Braveheart: Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition

Rating R Formats DVD Genre action Starring Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack, and Angus Macfayden Directed by Mel Gibson Publisher Paramount Home Entertainment External Links Official Paramount Website

As it was claimed in the “South Park” Imaginationland trilogy, say what you want about Mel Gibson but the son of a bitch knows story structure! As an actor, director and writer, the guy has really done no wrong. While many immediately identify his acting side with the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon films, I feel that his 1995 multi-Oscar winner Braveheart is the true cornerstone of his cinematic career.

As we all should know, Braveheart is the epic tale of William Wallace (Gibson), a commoner living in 13th century Scotland, which is about to be taken over by English ruler Edward the Longshanks (Patrick McGoohan). As a boy, William loses his father, brother and many friends in their defense from the English uprising. As a man, he loses his loved one and becomes a spearhead in the battle for Scotland’s freedom. A long quest lies ahead for Wallace and it will take the assistance of Robert the Bruce (Angus Macfayden) and many of his loyal followers to establish peach and freedom to the homeland.

With a 3-hour running time, dynamically moving cinematography, exciting battle scenes and over-the-top, dramatic speeches that build up said battles; Braveheart is the film that revived the historical epic genre that arose in the 50s and 60s. Many films that followed, including Gladiator, 300 and even the Lord of the Rings trilogy, have borrowed a page or two from Braveheart. And who would find this as a surprise? From the moment Wallace begins his crusade, the film move at an exhilarating rush, coupling a natural development of story and character with intense battles and culminating into an unforgettable movie experience that never tires out.

This is the films second appearance in DVD format. The last release came in 2000 and contained an average audio/video transfer, a commentary track and a brief “making-of” featurette. This new 2-disc “Collector’s Edition” is a definite improvement. The picture quality and sound quality have been cleaned up, giving the film a clearer picture and a much stronger sound quality. As for the extras, the commentary track is the same as the previous release but the little featurette has been replaced with an overwhelming plethora of bonuses!

“A Writer’s Journey” is a discussion with Randall Wallace, who wrote the bulk of the film’s script. Wallace speaks of the use of historical accuracies and its conflicts with the film’s large use of dramatic license (this may be a historical epic but there is a lot of fiction found here). “The Making of Braveheart” is exactly what it is, only its far more in-depth than what the title suggests. At nearly an hour long, this extra looks at the film’s conception and production phases, which include filming the battle scenes and Gibson’s dual role as star and director. “Tales of William Wallace” is a History Channel- like documentary comparing the William Wallace and Robert The Bruce from the film with the real William Wallace and Robert The Bruce. Finally, there is a series of archived interviews with every major cast member, along with a photo gallery and two trailers. With most major retailers tagging this DVD at $14.95, the amount of extra content here beats out most DVDs priced at $29.95.

In closing, I have to say that the double dip was worth it. With a new transfer and a boatload of extras, Bravheart has been given a much justifiable treatment.