were far more intriguing. Again, Cameron needed a reason to get people on the boat and let them experience the tragedy, and Rose and Jack were that reason. If they didn’t exist, then we would have a documentary. Of course, that doesn’t make the story any ‘less’ than what people might feel about it, but it’s not the reason audiences showed up.
Anyway, the love story is there, the tragedy of the ship is very impactful and intact, and the movie still very much holds its own after 25 years.
Now, the reason you want this on your shelf is simple.
Packaging, quality, and features
The moment you look at this release, you’ll be in love with it. While I have never felt the need to mention packaging for a product, as most any effort outside of the movie norm is gimmicky, this release is different. You’ll know it’s royalty from the moment you pick it up. The cover is glossy, glamorous, simple, and sleek. The front, as you can see in the review’s main graphic, is a gorgeous sleeve that, when taken off, reveals a breathtaking coffee table book of goodies.
Here’s what is inside, and yes, all of it is worth it for the major movie collectors out there. Here’s what you get:
- A hardcover coffee table book detailing the making of the film’s most iconic scenes
- A detailed schematic inspired by the actual ship blueprint, highlighting locations of key scenes
- Movie prop reproductions of a boarding pass, launch viewing ticket, ship menus, and notes from Jack to Rose and Rose to Cal
- Sheet music for the multi-award-winning hit “My Heart Will Go On”
And the physical quality of this release is only rivaled by the 4K transfer, which is flawless. Honestly, that isn’t surprising considering how well Paramount always cleans up its films and presents them. Paramount is usually aces at this process and Titanic is proof that the studio is still on its A-Game when it comes to transfers. The picture is clean, it’s high-quality, and it’s the best they’ve done so far with the film.
To add the cherry on top of this release, you also get a giant list of features:
Blu-ray™ Bonus Disc
- TITANIC: Stories From the Heart—NEW!
Director James Cameron, producer Jon Landau, and star Kate Winslet share memories and favorite moments and recount the challenges of making the greatest love story in cinema history. Go back in time with film clips, photos and behind-the-scenes moments.
- TITANIC: 25 Years Later with James Cameron
James Cameron explores the enduring myths and mysteries of the shipwreck, and mounts tests to see whether Jack could have fit on that raft and survived. - Behind-the Scenes presentation hosted by Jon Landau—NEW!
Jon Landau introduces a series of behind-the-scenes segments showcasing the making of TITANIC. - Trailer Presentation hosted by Jon Landau—NEW!
Jon Landau shares an inside glimpse into the marketing of TITANIC with a story of how a 4-minute trailer overseen by the filmmakers was delivered to theatres, instead of the original “action” trailer.
- Fan Poster Art—NEW!
- Reflections on TITANIC(4 parts)
- Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by James Cameron
- Additional Behind-the-Scenes
- Deep-Dive Presentation narrated by James Cameron
- $200,000,001: A Ship’s Odyssey (The TITANICCrew Video)
- Videomatics
- Visual Effects
- Music Video “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion
- Still Galleries
4K Ultra HD Disc
- Director Commentary by James Cameron
- Cast and Crew Commentary
- Historical Commentary by Don Lynch and Ken Marschall
For the film buffs out there, this is a primo release. Definitely worth a hard look.
