The New World - The Extended Cut Blu-ray Review

**The News Bot** · 30-09-2009, 11:25 PM

Reviewed by Cas Harlow, 1st October 2009
The New World is a breathtaking, emotional experience, a quintessential love story at its core, brought to live by the amazingly visual direction of acclaimed auteur Terrence Malick. Despite its cover, trailer and marketing, this movie is pure romance, enriched by a well-researched back-story of the first expeditions out to the Americas. Powerful and moving, it should not be dismissed as just another historical action epic, it is far more touching than that, and should be appreciated as such. Coming to us on Region Free US Blu-ray in its extended, nearly three-hour long form, it is arguably not quite as balanced as the original cut, although many will enjoy some of the smaller touches that have been added – even if the love triangle itself suffers slightly as a result of becoming prolonged. The video is amazing, perfect to suit such a visual movie, and the audio is excellent too, and with a comprehensive Documentary to round off the disc we have a must-have addition to anybody’s collection. Highly recommended, don’t be put off by the mis-marketing of the front cover and the trailer, this is a love story, pure and simple, and a marvellous, epic one at that. All time classic.
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Skyrider · 03-10-2009, 11:19 PM

In general I agree wholeheartedly with this review - the Blu-ray release is a worthy improvement on the previously released DVD version & well worth the cost of the HD version.

I might disagree slightly with this reviewer's comments regarding the extra content in the extended cut - to me the entire additional content is worthy of inclusion, encompassing for the most part more of Pocahontas face & spirituality as well as more of the boat trips upriver (reminds me of Apocalypse Now) & more nature shots.

IMHO anyone attracted by the romance & spirituality of the theatrical version is likely to enjoy the new content.