An Unforgettable Epic

Rating: 9/10 (12 May 2015)

Undoubtedly one of the greatest adventures of all time, an already great movie now even more spectacular in 3D. This whopper of a movie spans three hours of beautiful sets, incredible visuals and a stunning cast who deliver performances so strong that you immediately connect with their characters.
I'm not one for love stories or romantic dramas but Titanic is simply a must-see, as it's blend of love, adventure and loss is incredible, and James Cameron is a master in suspense building. A few friends of mine say that they skip the first hour and a bit and just go straight to the sinking part, I told them that's ridiculous, and the reason being is that you won't care about who dies or the outcome at the end, you have to watch the whole movie, it's a breathless adventure that will live on and be remembered as a classic. Everybody knows the story, but now it's been re-mastered in 3D and it's even more alive. The moment you see the Titanic the crowds look even bigger as they sprawl alongside the docks, cranes lift boxes which appear to lift off the screen and the sweeping shots that pan over the ship are just incredible. The depth throughout the movie is vast and jaw dropping to look at. All dialogue scenes boast incredible spacing between every little object from cups to candles, and I love the scene where Jack holds Rose over the edge of the Titanic and holds her arms out, you can almost touch them, this is the best 3D conversion to ever grace Blu-Ray. He nailed Avatar in 3D, Sanctum was a stunner in 3D and now James Cameron has done it again.
Then there's the climax, probably the most memorable and stunning climax in cinema history: The sinking of the Titanic. The scale here is mind blowing, as thousands of sailors and passengers flee in terror desperately trying to get on board the life boats, fighting for a space. I like how human nature and morals have been shown in this climax, how the crew leave the lower class people behind the shutters to drown which is saddening, and the greed and desperation of the upper class people fighting to get off the ship. The 3D here only heightens the terror, when passengers look over the sides the depth effects enable the viewer to tell just how far down the fall really is! The corridor scene where Rose and Jack try to flee is a marvel in 3D, don't get me wrong the 2D counterpart is spectacular still but the way the water seems to leak our your TV screen is frightening. This whole finale will have you on edge, once the ship itself tips and sinks the depth just goes into overdrive, look at the distance from where Rose hangs dangerously to beneath her. I will highly recommend this movie in 3D, if you are lucky enough to get your hands on the Blu-Ray like me then you are in for one hell of an experience.
I don't really cry at movies, it takes an awful to get me weeping, even in real life situations but Titanic is a master tearjerker. For the last hour I honestly balled my eyes out, the soundtrack and score is wonderful as that peaceful vocal echoes in nearly every key scene. The four violin players stay to play their final performance as the ship goes down. The Captain goes back to wheel to go down with his ship. An elderly couple lye in bed as the water floods in. A single mother reads a bedtime story to her kids as their side of the ship goes down. Once the ship goes down more sad sets in. The sound of Rose frantically trying to shout for help, and when she lets go of Jack the tears start flooding in. This climax is hard hitting, lump-in-throat inducing and one heck of an emotional payoff. It gets sweeter when Old Rose drops her necklace into the Ocean, and when young Rose names herself Rose Dawson. This is as best as I can describe the beauty of the end. This classic story has never felt more alive, a fantastic conversion and still one of the epic movies of our time.