Titanic 3D

No other film on the topic can rival the epic spectacle and breathtaking grandeur of James Cameron's Titanic. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet star as Jack and Rose, a pair of star-crossed lovers who find themselves fighting for survival on the doomed luxury liner's maiden voyage. The highest-grossing motion picture of all time, Titanic won 11 Academy Awards® including Best Picture and Best Director. (Tricia Spears)

The four-disc set includes two Blu-ray 3Ds that feature Part 1 and Part 2 of the film, a Blu-ray 2D Disc of the film, and a Special Features Blu-ray Disc. On the film disc the only special features are the following commentaries: Director Commentary by James Cameron (2005), Cast and Crew Commentary (2005), and Historical Commentary by Don Lynch and Ken Marschall (2005). The special features disc includes Documentaries: Reflections On Titanic (HD 01:03:47) and Titanic: The Final Word With James Cameron (HD 01:36:16); 30 deleted scenes, including an alternate ending, with a James Cameron Introduction (2005) and with optional James Cameron commentary (HD 57:32); Production: Behind The Scenes (SD 01:03:34), Construction Timelapse with optional commentary by Ed Marsh (SD 04:20), Deep Dive Presentation Narrated By James Cameron (SD 15:30), $200,000,001: A Ship's Odyssey (the Titanic Crew Video) (SD 17:52), Videomatics (SD 03:18), and Visual Effects (SD 07:50); and Archives, which includes the "My Heart Will Go On" music video by Celine Dion, six trailers, seven TV spots, six still galleries, and three Titanic Parodies: "MTV's 1998 Movie Awards Skit" (SD 04:37), "Saturday Night Live Skit (Air Date January 9, 1999)" (SD 04:50), and "Titanic In 30 Seconds" (SD 00:51).

The 1.78:1 1080p MVC 3D picture exceeds all expectations as a visceral visual experience. This is undoubtedly one of the most visually arresting pictures made, and in 3D the visual experience is astounding! This is the "director's cut" in that every detail of telecine and sound mastering has been scrutinized and supervised by James Cameron himself. The result is a painstaking effort to convert his 2D classic to 3D, with the intent of enhancing the production values and emotional storytelling. If one had not known that the film was not produced in native 3D there is no clue otherwise. This is a tribute to the creative and artistic skills of the artisans at Stereo D, the conversion house responsible for crafting a 3D Titanic that looks like it was original filmed in 3D, rivaling that of Cameron's standard for setting Avatar. For the 3D presentation Cameron has reformatted the Super 35 negative to provide more information in the top and bottom of the frame without losing all that much on the sides. The aspect ratio is 1.78:1, rather than the 2D theatrical 2.25:1, with the film split over two platters to assure the highest possible picture quality. Never mind that this is a conversion, the 3D presentation is absolutely stunningly spectacular! The picture quality is exemplary, exhibiting accurate color fidelity with perfectly rendered natural fleshtones, richly hued colors, and deep, solid blacks with outstanding definition. Contrast and shadow detail are excellent. The color palette is perfectly balanced, with a subtle warm wash over the voyage in contrast to the present-day scenes with the wreckage exploration crew. Contrast and shadow delineation are superb throughout. With images that are impressively sharp and detailed, and with excellent textures and definition, all technical parameters have exceeded that of the last DVD releases reviewed in Issues 34 and 103. This is the definitive 3D version that fans have been waiting for. The sense of natural depth and perspective is impressively conveyed. Dimensional realism is perfectly scaled to portray the grand scale of the Titanic as the passengers take part in the experience of the voyage and its tragic sinking. The proportional sense of size carried through to the cramped spaces within the interior of the ship. The immense size of the ship's engine room with churning machines is captured in 3D that appears breathlessly lifelike. The same is true of the ship's signature staircase. During the sinking scenes, the realism conveyed by the 3D is terrifying, as one feels connected viscerally to the impending doom. The impact is such that one is there living the emotional experience! Never through the viewing was crosstalk ghosting evident, for a virtual artifact-free viewing experience. This is another standard-setting production on the part of James Cameron and is absolutely the new reference, no doubt attributed to the awe-inspiring 3D elements. (Gary Reber)

Titanic's soundtracks have been a few, starting with the Dolby® Digital discrete 5.1 and matrix PCM soundtracks on the LaserDisc reviewed in Issue 29, the DTS® Digital Surround discrete 5.1 soundtrack reviewed in Issue 34, and the Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and 6.1-channel DTS-ES® soundtracks reviewed in Issue 103. While this newly repurposed DTS-HD Master Audio™ soundtrack is not in the 6.1 ES format, this 5.1-channel presentation is fully satisfying. The bass energy below 25 Hz is capable of window cracking vibration and effectively heightens the impact of the sinking, especially during those sequences when the bass track is enhanced by powerful .1 LFE. The discrete directionalized sound effects are impressive. Dialogue sounds natural, though, ADR-processing is occasionally wanting in spatial integration. The romantic music score is beautifully recorded with excellent soundstage depth. The soundtrack sounds more coherent and seamless, with full scale holosonic® soundfield delineation. Low-level ambient resolution delivers a smoother, fuller sonic quality, with energized atmospherics and sound effects during the collision and subsequent sinking really providing a startling sense of realism. The result is an exceptionally dramatic and dynamic-sounding sonic experience that delivers an enveloping immersive soundfield. (Gary Reber)