Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Titanic 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

A classic film earns a stunning 3D conversion.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 4, 2012

I'm the king of the world!

Take a moment and reflect on James Cameron's directorial career. It's startling that, amongst his "major" blockbuster motion picture releases, the fantastic True Lies and the breathtaking The Abyss are probably his least well-known movies. Wow. The director of The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Aliens has certainly found that sweet spot that walks the fine line between "blockbuster" and "great movie." While the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive, the two together are a bit harder to come by than one might imagine and usually only attached to the names of the upper-echelon directors, like Steven Spielberg. And that's only half the story. Cameron's also written each and every one of those blockbusters, accomplishing with every major motion picture on which he's worked what George Lucas did with four of the six Star Wars films (and most fans would agree that many, if not all, of Cameron's films top the "prequel" trilogy). But the best was yet to come. In 1997, Cameron released the massive, sweeping, true-to-every-sense-of-the-term "epic" Titanic, a dazzling three-plus-hour masterpiece that encompasses nearly every major movie element -- romance, drama, action -- and blends them in uncannily perfect harmony, the end result an eleven-time Oscar winner and, until recently, the highest-grossing film of all time. Oh, and credit Cameron for that "until recently," too. What a career, and what a movie Titanic was and continues to be, now with a Blu-ray release sure to dazzle longtime fans of the film, casual viewers, and newcomers alike.

Sailing towards history.

God Himself could not sink this ship.

A group of treasure hunters has descended to the watery grave of the RMS Titanic, the "unsinkable" cruise liner that sunk on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City on April 15, 1912, killing 1,502 persons. The wreckage is home to a rich history simply waiting to be unburied from nearly one hundred years at the bottom of the Atlantic. But expedition leader Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton, Apollo 13) isn't interested in historical records or trinkets or more fully completing the puzzle that is the sinking of the Titanic. He's instead after the fabled "Heart of the Ocean" necklace, a priceless piece of history said to once be the property French King Louis XVI. Legend has it that the heart-shaped diamond went down with the ship, that it was purchased by the son of a Pittsburgh steel tycoon and meant as a luxurious gift for his bride-to-be. Lovett's expedition is headline news around the world. Titanic frenzy is all the rage, and Lovett appears on talk television to discuss his latest find, the safe believed to once house the necklace and inside of which the crew discovered not their prize but rather a clue: a drawing of a beautiful young woman, posing naked save for the "Heart of the Ocean" dangling from her neck. The story piques the interest of an aged Rose Dawson Calvert (Gloria Stuart) who contacts Lovett and claims to be the woman in the drawing. She's flown to the expedition site and recounts her tale of romance, self-discovery, and survival aboard the ill-fated luxury liner.

From this minute, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder.

In April of 1912, a beautiful young woman named Rose (Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road) boards the RMS Titanic with her fiancé Cal Hockley (Billy Zane, Orlando), son of a Pittsburgh steel tycoon and heir to a vast fortune. They are returning to America where the couple is to be married, much to the approval of Rose's traditional mother Ruth (Frances Fisher, Unforgiven). Despite Cal's vast fortune, the promise of great wealth, an easy life for her and her mother, and the gift of a marvelous gem known as the "Heart of the Ocean," Rose is displeased with her life and the prospect of a long, tedious, and controlled marriage to a man she does not -- and cannot -- truly love. When she chooses to end it all by flinging herself from the rear of the ship and into the freezing Atlantic Ocean, she's talked down by a handsome and kindly young man from steerage named Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio, Shutter Island), an artistically inclined nomad who won his tickets in a game of poker minutes prior to the Titanic's departure. The two form an instant bond and recognize a spark between themselves, an unmistakable chemistry and an unbreakable connection that knows not wealth, privilege, background, or future prospects. Jack is "rewarded" for saving Rose's life with an invitation to a first-class dinner with, amongst others, Rose, Ruth, Cal, his entourage, and the Titanic's kindly designer, Thomas Andrews (Victor Garber, The Entitled). Rose grows to admire Jack's sense of freedom, his charisma, charm, carefree attitude, and self-worth despite meager origins and a largely aimless life. Cal despises him for his background, poor upbringing, and financial instability. Slowly but surely, Rose and Jack's bodies and souls draw closer together, igniting a whirlwind love affair born of the heart yet also born on the eve of one of the great disasters in human history.

Outwardly, I was everything a well-brought-up girl should be. Inside, I was screaming.

At its most basic, Titanic seems like a film shaped by contrasts, of wealth and poverty and upper decks and lower decks and the bridge and the boiler room and steel and ice and sinkable ships and notions of unsinkable ships. But it's also a tale of man's ability -- should he so choose -- to overlook differences and find something deeper inside, to ignore convention and follow the heart rather than the pocketbook or the book of life that demands one thing when the heart requires another. For Rose, it matters not the clothes on the back, the name on the checkbook, the sum in the bank account, the title on the document, or the accommodations on the ship. For Jack, the contrasts are merely obstacles to overcome in his pursuit of Rose, and truly, contrast is only the clothes on the back and the cut of the hair; Cal fails to recognize Jack in tuxedo, seeing only the suit rather than the man inside of it, reflecting his concern for and preoccupation with the superficial and the artificial rather than that which truly makes a man a man. On the other side, Rose discovers the man behind the lesser clothes and "substandard" accommodations, discovering a genuine heart, a real talent, and an honest love where high society tells her such things cannot exist. Jack sees in Rose a human being yearning to stretch her limits and live the life she wants, while Cal sees only a possession, a living and breathing jewel meant to be a decoration on his arm rather than a loving, soul-matched companion in his heart. All of the contrasts -- structural, dramatic, thematic, personal -- in the movie could not be more obvious. The end message seems to be that, no matter where life leads, the ups and downs and good times and disasters together cannot break apart true love, that sincere renouncement of society's manufactured contrasts and taboo borders, that relishing of the moment and the memories and experiences of all of life's joys even built from a fleeting moment before the world literally crumbles and floods and freezes all around.

Titanic was called the ship of dreams. And it was. It really was.

The Jack and Rose romance highlights the movie even beyond the technical achievements and the film's uncanny ability to totally absorb the audience into both the modern story and detailed history of Titanic; more on those in a moment. The romance develops beautifully and steadily, with a sense of authenticity even through those contrasts which superficially shape the film but are tossed aside to give it its purpose and particularly its heart, both in a literal and a figurative sense. DiCaprio and Winslet share a remarkable chemistry that's a product of more than words on a page but a true, honest sense of togetherness even from the first glance and dialogue exchange, felt immediately through the social boundaries and despite the forbidden contact of merely occupying the same space, let alone a stare or a touch or whatever may come as the relationship blossoms. The characters cannot ignore society's boundaries -- Rose in particular -- yet neither can deny the sense of fate and the immediate connection shared between them as they seem to instantly envision a destiny, as they see beyond the past and the troubles of the present and into a future made of togetherness and true love molded into their own hearts and not into society's prefabricated one-size-does-not-fit-all box. The relationship is as agreeable as it believable; audiences want to see them together, not only briefly on the ship but for their love to grow so strongly that it can defeat the vessel's obstacles so the two may live happily ever after. But so strong is the connection that "happily ever after" isn't about old age and sheer time together but the experience of an unbreakable, everlasting love that can withstand ice, chilled water, broken ships, even death itself, a love that quickly reaches the cosmic zenith of the emotion yet finds its demise in the physical realm with an equally quick drop. It's the truest love in one of the most heartfelt yet heartbreaking romances ever displayed on the cinema screen, and no matter its meteoric ascent and rapid decent, hearts this close, this true, this meant for one another will always go on, as the song suggests.

You could almost pass for a gentleman!

Titanic's performances are nearly as flawless as the romance. Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack can be a touch stiff in places, with a few scenes coming across so clumsily that it feels like one of those old rock-and-hard-place problems where he's trying so hard not to act that he can't shake the feel that he is acting. Fortunately, such occurrences are only outliers to a fairly solid, often seamless performance that hints at his more grounded, deeper performances to come. Leo works very well with his eyes, conveying a genuine sense of spirit and love -- not lust -- towards Rose, most evident as he draws her wearing nothing but the necklace. Kate Winslet's effort is on par with DiCaprio's, though there's more of an inner struggle and complexity at work as she sorts through not whether she wants to be with Jack -- there's no question about that -- but whether she can be with Jack. The character arc is not defined by situations but rather a strong, honest sense of self-discovery that's unearthed both by the influences of Cal's overbearing ways and Jack's carefree charisma. Winslet enriches Rose with genuine emotions that extend beyond love and into something far beyond the common definition of the word, and it's that soulful, genuine bond she develops that carries the movie on through to conclusion and extends to the elder Rose at the end of the film and for Titanic's most story- and character-defining scene. The film is dotted with excellent work from Kathy Bates (Misery) as the famed "unsinkable" Molly Brown, Frances Fisher as Rose's hardheaded mother, and Victor Garber as the affable and humble ship designer, yet it's Billy Zane in the "villain" role who shines brightest. Zane's so immersed in character, so tied to the clothes and the riches and the empty-eyed stare into the gold-plated chasm that is his life that he becomes one of the finest villains in recent memory and one of the easiest characters to root against. His charisma becomes jealousy and the jealousy becomes a greater need for overwhelming control which finally yields an uncontrollable rage as the character is brought to full fruition with as seamless a cadence as that of the budding romance between Jack and Rose. His descent into madness but also his steadfastness in his nearly unbreakable sense of self-worth and stubborn insistence on winning -- or spinning a win -- at any costs shapes the film's best character and its finest performance.

It has been a privilege playing with you tonight.

Not overshadowing but certainly hanging over the romance is the pending tragedy that will sink the ship and stress the newly formed relationship and recently broken engagement both to their limits. The plot turning point that is the sinking is no mystery yet it comes tragically and slowly and, as the movie's been so absorbing, still almost unexpectedly in the greater context of the plot and the film's dramatic rhythm shaped by interpersonal relationships. Perhaps Titanic's greatest marvel is its ability to make a moment everyone in the audience knows is coming so psychologically intense, emotionally painful, and dramatically involved. The lead-up to the crash and the events immediately following the ship's collision with the iceberg are crafted with a simple intensity, underscored by a steady, even, and reserved musical rhythm that jolts the audience into a sense of dread, not yet despair or hopelessness, but a constant, underlying fear of what's to come. The crew's quiet anxiousness is countered by some of the passengers' nonchalant reaction to the collision as they use chunks of ice as soccer balls and hang over the side rails to marvel at the woulds suffered by the mighty vessel, caused by nothing other than the surface on which it rides only reformed and hardened and fatefully floating in its path. What follows is an eerie foreknowledge of doom and a sense of hopelessness that yields unimaginable choices, and, in the end, panic that Director James Cameron seems to extend into the theater, pulling the audience onto the ship and, in its final moments, having them dangle from its end, gripping tightly and fearful of falling and being pulled into and under the frigid waters that will be a liquid tomb for far too many souls. Watching the film from theater's safety, knowing what is to come, and understanding that it's fact reshaped as fiction cannot desensitize the audience to the tragedy or break their connection to the romance that's transformed in an instant from a playful interlude of match-made souls to a struggle for survival against man, fallible manmade objects, and nature herself. The tragedy extends to the characters, to the realization of what's happening and what's to come, to the somber undercurrent of the ship's band's upbeat notes and the sense of loss of love in life but the hope that it will live forever in the hearts and souls of the characters who found one another and, thereby, found themselves in the shadow of tragic destiny. From afar, it's a surreal experience to watch it all unfold. From within, let nobody else ever know.

She's the largest moving object ever made by the hand of man in all history.

Cameron's Titanic is a mesmerizing masterpiece of historical recreation, of the ship on a bustling dock preparing to sail, of its majesty cruising the Atlantic waters, of the slow demise of the unsinkable ship, of the rise of the waters and the sinking of the iron and steel. From the film's opening shots to the culmination of Jack and Rose's passion is one of cinema's finest love stories, and from the moment of the collision to the ship's last taste of air is perhaps cinema's most frenzied, intense, prolonged, and beautifully crafted string of events. Titanic is truly a marvel of modern filmmaking, a grand, spellbinding, and nearly seamless recreation not of an object but of a history. It's derived from painstaking research, perfected cinema technique, digital excellence, and picture-perfect model work. The movie mesmerizes from the very beginning as Lovett's vessel approaches the wreckage and he offers his corny but accurate monologue about the scope and importance of the mission as well as the historical significance of the Titanic itself. The movie perfectly displays the haunting image of the ship in its final resting place, a watery still-life depiction of the chilling final moment of its existence and then the sudden unrest of its settled remnants, swept-up and robotically overturned debris interrupted from its slow reversion back to nature. The movie never lets go from there. It's one of the most absorbing spectacles ever created, and it's the dedication to perfection that makes Titanic complete. From the model makers to the digital artists, from the costume designers to the set decorators, from the actors to the director, from the cinematographer to the composer, this is a rare movie where everything is just right, where everything feels right, a movie in which every last little detail comes together with such precision that even "seamless" is too weak a word to describe how all-encompassing it truly is. Few movies achieve that level of greatness -- 1977's Star Wars comes to mind -- which places Titanic in rare company indeed. Even if one views the story as overplayed, the film as overhyped, the romance as overly trite, or the entire thing simply tired, one cannot help but marvel at sheer scope and technical perfection that plays out on the screen in what is a deserving classic and certainly one of the top handful of movies ever made.

Titanic 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Titanic is undoubtedly one of the most visually astounding pictures ever made in its natural 2D form. It's astonishing to behold, and the Blu-ray is one of the finest ever released in terms of raw picture quality and ability to convey the film's visual wonders and emotional depth. To take the film and alter it might be anathema to purists, akin to George Lucas tinkering with Star Wars. Director James Cameron, however, isn't one to do something halfheartedly or merely "cash in" on a craze by lazily releasing a rushed conversion job to pull in a few suckers with 3D glasses and a handful of dollars to blow. He recognized his film's potential for a painstaking 3D conversion, for a bigger, perhaps even better, Titanic, a conversion meant to be a means of truly conveying the film's scope and the ship's size in a way that a flat, two-dimensional image simply cannot. The visionary director was dead-on in his assessment, and conversion house Stereo D has done what many might before now have deemed the impossible: crafting a 3D Titanic that looks like it was originally filmed in 3D. This is a truly remarkable, breathtaking visual experience. It's a pure 3D image that rivals the finest around; even Cameron's own Avatar isn't significantly better than Titanic in terms of the quality of the Blu-ray 3D imagery. For the 3D presentation, Cameron has opened up the Super 35 film, which allows more information on the top and bottom of the screen without losing all that much on the sides, controversial perhaps but in Cameron's estimation the proper move for the 3D image and the best solution to showcase the biggest, most immersive viewing experience possible. Paramount's 3D Blu-ray release of Titanic presents the film at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and smartly splits the lengthy film over two discs to ensure the highest possible picture quality.

To get to the good stuff first: Titanic's Blu-ray 3D presentation is nothing short of spectacular. The film truly looks as if it were photographed in 3D, and it fares better -- significantly, in some cases -- than many native 3D images and certainly bests any conversion to date, with maybe Alice in Wonderland a distant second. The image is defined entirely by its true, constant, and focused sense of natural depth, length, width, and size. There are no deliberate "gimmick" or "trick" shots -- nor would one expect there to be -- but only a beautiful, sprawling, all-too-convincing third dimension that really does, in many ways, enhance the movie at least in terms of further emphasizing the ship's size, the complexity of the sinking, and the picture's own general technical attributes and marvels. The picture begins with a breathtaking 3D Paramount logo; stars swoop about the screen from back to front, slide on water's surface towards the Paramount mountain, and encircle the famous peak. The text hovers over the screen and the purple colors behind are so deep and true that just that moment could sell plenty of 3D units. But the real test is yet to come, and Cameron's 3D Titanic passes with flying colors even in the murky Atlantic bottom as the submersibles maneuver towards the Titanic with a genuine sense of space and depth, where bubbles pass in front and, even for their small size, make a big visual impact in defining the scope and distance of the shots. Inside the vessel, the cramped space is amazingly framed in 3D, giving off a true sense of confinement that's simply not evident in the 2D version. Rose's helicopter arrival yields a wondrous sense of space between the aircraft, the surface below, and the ship in the distance. All the unearthed materials are beautifully shapely, from the mud on the drawing to the most subtle little touches on her 84-years-buried hairpiece and mirror.

It's when the action shifts to 1912, however, that the image really puts on a show. The bustling docks spring to life like never before as the crowds of people take on a very real, evident shape even as they're packed together and hurriedly moving about. Rose's reveal is defined by the shape of her hat, which transforms from flat 2D to a beautifully voluminous object in 3D. Of course, the splendor of the ship is striking. Its length and width and promise of power are conveyed perfectly in 3D. Whether at the docks, out at sea, or while meeting its tragic fate, the scope of the entire thing will amaze audiences no matter its place or condition in the movie. The interiors prove just as impressive, if not more so. The size of the engine room and the heavy-duty machinery churning up and down is captured in 3D with a sense of size and rhythm that simply cannot be experienced in two dimensions. The ship's signature staircase appears so lifelike as it sprawls before the audience that it's almost impossible not to feel a slight dizziness at the realism but also to feel immediately transported into the movie and to a point where it's hard to resist the urge to reach out and run one's hand over the slick wood and feel the carpet underfoot. Hallways are remarkably expansive and deep, and in later scenes as water rushes through them, the sense of terror and impending doom are significantly enhanced. Outside, in several shots where the camera looks down at the water from the upper decks, the sense of distance is evident, and no longer does Titanic's deck just look like wooden planks floating on water but truly a surface quite a ways above water level. There are some minor but nonetheless impressive visuals to behold, such as splashes of water jumping up towards the camera after Cal fires a bullet into accumulating liquid. The image is otherwise almost entirely one of scope and scale and depth. The 3D review equipment (Panasonic Plasma/Sony 3D player) yielded only insignificant and very infrequent crosstalk. It's a masterwork conversion and, daresay, reason enough to make the plunge into 3D.

Fortunately, Titanic doesn't lose much of its 2D splendor on the way to an added dimension. As noted, the 2D Blu-ray is an astonishing presentation, and the 3D version is as well, though it's perhaps not quite as brilliant and consistent. There's still some insignificant light banding in some of the underwater shots and blacks remain a touch bright out on the lifeboats in the final act. The image loses a hint of its vibrancy in 3D, the colors lack that last little bit of pop, and some details can't push across to the finish line with the same complexity and seamlessness as the 2D version. But that's not to say this looks in any way bad. It's only that the 2D image sets the bar so high that anything less is, well, just a little less, which is the case here. Rose's purple hat isn't quite as eye-popping. The ship's warm woods aren't quite so intricately textured. Facial details in bright sunlight aren't quite as fine and infinitely complex. Still, it's an amazing image, from the orange sparks shooting across the screen as the safe is cut open early in the movie to the beautifully bright blue Atlantic waters, from the finer details on the captain's hat to the splendor of the necklace, this remains a knockout of a transfer. Combine it with the awe-inspiring 3D elements and it's easily one of the absolute best all-around images on Blu-ray. Fortunately, the movie is so good and both Blu-ray presentations so marvelous it's easy to watch the movie twice in close proximity; just allow the eyes time to recover from the flow of tears that will come with each viewing.

Note: all screenshots are from the 2D-only version of the film and do not represent the 3D presentation's aspect ratio.

Titanic 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Titanic's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is a match for the video and one of the finest high definition audio presentations on the market today. The track handles its wide range of sound elements with equal precision and grace, whether light ambience such as a churning hard drive heard during a scene in which Rose watches a digital recreation of the sinking in chapter seven or rushing waters tearing through the ship's lower decks as the vessel meets its doom. There are a few moments when the track seems to leave a little behind, such as on the docks before ship's departure; the din of the hustle and bustle doesn't quite stretch so far into the background so as to completely immerse the listening audience into the moment and practically place them in the location, but the effect is nonetheless a very good one. However, the majority of the track makes full use of the entire stage. A helicopter slices through the soundstage with startling efficiency and power as it brings Rose to the modern-day ship. In 1912, the sense of sheer power -- heard and felt -- as the ship shoves off and gets underway will dazzle. The raw strength as it pushes through water, moves from side to side, and powers through the Atlantic will leave listeners breathless. Counter that with the heavy churns of what are literally well-oiled machines down in the engine room and the steamy heat of the boiler room and audiences get a full sonic sense of the entire spectrum of the ship in motion. Music is balanced and naturally smooth. Whether James Horner's (Glory) epic score, live party music below decks, or the band's music that famously plays on as the ship sinks, every note enjoys crystal-clear clarity as they effortlessly float into the listening area. The track injects pleasant above deck ambience, gently inserting light winds and rolling waters to capture the sonic essence of being aboard the ship.

However, the track is defined by the second half's more energized effects. The scrapes and cracks heard during the collision penetrate the soundstage with frightening accuracy. Sloshing water; wet footsteps; and later, rushing waters exploding through the corridors -- shattering glass and sweeping away passengers -- play with startling volume, energy, and precision. Those rushing waters represent one of the best yet most terrifying sound effects ever heard on Blu-ray, and such elements all but saturate the soundstage and displace the listener and the equipment. Outside, the din of frightened passengers, the creaky sound of the lifeboats being lowered via a system of pulleys, the distant chaos from inside the ship, and the band's music altogether truly pull listeners into the chilled Atlantic night. A few scattered gunshots ring out with efficient power and presence. Dialogue plays evenly and smoothly from the center channel, never lost under music, ambient effects, or heavy sound elements. This is an extraordinary, totally immersive and genuine soundtrack that effortlessly transports listeners into the world of burgeoning romance and, later, the chaos of Titanic's final moments.

Titanic 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Titanic's supplemental collection is nearly as massive as the famed ship. OK, not really, but in the grand scheme of the Blu-ray universe, this is a real knockout of a collection, a thorough and impressive yet somewhat daunting array of material that will keep fans busy for hours, if not days, on end. Highlights include a trio of audio commentary tracks, two documentaries, deleted scenes, thirty-one behind-the-scenes featurettes, galleries, trailers, TV spots, the Celine Dion music video, and plenty more. The 3D package foregoes the two-disc DVD version in favor of the two-disc Blu-ray 3D version. All supplements are included on the "special features" disc, save for the three commentary tracks which may be found on the 2D-only disc. No extra bonus content is included on the 3D discs. This release does retain the downloadable digital copy voucher.

Disc One:

• Audio Commentary: James Cameron (from 2005). Though not necessarily a fan of audio commentary tracks, Cameron speaks on the film for the benefit of its many fans. He begins the track with discussions of the opening titles and the making of the underwater footage, which includes both simulated and real images. He follows by speaking on the picture's themes, the cast, the exhaustive research and attention to detail present in the film, minor inaccuracies, real Titanic history and the remaining mysteries surrounding the sinking, the massive digital effects, the picture's sets, and plenty more. There are also a wide array of anecdotes, minor insights that really fill in some of the small and ultra-specifics secrets from the making of the movie. His track is fast-paced, very thorough, quite informative, and a pleasure to hear. This is a must-listen commentary track.
• Audio Commentary: Cast and Crew (from 2005). Executive Producer Rae Sanchini, Producer John Landau, Deep Dive Technology Coordinator Ralph White, Second Unit Director Steve Quale, Actor Bill Paxton, First Assistant Director Josh McLaglen, Re-Recording Mixer Gary Rydstrom, Art Director Martin Laing, Camera Operator/Steadicam Jimmy Muro, Actress Gloria Stuart, Actor Lewis Abernathy, Actress Kate Winslet, Actress Frances Fisher, Costume Designer Deborah Scott, 4-Ward/VFX Supervisor Robert Skotak, Actor Danny Nucci, Composer James Horner, Music Editor Joe Rand, Director of Photography Russell Carpenter, Actor Jonathan Hyde, Actor Jason Barry, Actor Billy Zane, Actress Kathy Bates, Production Designer Peter Lamont, Actor Victor Garber, Actor Bernard Hill, Etiquette Coach Lynne Hockney, Unit Production Manager Kevin De La Noy, Digital Domain-VFX Supervisor Rob Legato, Sound Designer/Re-Recording Mixer Christopher Boyes, Stunt Coordinator Simon Crane, Actress Jeanette Goldstein, Actor Ioan Gruffudd, Core Extra Ellen Mower, Core Extra Judy Prestininzi, and Actress Suzy Amis all contribute in some manner and usually specific to their area of expertise or role in the film. Though most have been recorded individually and the track has been edited together after the fact, it's a smooth, easy, and captivating listen that covers pretty much everything there is to discuss about the film. Music, sound effects, destroying the ship, plot points, themes, digital effects, the cast, and even the story behind the Celine Dion song shape this commentary. It flows very well and fans owe it to themselves to experience this fantastic track.
• Audio Commentary: Historians Don Lynch and Ken Marschall (from 2005). The Historians open with a detailed recount of the underwater sequence that's as knowledgable and technical as anything found in the previous two tracks. Before the film's transition to 1912, they speak on their connection with Titanic survivors, the plot, cast performances, the film's structure, and more. As the action shifts to the past, the historians fall into their element, beginning with a conveyance of their pleasure with the first appearance of the 1912 Titanic. They speak on costume accuracy, set details, prop specifics, the general history of the ship and the time of its one and only departure, filmmaking techniques, digital and model work, survivor tales, and plenty more. By this time, and if the tracks have been heard in the order listed, some of the information will understandably be repeated. Still, there's plenty of revealing and interesting insights unique to this track. This is another fascinating commentary, very well spoken and a must for any film fan or person interested in the real history of the Titanic.

Disc Two:

Documentaries:

• Reflections on TITANIC (1080i, 1:03:47): An enthralling and fast-paced four-part feature that covers the making of one of the last major Hollywood epics. Cast and crew speak on setting the sinking of the ship against a classic romance. The feature also examines casting and the young couple headlining the film, DiCaprio's and Winslet's on-set friendship and their differing acting styles, the expansive sets and filming locations, the authenticity of the recreated ship, James Cameron's work and dedication, and budgeting. The piece also examines the media scrutiny surrounding the film and the massive pre-film buzz, pushing the release date from July 1997 to December 1997, cutting the film together, a Mall of America pre-release surprise test screening, the trailer's release, the Japanese premiere, the cast's reaction to seeing the final cut for the first time, critical reaction to the film, and the picture's box office returns. The piece also extensively covers worldwide enthusiasm for the film, Leonardo DiCaprio's sudden surge in popularity, the film's themes and audience reaction to its layers, James Horner's score and the impact of Celine Dion's song, the picture's legacy, and Titanic's place in popular culture. Next, there's a look back at the picture's award nominations and wins, Cameron's "king of the world" Oscar comment, fan backlash after Titanic fever finally settled down, the rise in interest and intrigue in the real Titanic spurred on by the film, the picture's influence today, and Cameron's work after the film. Finally, this documentary ends with a look at the restoration and 3D conversion and the film's 3D premiere. Of all the bonus features new and old in this set, this is the single finest of the bunch. The supplement is constructed of older behind-the-scenes footage, framed at 1.33:1, and new interview clips, presented in 1.78:1 high definition.
• TITANIC: The Final Word with James Cameron (1080i, 1:36:16): James Cameron and a collection of eight experts discuss what really happened to the RMS Titanic. The team includes Artist and Visual Historian Ken Marschall, RMS Titanic Inc.'s Director of Underwater Operations PH Nargeolet, RMS Titanic Inc.'s Director of Research Bill Sauder, Naval Systems Engineer Mark Stephenson, the Titanic Historical Society's Chief Historian Don Lynch, W.H.O.I.'s Director of Special Projects David Gallo, Naval Architect Commander Jeffrey Stettler, and Naval Architect and Salvage Engineer Brian Thomas. The feature plays out like a captivating roundtable forensic examination, as evidence is introduced and debated, approved, or discarded. Dive footage, survivor testimony, cutting-edge digital recreations, and more serve as clues to piece together the final word, the true story behind the famous sinking. It's technical and very detailed yet very accessible and quite the entertaining piece.

Deleted Scenes:

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p, 57:32): James Cameron Introduction, 'I'll Be the First,' Rose Feels Trapped, Brock's Dilemma/Rose Visits Third Class, Rose's Dreams, 'Come Josephine...,' Extended Sneaking to First Class, Extended Escape from Lovejoy, A Kiss in the Boiler Room, Wireless Room/The Californian, 'How 'Bout a Little Ice?,' Flirting with Ice, The First 'S.O.S.,' Ismay Panics, Molly Brown's Rowing School, Irish Hospitality, Ida Straus Won't Leave, Farewell to Helga, Boat Six Won't Return, Release the Hounds, A Husband's Letter, Jack and Lovejoy Fight, Guggenheim and Astor, 'I'm Not Going,' Cora's Fate, Extended Jack and Rose in the Water, 'Out of the Question,' 'How Dare You!,' Chinese Man Rescue, Extended Carpathia Sequence, and Alternate Ending. With optional James Cameron commentary.

Production:

• Behind the Scenes (480p):


• Deep Dive (1:05): Cameron discusses practice model work utilized to ensure a better finished deep dive sequence.
• Upside Down Wreck Miniature (1:07): Further information on the miniature work used in making the opening scenes and the rationale behind filming the models upside down.
• Escondido Underwater Set (1:08): The construction of portions of a life-sized recreation of the sunken vessel.
• Two Roses (1:08): Gloria Stuart discusses getting to know Kate Winslet, while Winslet praises Stuart's work, life, and their time together.
• Sinking Simulation (0:54): The purpose behind showing a digital recreation of the ship's sinking early in the movie.
• 1912 Morph Transition VFX (1:04): The process of making the morph from the sunken ship as it was in 1997 to a shot of the vessel afloat in 1912.
• Southampton Flop (1:24): The complex process of recreating a scene being necessarily filmed backwards.
• View from the Pub VFX (0:53): Digitally recreating the ship and dock as seen from the pub in which Jack wins his tickets.
• Leaving Port VFX (0:46): Another glimpse into a digital shot, this one covering the ship's departure from Southampton.
• Melting Pot (0:57): Historian Don Lynch and others discuss the diverse collection of extras as seen in the film, which reflects the historically accurate manifest.
• The Millionaire's Suite (1:06): Lynch and others speak on the contrast between the ship's different accommodations.
• The Engine Room (1:22): A brief but detailed look at the making and photographing of the ship's engine room.
• Titanic at Sea (0:58): Making the flyby shots of the ship out at sea.
• Digital People (0:55): Using motion capture to aid in the creation of digital characters for the ship.
• The Million Dollar Shot (2:17): Making the "King of the World!" shot.
• The Big Exterior Ship Set (1:00): Building a nearly accurate-sized Titanic.
• Rose Suicide (1:15): Behind-the-scenes of the making of this crucial scene.
• Big Ship Set VFX (0:37): Making use of models, small video cameras, and digital effects to envision shots.
• Tux Story (0:55): A look at the scene in which Molly Brown lends a tuxedo to Jack Dawson.
• The Grand Staircase (1:07): Constructing one of the film's centerpiece sets.
• Costume Design (1:03): A short look at the importance of using authentic costumes.
• First Class Dining Shot (1:08): Building an accurate reproduction of the ship's large dining area, including the use of authentic carpeting and silverware.
• The Dinner Shoot (0:56): The arduous process of shooting the complex dinner scene.
• Third Class Party (1:16): Winslet discusses making this scene, intercut with behind-the-scenes footage of scene rehearsals.
• A Woman's Place (1:23): A discussion of the history of women's period clothes and the place of young women in the era of Titanic.
• The Etiquette Kid (1:26): "Tea Room Girl" Ellie Bensinger and Etiquette Coach Lynne Hockney star in a brief dinner table mother-daughter etiquette demonstration.
• The Boiler Room (0:50): Tricks of the trade in the making of the boiler room scenes, including the use of mirrors to give the illusion of a larger set.
• Flooding Hold Miniature (0:28): Making one of the more challenging flooding/destruction scenes.
• Iceberg/Deck VFX (1:02): The multilayered process of creating the crash effect as it's seen from the top of the deck.
• Boiler Room Flooding (0:42): Shooting one of the film's critical scenes.
• First Class Lounge Miniature (0:44): Making this room at 1/4 scale and filming full-size against a green screen.



• Construction Timelapse (480p, 4:20): A quick look at the making of the ship, doing "in 100 days with 500 workers what it took 14,000 men over three years to accomplish...sort of." With optional Ed Marsh commentary.
• Deep Dive Presentation Narrated by James Cameron (480p, 15:30): A tour of the wreckage of the Titanic and shooting it with a 35mm camera. Cameron discusses his passion for exploring shipwrecks, the value of the expedition to the film, the process of shooting underwater, taking the robotics inside the ship, and the images the cameras capture.
• $200,000,001: A Ship's Odyssey (The TITANIC Crew Video) (480p, 17:52): A humorous, extended montage of behind-the-scenes footage. In essence, a very long gag reel.
• Videomatics (480p):
  
  
  • Videomatics Introduction (1:08): An overview of the importance of pre-visualization and the process of making use of it for a film of this scope.
  • Sinking Sequence (1:27): A raw look at the final pre-visualization model work for and video recording of the final ship sinking sequence, which is highly reflective of the finished product, completed nearly two years later.
  • Deep Dive (0:51): Another behind-the-scenes look at the importance of pre-visualization, this time focusing on the detailed planning for photographing the deep dive shots with the greatest precision and efficiency possible.
• Visual Effects (480p):
• VFX Shot Breakdown: "Engine Room" (2:22): A collection of images and video clips that capture the process of creating the engine room visuals, including the use of miniatures and the importance of scale.
• VFX How-To For "I'm Flying" (1:41): More work with miniatures, digital effects, composites, and actors in the making of one of the film's signature scenes.
• VFX How-To For "First Class Lounge" (1:56): Another look at constructing the lounge in miniature and filming actors against a green screen.
• Titanic Sinking Simulation (2:03): A digital depiction of how and why the ship sunk following the iceberg collision and the taking on of water.

Archives:

• Music Video (480p, 4:46): "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion.
• Trailers (480p/1080p): Teaser Trailer: Concept Artwork (480p, 1:50), Theatrical Trailer 2 (1080p, 4:15), Theatrical Trailer 3 (1080p, 2:32), International Trailer (1080p, 1:06), 2012 Release Trailer (1080p, 2:11), and 2012 Release Trailer 3D (1080p 3D, 2:09).
• TV Spots (480p): Destiny (0:20) Opposite Worlds (0:34), Know the Legend (0:20), Nothing You Expect (0:35), Heart Will Go On (1:04), See it Again (0:19), and Honored (0:20).
• Still Galleries (1080p):


• 'Titanic' Scriptment by James Cameron: A reproduction of his script.
• Storyboard Sequences: Mir Sequence, Southampton Departure, Ode to Titanic, Pre-Collision Scenes, Iceberg Collision, Loading Lifeboats/Panic, Final Sinking Sequence, Aftermath and Rescue, and Final Shot.
• Production Artwork: Production Paintings by Tom Lay, Costume Design Art by David Le Vey, and Wreck Sketches by James Cameron.
• Photographs: Douglas Kirkland's Gallery, Billy Zane's Photography, Deep Dive, Escondido, Halifax, Rosarito, Model Shop, Russell Carpenter's Polaroid Trail, and Core Extras' Scrapbook.
• Ken Marschall's Painting Gallery: Artowrk which inspired Cameron's vision for the film. From the Madison Press Book "Titanic: An Illustrated History."
• Concept Posters and One Sheets: From both the 1997 and 2012 releases.


• Titanic Parodies: MTV's '1998 Movie Awards' Skit (480p, 4:37), 'Saturday Night Live' Skit (Air Date January 9, 1999) (480p, 4:50), and 'Titanic' in 30 Seconds (1080p, 0:51).
• Credits (2005).

Titanic 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Titanic is as complete as a movie can be, a beautifully crafted epic that dazzles with its pure cinema perfection -- technical, dramatic, and thematic -- in every single scene, enough to maybe even move some cinephiles to tears merely at the sight of its splendor, never mind the romance and the heartbreak and tragedy that hang over the first half and define the second. Perhaps the film suffers from overexposure -- the box office, the Leo craze, and the Celine Dion song being the key "culprits" -- but perhaps it's also a hair underrated, if the number-two box-office grosser and winner of eleven Oscars can be called such. Truly, this is a remarkable film in every single regard. Sit back and watch it for the craftsmanship if for nothing else and prepare to be startled all over again. It holds up remarkably well, not just dramatically but technically, too. And for those who haven't seen it in a while, maybe since the days of VHS or LaserDisc or even in 1997 cinemas, get ready to be dazzled watching it through more mature eyes, as a total masterpiece of filmmaking, almost like seeing it for the first time. This is a movie that has everything working for it and everything working for it in perfect harmony. There's nary a thread out of place, and it looks every penny its gargantuan budget. This is a real treat for the senses and an emotional roller coaster quite unlike anything else, a movie that will not only dazzle but move and inspire its audiences, too. The only problem? The movie almost demands to be experienced on the largest screen possible, and now with Paramount's first-class Blu-ray release, seeing it big is a breeze. The Blu-ray is positively stunning in every regard, as much a masterpiece as the movie. With great video -- including the superbly-constructed 3D image -- totally immersive sound, and enough supplements to fill a day or two, Titanic shoots towards the top of the heap of 2012 Blu-ray releases, and it also stands proudly, even from the bottom of the ocean, as one of the format's top overall releases yet. Titanic's Blu-ray 3D release earns my highest recommendation.