Five of the Next-Best Director’s Cuts
Avatar
Avatar‘s theatrical release was kinda dumb. Sure, it was entertaining as all get-out, but the further away I got the more questions I had. Why did Jake turn his back on his profession and species? What was so alluring about Pandora that he couldn’t give it up? Why did Neytiri have so much hatred for humans? Little did I know how easily these questions would be answered by a few extra minutes included on the blu-ray.
First of all, there’s the original opening from the screenplay. It takes place on Earth, where overpopulation has flooded the streets with people and covered the natural world with cement. Jake Sully winds up flat on his back in an alleyway after picking a fight with some douchebag in a bar. It’s a relatively short sequence, but it completely explains what was so hellish about Earth that made Pandora a dream come true. Jake’s resentment of authority figures is subtly incorporated into the scene as well. Later in this cut, we learn the backstory for Neytiri, whose sister had been killed by the human company’s hired troops at a school for Na’Vi children. Kinda puts her in a whole new light, as well.
So, wait… why were these scenes taken out, again?
Troy
The story of The Illiad is epic and complex, and Troy’s main fault was the way in which it made the characters less memorable and the plot much simpler. There are gorgeous movie stars, thrilling heroics, and fierce villains. However, like Watchmen, it was often viewed as an entertaining, but ultimately flawed version of a classic text. All we got was brash heroism, and little more. Re-enter director Wolfgang Petersen, and his retooled version of the movie.
Under Petersen’s guidance, the total runtime of Troy was increased by over a half-hour, taking the movie comfortably past the three-hour mark. What changed? Just about everything, starting with the very first shot: A hungry dog trots through a battlefield, the ground around him littered with corpses. This version of Troy shows more of the cost of the war; the final (director’s) cut allows the story to linger instead of barreling from one action scene to the next. Supporting characters fare much better as well. Ajax impresses as a one-man wrecking ball, and Odysseus comes off as more of to the cunning trickster those who know the story remember. On top of that, the violence and sensuality are both cranked up a notch, bringing a stronger aesthetic identity to the ancient story. Now it’s an epic for real.
For this post I specifically targeted Director’s Cuts. There are some great Extended Cuts out there, too — Alien 3 and Gladiator spring to mind. What about you? Were there any movies you saw that got noticeably better once they made it to home video?
their is a directors cut of Waterwold that ads just over 30 min. to the movie. a far better version with more character development.
No Kingdom of Heaven?
I’ve only seen the director’s cut of Das Boot, but it’s a great film.
Yes, Butterfly effect. I first saw the movie on DVD and i chose the Directors cut on an impulse. Later when i went to discuss the movie with others and i spoke of how thrilling the ending was, nobody knew what i was referring to because they saw the theatrical ending which is more satisfying and lets just say “everybody lives”. At the end of the day these movies are about profit, but when a director has the freedom to present a story without restriction, you will always get more from the production.
Alien 3 was an amazing directors cut. Small additions make the movie much better.
I’ve seen the director’s cut of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Holy shit, each film is like 4 hours long. But they add sooo much it’s incredibly dense. I’d recommend it highly. Well . . . I’ve never been able to finish Return of the King . . . it runs almost 5 hours.
I’ve always loved the director’s cut of Dark City. I think the DC version of Bladerunner is also worht mentioning, if a bit obvious.
I’ll definitely have to check out the Watchmen.
I should probably read before posting (re: Bladerunner).
Good calls, all. Troy’s DC was pretty damn awesome as opposed to the average theatrical cut.
Shit, if you’ve never been able to finish the director’s cut of Return of the King, how did you manage to read the book before you saw the film…………
Oh boy, where do I begin?
1. I Am Legend. Alternate ending not only has Neville live, but we find out that the creatures are not as dumb as we think. Making the trap that Neville falls for in the theatrical make sense (originally I thought he fell for his own trap since he was losing his mind by that point in the film). Also, the “butterfly’ has a completely different meaning that works in context with the new ending better than the context in the theatrical. Last great addition: no “safe community” where everyone still lives on like normal society. Neville, Anna, and the boy drive off into the unknown. I’ll take an open ended bittersweet ending over a tastelessly tacked on “happy ending’ that looks like it was constructed in 5 minutes.
2. Legend. Longer runtime, fleshed out story and characters, completely different score. The theatrical’s score (done by electro group “tangerine dream”) is complete 80’s cheese. The orignal score by Jerry Goldsmith is a timeless classical sound that fits into the universe just as well as the score’s to films like LOTR or Harry Potter. Different ending as well. Not a “happy ending’ like the theatrical, but more realistic. Sometimes the hero doesn’t always get the girl.
3. Superman 2. Unfortunately, the Richard Donner Cut was put together by a sound editor (not a film editor) on what looks like a budget of 10,000 dollars, and completed in 10 days (even though fans have been writing to WB to release the footage for dcades since since some of this footage on tv when the film aired in 1982 and showed roughly 25 minutes of new footage that was shot by Donner). Truth is, some of the scenes in the Donner Cut are great and belong in the film, but the edit is so over-edited (be it alternate inferior takes, bad audio cues, re-hashed music), that the film just falls apart. It doesn’t even feel like a movie. Re-hashing the time travel ending from the first film was the dumbest move of all. Their logic? “This is Superman 2 as originally conceived” (time-travel ending was originally for 2, not 1). Well, the ending was used in part 1. It doesn’t belong here. My thoughts? The perfect version of Superman 2 lies somewhere in the middle. Anyone who knows even a little about video and sound editing would be smart to take all the footage, write up a list of scenes, and edit it to the point where it’s “perfect’ in your eyes.
I didn’t like one part of the Ex Cut of Alien 3, no Alien Queen Chest busting and hugging it lovly till dead in the heat of the moment…
No Watchman DC here avaible in Europe !
Alien 3 was an amazing directors cut. Small additions make the movie much better.
You ruined the list with the addition of the movie about the blue people. It was a total carp movie, made by a total crap director, seen by a moronic crap audience. My argument stands and any challenges are invalid.
The A-Team. Yes, the director’s cut is a whole lot better.
donnie darko is my personal favourite