Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 11/20/2007 Run time: 194 minutes Rating: Pg13

When the theatrical release of James Cameron's Titanic was delayed from July to December of 1997, media pundits speculated that Cameron's $200 million disaster epic would cause the director's downfall, signal the end of the blockbuster era, and sink Paramount Studios as quickly as the ill-fated luxury liner had sunk on that fateful night of April 14, 1912. Some studio executives were confident, others horrified, but the clarity of hindsight turned Cameron into an Oscar-winning genius, a shrewd businessman, and one of the most successful directors in the history of motion pictures. Titanic would surpass the $1 billion mark in global box-office receipts (largely due to multiple viewings, the majority by teenage girls), win 11 Academy Awards including best picture and director, produce the best-selling movie soundtrack of all time, and make a global superstar of Leonardo DiCaprio. A bona fide pop-cultural phenomenon, the film has all the ingredients of a blockbuster (romance, passion, luxury, grand scale, a snidely villain, and an epic, life-threatening crisis), but Cameron's alchemy of these ingredients proved more popular than anyone could have predicted. His stroke of genius was to combine absolute authenticity with a pair of fictional lovers whose tragic fate would draw viewers into the heart-wrenching reality of the Titanic disaster. As starving artist Jack Dawson and soon-to-be-married socialite Rose DeWitt Bukater, DiCaprio and Kate Winslet won the hearts of viewers around the world, and their brief but never-forgotten love affair provides the humanity that Cameron needed to turn Titanic into an emotional experience. Present-day framing scenes (featuring Gloria Stuart as the 101-year-old Rose) add additional resonance to the story, and although some viewers proved vehemently immune to Cameron's manipulations, few can deny the production's impressive achievements. Although some of the computer-generated visual effects look artificial, others--such as the sunset silhouette of Titanic during its first evening at sea, or the climactic splitting of the ship's sinking hull--are state-of-the-art marvels. In terms of sets and costumes alone, the film is never less than astounding. More than anything else, however, the film's overwhelming popularity speaks for itself. Titanic is an event film and a monument to Cameron's risk-taking audacity, blending the tragic irony of the Titanic disaster with just enough narrative invention to give the historical event its fullest and most timeless dramatic impact. Titanic is an epic love story on par with Gone with the Wind, and like that earlier box-office phenomenon, it's a film for the ages. --Jeff Shannon

This was a great movie to see in the theater, which is not a typical thing for me to say, and so it is even better in your own home (although the 61" telly helps), where you can pause it and get up to go to the loo. But it was every bit as amazing and moving and incredible to watch. And even though I knew the end of the film, I was still on the edge of my seat as the ship went to her watery grave. An amazing experience for all ages!

I recibe my item on time so i very satisfide hope to purchase more from this store.

Okay, were do I begin? Titanic had very good special effects, recreating that horrible sinking back in 1914, very good acting, but behind all the history and special effects was the romantic, a bit to be desired storyline.The romance was between Jack and Rose, aboard the Titanic, but was being obliviated by Rose's fiancee'(Billy Zane).But that horrible iceberg sank the ''unsinkable''Titanic.Though storyline is sappy, I still highly reccomend it to people who can sit through a three hour movie.

Great movie with lots of extras to view, James Camerons movie is well worth watching over and over. Especially all the work he went thru too bring us this wonderful, true, exciting story.

It's hard to believe its been 10 years since this movie came out. Moving right along, what makes this movie interesting is that while there are some fictional elements, they are mixed with historical elements as well. (So to some extent, we are permitted to accept the fictional elements such as the Calvin, Rose, Jack soap opera as real.) It is interesting how we are told the story from a survivor (the 100 year old Rose). Obviously, we know Rose will somehow survive. But that doesn't mean Rose won't lose someone she loves. The scenery and outfits are beautiful, and although the movie is over 3 hours, somehow it never seems to drag. The story seems to move at a realistic pace (rather than everything being crammed to fit inside a 2 hour slot). While Rose and Jack are the stars, other characters make good use of their screen time. (The unsinkable Molly Brown who comes into money, but never sacrificed herself or her moral values, and kept her redneckish charm, and also the virtuous and honorable Thomas Andrews, to name 2.)

While Calvin is not seen in a favorable light often, his character is at least a tad grayer than we would probably like to admit. (I actually find Rose's mother to be more repulsive.) Basically, Rose's mother (now broke) wants Calvin to marry Rose to reestablish themselves financially; Calvin, despite his faults is willing to do so; in all honesty, Calvin STARTS OFF no worse than anyone else in his position would probably be. Rose then begins her relationship with Jack, and Calvin starts to get abusive, to the point where he nearly kills her. I'm not trying to defend his abuse of Rose, or for that matter firing several gunshots in a rage. But if we wish to throw 'a small tad' of understanding on the table, (at least before he gets abusive) Rose's mother was asking Calvin to rescue them financially, and then Rose runs around with Jack. A whiter Calvin may have decided he shouldn't waste any more time here.

Moving on, there is some generous time of just getting to know everyone, but this also provides a creepy suspense. (Obviously, we already know the ship is going to sink.) A conversation between Rose and Thomas Andrews (at about the 1/2 way point) reminds us that there are only enough life boats for 1/2 the passengers. We can also see that Thomas Andrews wanted enough for everyone, but 'certain powers' didn't take his concerns seriously.

There are some romantic moments between Jack and Rose, and then the Titanic crashes. (While some people would pick and find someone to blame, the movie seems to not point the blame to any one party. Not even 100 % towards Mr. Ismay who came out splattered with mud the most.) In the event we forgot the conversation between Rose and Thomas Andrews, Thomas faces Rose again and reminds us.

One phenomenal thing about this movie is that it shows us the true horror of people dying. (Unlike many movies that glorify people getting killed.) Interestingly, the ship sinks for (an actual hour or so). This is great in that we get to see the panic, tragedy, and horror of the crew knowing that less than half of them are going to survive. Rose finds herself in not only this situation, but the climax of her situation with her mother and Calvin. (There is a predictable, but still shaking moment when Rose simply says: "Goodbye mother" which infers that they will probably never see each other again.)

Moving on, we are permitted sympathy for even characters we never met as they face their probably inevitable death. Their different ways of facing it are interesting. (Story telling, playing music, simply waiting, or in one case having a brandy.)

Most of you probably already know the personal tragedy Rose faces. But moving back to present, it is interesting how the Bill Paxton character suddenly realizes that there is more to life than ourselves. Overall, it's a phenomenal romance (in a historical setting) that reminds us not only of the true horror of people dying, but that there is more to life than our own existence.