Titanic miniseries is in stores on April 23rd. Courtesy of eOne Media
In 1997, James Cameron delivered the story of Titanic centred around a love story which turned into a worldwide phenomenon grossing $1.87 billion. Just the thought of making a miniseries about the tragic event must have been daunting, but director Jon Jones and writer Julian Fellows proved up to the task.
Rather than simply following one story, this miniseries follows a variety of people on the ship’s brief endeavour across the Atlantic Ocean. From a builder, to the maids and crew, all the way up to the upper-class, Titanic gives us perspective on the lives aboard the majestic ship.
Each of the four 40-minute installments gives insight into different stories, changing the focus with each episode. This works in some ways, but fails in others. The story seems to accelerate through the events in the first episode leaving you puzzled as to what will take place in the remaining episodes. This confusion momentarily takes you out of the drama; that is until the second episode begins and you realize what the rhythm and structure of the series is supposed to be.
The acting from the vast cast is top-notch, as are the stories and dialogue. Stand out performances among them are Peter McDonald, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Toby Jones, and Jenna-Louise Coleman.
Regardless of this folly, the production value is pretty high for this miniseries and it is transferred very nicely to DVD. The visuals and audio are of higher quality than your average television show – Almost reaching cinematic levels.
Special features have been handed out in spades on this DVD release. They include, Making-of Featurettes, Titanic: Behind-the-Production, The Curse of the Titanic Sisters Documentary, Photo Gallery, Time lapse Set Build, Character Profiles, and a Trailer.
Bottom Line: This is a must see for those interested in something beyond the Jack and Rose love story. You’ll be taken back and thrown into the lives of the tragically lost as well as the sorrowful survivors.
Runtime: 187 minutes plus bonus materials
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
