Yavin

That's really odd about the product not being shrinkwrapped from Amazon. Is that only an Amazon.com thing? I'm wondering if the same thing will happen with Amazon.ca orders, since there is no note on the .ca page about the shrinkwrap.

Also, does anyone know about the release plans for this in Canada? I see HMV and Amazon.ca have listings for what seems to be the Canadian release on 04/13, but I'm not sure if this will actually be available in stores here on that date. If not, I'd need to order from Amazon.ca ...

jjcool

Most of the time blue ray is more money. Some titles they are the same price. Even fewer titles have the blue ray less than the dvd counterpart.

Solid Snake

Bought, the International Blu...can't wait to get it Friday.

beetyke

I ordered mine (the international cut) from cduniverse.com and it arrived shrink wrapped today.

movielib

It's in my gold box today. I can save a whole $1.27. I guess I'll get it. It sounds well worth it.

RocShemp

Some are getting copies that are shrinkwrapped via Amazon:

http://forum.blu-ray.com:80/blu-ray-...blu-ray-8.html

PerryD

My Blockbuster had several copies of Part I and Part II, which was a little surprising to me. I rented Part I with my online envelope.

RocShemp

For anyone still on the fence, here's the Blu-ray.com review: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Red-Cl...y-Review/8746/

RocShemp

My (shrinkwrapped) copy just arrived from Amazon.

Rypro 525

i was kinda hoping they would have the US version, just to see how much they chop out of it. Maybe redbox has it, as they did have Ong Bak 2 in stock

BuckNaked2k

My copy arrived today from BN.com. I wound up getting it for under $20 with membership, coupon, and Bing.

I really want to watch it in one sitting, but it's probably too late for tonight. Has anyone watched it in one sitting?

whotony

Post #51 last Sunday.

RocShemp

I did... sort of. I took a 15 to 20 minute break (I viewed it as an intermission) after I watched the first part.

The whole thing is great and truly epic. It's a great hybrid of Records of Three Kingdoms (the true story) and Romance of the Three Kingdoms (the more popular and heavily fictional account). Each part has it's own look and feel but also have a certain sense of uniformity. So they can be viewed as one large epic or two separate movies.

And each part breezes by without each feeling like a 140+ min. movie.

Rypro 525

^this, as i think toddly said in the international forum, i loved that it showed the full art of the stratagy of battle and war

LickTheABCs

I took a 7-minute pee and refill break in between parts 1 and 2.

The movie is truly an experience.

Superdaddy

It's pretty rare that a trailer alone will make me want to see a movie these days; usually I like to read about the film in a bit of detail as well. But I was watching another Magnolia BD title earlier this year, and the trailer for this came on at the beginning. I was instantly hooked and had to go online to find out about this film, which I had not heard of until then. I should add that although I know who Mr. Woo is, I have never watched any of his films. This looked like the kind of epic filmmaking that we get too rarely anymore, especially out of Hollywood. I had to see it.

Had amazon gift certs, so I ordered this last week and watched part I last night. Truly astounding. Amazon's review compares the battle sequences to those in The Lord of the Rings, but these may actually top them for sheer massive scale. To watch the armies swarm like ants across the battlefield, the galloping horses, the brutal bloodletting...these are things for which the term "terrible beauty" was coined.

The non-action sequences are just as compelling. Every set, every costume is meticulous in craftsmanship, the riot of color is eye-popping. From the first frame, this feels like China, 1800 years ago. You are there.

I know responses to the film have been somewhat mixed overall. Many argue the balance (or lack thereof) that Woo may have struck between the history and the fictionalized version of events. Well...this is a movie, it's entertainment. If anything, it has made me interested in knowing more about these battles, which in China are apparently as well-known as the battles of Gettysburg or Midway might be in the USA.

In the meantime, I am hoping to watch part II tonight. Can you tell I am anxious? I really have no desire to see the shortened version though.

Solid Snake

I've seen most of Part 1. I like it so far. It's a lot to take in. A lot of names to somewhat follow. I'm sure I'll remember them once I hit part 2. I mostly just know who to follow by knowing some of the actors. Specifically speaking on Leung and Kaneshiro. Everyone else...I can't remember there names but I liked their work. Also..yeah..those battles last a long time. I feel like I'm reading a myth, the imagination towards some of the characters and what not. I love that feeling.

Superdaddy

Yeah, this is one of the things I encountered while doing research about the movie--that you get hit with a lot of characters and names and it can be difficult to keep everything sorted out. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised that while watching the first part of the film, I found the basic plot and characters pretty simple to follow. I'm sure I didn't pick up every detail, but this is just my first time through. I know I'll be watching it again.

You are right about those long battle sequences; I can't begin to imagine how difficult it was for Woo and his crew to film them. I think I clocked the main battles in part I at between 15-20 minutes each, and there's a couple of them before the credits roll.

And I agree that the whole thing feels bigger than life, almost mythical as you say. The stuff of legend as only the movies can deliver it.

BuckNaked2k

I finished 'em both: excellent all-around.

I had to split it over two nights, as subtitles can be a bit fatiguing after 2 1/2 hours, and I didn't think I could make it through another 2 1/2. Maybe if I was a native Mandarin speaker....

BTW, the trailer at the beginning looks like we can expect another sweeping Chinese epic on home release later this year: Warlords

buckee1

Already available on region Free BD and a good film to boot!

Willh51

I watched it in one day but not one sitting. We went to get lunch in between.

Superdaddy

Okay, watched the second part last night. This is a magnificent film. The last 40 or so minutes have to be ranked as one of the greatest battle sequences I've ever seen on a screen. I just sat there in slack-jawed amazement the whole time. Congratulations to John Woo and cast on this labor of love.

I was intrigued by the Warlords trailer as well. I may have to check that out too.

RocShemp

I watched it in one sitting yesterday. It holds up well to repeat viewings and is so well paced that I couldn't believe almost 5 hours had passed.

bunkaroo

I just watched this over the weekend. The action sequences were great and I liked a lot of the character moments but I'm not really sure it became more than the sum of its parts for me. I did like the score too. Not sure if I'll ever devote 5 hours to it again but we'll see how my opinion changes over time.

It made me want to watch LOTR again though. Speaking of, every time I saw Zhuge Liang on screen I kept thinking he's like an Asian Orlando Bloom. Just seemed to have a lot of the facial stuff going on.

TheBang

I saw the 2.5 hour version in the theater and thought it was good, but not a must-own. Does the full 5 hour thing make it that much better?