Alexander - Director's Cut 2-Disc Widescreen Special Edition 2004 Starring Anthony Hopkins Angelina Jolie and Colin Farrell

Selected Product:

Alexander - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)

DVD
Format: Widescreen
Director: Oliver Stone
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Release Date: August 2005
UPC: 012569704565
List Price: ~~$19.98~~

Average Customer Rating:

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Summary:
If you're determined to spend three hours with Oliver Stone's take on the personal and military struggles of ancient Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great, you should know that Alexander (Colin Farrell, in blonde disarray) is not half so much fun as mom Olympias (Angelina Jolie) or his future wild bride Roxane (Rosario Dawson). Indeed, it's the women in Alex's life who provide the movie's most satisfying action: Jolie, sporting some kind of Russian accent, wraps herself in snakes while hissing promises of Farrell's destiny; Dawson disrobes and threatens to cut Farrell's throat before shtupping his brains out. The rest is leaden history, supposedly novel because it showcases epic battle sequences and addresses Alexander's great love for his buddy Hephaistion (Jared Leto). But the man-on-man romance is limited to teary hugs, and the battles are indecipherable messes-you have to wait for Anthony Hopkins' narration to tell you what happened (in fact, you have to wait for Hopkins' narration to tell you everything that happens). There's some spectacle on display but, alas, not much that is truly spectacular.

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Rating:

Alexander: Revisited finally delivers

Customer Rating:

Stone finally got it right with this one. The directors cut was choppy and shorter than the theatrical release which was alright, but a little over the top on the emo side of Alex. In this sweeping version of the story the Macedonian's feelings are present and his interpersonal struggles are apparent, but they are mitigated by his momentous achievements. You see his strength and moments of prominence and brilliance in a better backdrop. Plus Bagoas talks! There was some footage missing from the theatrical cut that was awesome, some of the Olympias if memory serves correctly, but if you already have the Theatrical or Director's cut, keep those, but BUY THIS VERSION! Its the greatest, and shows all the actors at their best.

Let there be no more cuts	Customer Rating:
Indeed, The Final Cut should be this one. Now even more intergal than the theatrical version (I didn't see the second version). The packaging, video/audio quality are outstanding. The overall impression is "Great!" As it was promised by Oliver Stone, I loved it more than I did.

Collin Farrell... What Happened?

Customer Rating:

When I first saw Collin Farrell in Tigerland I thought, "this guy is really good and is going to be somebody'. Then he became the 'It' guy of the moment and was showing up in just about everything and doing nothing really well. This movie, he is totally miscast and out of his element. I think the movie, like a few others, was trying to cash in on the success of the Russell Crowe movie Gladiator. It was over long, focused too much on Alexanders sexuality and had the dumbest casting. I mean Angelina Jolie as Farrells mother was just plain nonsensical. Val Kilmer was really horrible too which is a suprise cause he usually is really good. But the major flaw is the story itself. It tries to tell too big of a story in a limited amount of time. And Collin Farrell is in over his head. I have decided he is not that good of an actor. He is just a pretty boy who was good in one movie.

The Final Word

Customer Rating:

Alexander Revisited is Oliver Stone's final word on the great leader and his attempt to capture all Alexander accomplished on film. While this final cut doesn't even remotely tackle all that was wrong with the initial theatrical release (i.e. the sometimes intrusive narration by Anthony Hopkins, the at times sluggish pace of the film, and most importantly at times muddled plotting and dialogue. ) it does however broaden the scope of the film. Alexander Revisited has an extra 40 minutes and has been re-cut to allow the viewer freer access to Alexander and the world he occupied and ultimately conquered.

Collin Farell does an admirable job of portraying the various layers of Alexander's personality; even though at times he does ham it up a bit. But from all I've read Alexander could be quite the drama queen himself so it was fitting. Anthony Hopkins while at times intrusive with his narration is also very necessary tot the film because of the way it has been laid out. Jared Leto is very good as the loyal Hephisation, even if the eye makeup was a slapped on with a pain brush.

Don't buy this film looking for a masterwork, because it's not. It's not even in the top five films Oliver Stone has ever made. But it is a solid piece of work that tries to lay bare a man who is still in many ways shrouded in mystery and probably always will be; a man who after his death was worshipped, and even to this day his battlefield tactics are studied and copied. Alexander the Great opened up the world and paved the way for many advances (cultural and religious) that other leaders took advantage of after his death. In his own lifetime he was as praised as his mythical hero Achilles, he was more feared and loved than any leader before or after him. He led an army of no more than fifty-to-sixty thousand against an army of nearly two hundred thousand and won. He created a mobile kingdom and an army that never, never coherently revolted against him even when they saw him changing in front of their eyes. He went from being a Macedonian king to a global king who tried to embrace each culture he came in contact with. And yet we get his definitive biography from Plutarh who lived five hundred years after Alexander died.

Oliver Stone tried mightily with his film to take the enormous life of Alexander the Great and put it before us in a way that is entertaining if not perfect. All that Alexander did can never be up on film the way it should be, it has however been put before us with the loving care of a man who put all he could into its telling.

This film isn't for everyone, nor dare I say was it ever meant to be. Those who liked the theatrical release will like this, those who trashed it will trash this or any version of the film. I say give it a chance if you've never seen it, and if you were on the fence about it before try this version of it and see if you can't come to a conclusion.

Slow, Boring, Tedious

Customer Rating:

I was really looking forward to this movie. Having missed it in theaters, I picked up a copy at Half-Price Books and finally got around to viewing it for the first time last week.

My boyfriend and I had to extend the viewing over three days. It's that incredibly dull. The relationship between Alexander and that-other-guy-on-the-screen isn't offensive or vulgar - it's just plain boring! The relationship between Alexander and the-chick-who-isn't-a-guy isn't fraught with tension simply because Farrell doesn't actually seem to be awake during any of their scenes together. In fact, he seems to sleep-walk through the entire movie, making me suspect that the movie was as dull to film as it is to watch.

Another thing that *really* bothers me about this film is the muddled accents. I really think the director ordered the cast to "speak in a Macedonian accent" and left it at that. Kilmer seems always hovering on the lip of a British accent without ever really embracing it, Jolie is CLEARLY doing a Russian accent (and badly), and Farrell and several others experiment with different shades of Irish and Scottish. One general in particular is obviously following Alexander mistakenly, having gotten separated from William Wallace several weeks back when the armies crossed paths. But seriously, it's extremely distracting, even for my dull American ears which can barely tell an Englishman from an Australian.

Another thing: Flashbacks. These are dull, jarring, and they are often out-of-place with regards to the previously viewed flashbacks. Each flashback becomes a guessing game of "Now When Is This?" - particularly hard since Alexander et. al. look exactly the same in every time period. I wish I aged so gracefully! Seriously, if you can't put your flashbacks in chronological order, you need to at LEAST put a subtitled date with each one.

Bottom line: Dull, dull, dull. I believe my exact words, when Alexander was struck by the arrow, were: "Oh, thank god, he's going to die and it will finally be over." Of course, it's never that easy, as there were still several more grueling flashbacks to go.