Rosario Dawson Movie:

		List Price: $28.99		Label: Warner Home Video Salesrank: 44300 Released: September 18, 2007
		Our Price: $8.50
		Used Price: $6.00
		MPAA Rating: Unrated Media: HD DVD

Editorial Review:
Now available is an all new and completely unrated version of Oliver Stone's incredible epic film, loaded with nearly 40 minutes of additional never-before-seen footage, that takes the film to a new level of realism and intensity. Restructured and expanded into two acts with one intermission, Oliver Stone's vision is delivered the way he originally conceived and intended. With the new, unrated and graphic battle scenes and unadulterated sensuality, it's the movie you couldn't see in theatres, now available on DVD for the very first time!

DVD Features:
Introduction
Theatrical Trailer

Description of Alexander Revisited - The Final Cut [HD DVD]:

For better or worse (and in this case, it's mostly for better), Oliver Stone's Alexander Revisited should stand as the definitive version of Stone's much-maligned epic about the great Asian conqueror. Following the DVD release of his previous Director's Cut, Stone offers a video introduction here, explaining why he felt a third and final attempt at refining his film was necessary. Essentially, he's using this opportunity to re-create the "road show" format of the Biblical epics of the 1950s and '60s, with a three-and-a-half-hour running time (with an intermission at the two-hour mark) including 45 minutes of previously unseen footage. Stone has also significantly restructured the film, resulting in substantial (if not exactly redemptive) improvements in its narrative flow. Alexander (played in a torrent of emotions by Colin Farrell) is dying as the film opens, his final moments serving to bookend the film's epic story, which incorporates flashback sequences to flesh out the Macedonian king's back-story involving the turbulent battle of fate between his father, King Philip (Val Kilmer) and his scheming sorceress mother Olympia (Angelina Jolie, ridiculous accent and all), who insists that Alexander is literally a child of the gods.

In Stone's final cut, epic battles remain chaotic (although Alexander's strategy is somewhat easier to follow, with on-screen titles indicating left, right, and center during his army's greatest maneuvers) and the ultra-violent battles are more graphically gory than ever (hence their "unrated" status). The animalistic lovemaking of Alexander and his barbarian bride Roxana (Rosario Dawson) is slightly extended (with Dawson as ravishing as ever), and Stone's additional footage also improves the overall arc of Alexander's relationship with his closest generals and male companions, although his most intimate homosexual encounters remain mostly discreet. As Alexander Revisited makes clear, the film's weaknesses remain unavoidable, but Stone deserves credit for recognizing how a longer running time, and more disciplined narrative structure, would bring Alexander closer to the respect it never earned from critics and filmgoers alike. This is unquestionably a better film than it used to be, leaving us to wonder why it took three separate efforts to shape Alexander into its best possible presentation. --Jeff Shannon

Alexander Revisited - The Final Cut [HD DVD] Reviews:
Not as bad as awful as the critics claim, but could have been much beter
2009-12-05 - I never did understand how Oliver Stone came to direct Alexander, Revisited. Somebody like David McLean (Lawrence of Arabia) or Ridley Scott (Gladiator) seems more appropriate. Stone's vision of Alexander is an attempt at epic, but never quite reaches the grandeur of these other films.

First of all, the casting seems all wrong. The Hollywood cast isn't really a great fit for an epic film like [ASIN:B000UPGQIU Alexander]]. Colin Farrell (Alexander) is decent, but not great. At times, he cuts a less than commanding presence. Angelina Jolie overplayed her part as Alexander's mother Olympias. She comes across as psychotic (especially with the fake accent) rather than powerful. Anthony Hopkins' narration becomes intrusive and ruins the drama of parts of the film, rather than enhance it. Some of the best epic films, like Lawrence of Arabia) or Gladiator relied upon relative unknowns (Peter O'Toole and Russell Crowe, respectively), allowing the audience to accept them in the role of historical giants. Farrell and Jolie are too recognizable and don't fill the part.

Historically, the movie seems to buy into the whole mythology surrounding Alexander as a generous victor and advocate of liberty. The film starts with a historical inaccuracy - the notion that Darius' army at Issus had hundreds of thousands of men (in fact, the Persian army was probably around the same size as Alexander's). Also, in the movie Alexander's father is portrayed as a drunken fool, but in real life he was quite a king himself who probably would have conquered the Persian empire in his own right. For a good biography of Alexander that dispels some of the myths, check out Peter Green's Alexander of Macedon 356-323 B.C.: A Historical Biography. But in a lot of other respects, the film is somewhat accurate and many of the anecdotes (such as Alexander's taming his horse as a child). In short, the plot sticks fairly close to a realistic, if glorified, interpretation of Alexander's life.

Nonetheless, if you're interested in Alexander the Great or movies about the ancient world more generally, Alexander, Revisited - the expanded version of the film - isn't quite as bad as most critics allege. The revised version has more footage and is definitely an improvement over the theatrical version. But Alexander, Revisited probably isn't one you'll watch over many times.

Everyone must see this movie.
2009-09-21 - This 'Final Cut' version is a totally new movie and wonderful. Don't imagine first one. In this version, you can understand more clearly about Alexander's life and feeling.

Awful, awful, awful!
2009-08-14 - I had heard from several people several different opinions about this movie. I, therefore, went into the viewing of it with an open mind. I became bored in the first 1/2 hour. The script plods along in a seemingly mindless and pointless lack of direction. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse...it did. The lackluster battle scenes, the lack of a well-written story line, and the prurient inclusion of homo-erotic and attempted rapes are not a substitute for good writing, acting and directing. The story of the REAL Alexander is better served by NOT viewing this movie. The sheer length of the movie (nearly 3 hours) is ample time to get it right, but the movie fails to do so.

Overall, I cannot recommend this movie to anyone that wants to enjoy a good story of an incredible historical character. This movie is best left collecting dust on the shelf.

Colin Farrell as Alexander?
2009-08-04 - Oliver Stone thinks this movie tanked domestically because of the disapproval of American audiences to the depiction of Alexander's bisexuality. I say it's because Colin Farrell is 5'9" and has an Irish accent during the entire movie in his role as the Greek Alexander. And Angelina Jolie plays his mother who is obviously there for eye candy as she is the same age as Farrell and never ages during the movie. She also carries a Russian / German accent the entire time. I like Val Kilmer, but he couldn't be more monotone in this movie. He had a more versatile role as "Ice Man" in Top Gun.

My Favorite Historical Film!
2009-08-03 - This spectacular and visually stunning historical film by Director Oliver Stone concerning the life and exploits of the young Macedonian king has fast become my favorite DVD! I studied ancient history in graduate school (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) and, among other areas of study, specialized in Hellenistic history -- the period from Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) until the death of Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt in 31 B.C. Oliver Stone is extremely accurate in his depiction of the Macedonian conqueror and his times, having received extensive historical consultations from Dr. Robin Lane Fox, a professor of ancient history and Alexander specialist.

In fact, nearly every event in this film can be documented in the ancient sources, such as Arrian's Anabasis, Plutarch's Lives, and Diodorus Siculus's History. For dramatic purposes, however, some of the events have been compacted or rearranged, but nevertheless are accurate, including the implicit homosexual relations among the Macedonian and Greek ruling elite, which garnered so much controversy among reviewers of the Christian Right. The battle sequences in this film -- the Battles of Gaugamela (331 B.C.) and the Hydaspes (326 B.C.) -- are incredible! Again, Stone's overall accuracy makes these a delight to the devotee of ancient history.

Many non-historically-oriented viewers will undoubtedly find the film somewhat long, confusing, and even tedious. Nevertheless, the acting is superb, the action quick-paced, the film score by Vangelis haunting, and the scenery spectacular. Yes, there are even some steamy sex scenes -- many involving the buxom beauty Rosario Dawson -- for additional titillation. I give Alexander my highest possible rating and hope others may use this film as a portal to the ever fascinating world of ancient history!