PATHFINDER Unrated Director's Cut/ Unrated Edition

DVD Review by David Blackwell

DETAILS: 106 minutes, audio commentary, 7 featurettes, 7 deleted scenes, concept trailer, original theatrical trailer, previews

STUDIO: 20th Century Fox/ Phoenix Pictures/ Dune Entertainment

RELEASE DATE: 7-31-2007

PATHFINDER is a film that I wished did beter at the box office. It was one of those that slipped past almost everyone and didn't get released wide enough. With DVD, PATHFINDER is being released in two editions: PG-13 and an Unrated Edition aka Unrated Director's Cut. PATHFINDER follows Ghost (Karl Urban), a Norse boy raised by a Native American tribe. He is very much the outsider who doesn't belong. Now he must face his destiny 15 years after he was found. His village is destroyed and he must fight against the Vikings who threaten to cleanse North America of the Indian/ Native American vermin before they settle the land. Also Ghost finds love with Starfire (Moon Bloodgood) while facing the pack of Vikings lead by Gunnar (Clancy Brown).



PATHFINDER has a great setting, costume and set design, and enough action to propel the film to the very end. it also has a little wisdom. The lesson is that there are two forces: love and hate. It depends on which one you feed the most. Ghost wants revenge while Starfire and her father (the Pathfinder of a neighboring village) try to teach him another way. The Native american people only have one hope in surviving. Ghost is their best hope. Clancy Brown is fantastic as Gunnar. He makes the role breathe even though it isn't as memorable as the Krugan in HIGHLANDER.



VIDEO: 2.40:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen)

AUDIO: English 5.1, French 2.0, Spanish 2.0 Dolby Surround, English 5.1 DTS

Subtitles: English, Spanish (special features aren't subtitled)



SPECIAL FEATURES: The feature audio commentary is with director Marcus Nispel. He also provide optional audio commentary for the seven deleted scenes which add more to the film (which were cut out or cut down for pacing reasons).



7 featuretets (under 30 minutes in total) flesh out a few details about the production of PATHFINDER):

THE BEGINNING- the developnment of the story of PATHFINDER

THE LOOK- all about the look of the Viking and Native American costumes and the concept art for PATHFINDER (which was turned into a graphic novel)

THE BUILD- set design and costume design

THE SHOOT- all about the production challanges

THE STUNTS- stuntwork and the injuries people received while filming

WE SHOOT NOW!: MARCUS NISPEL ON THE SET OF PATHFINDER- quick and sometimes quirky look at the director making PATHFINDER and people praising him

CLANCY BROWN: CULT HERO- praise for the atcing of Clancy Brown. He learned Icelandic for the film.



Also included on the DVD are the 4 minute concept trailer and the original theatrical trailer. Before the main menu are previews for PERFECT CREATURE, DAYWATCH, and NIGHTWATCH. Also in the special features section are trailers for 28 WEEKS LATER, WRONG TURN 2, and LAKE PLACID 2.



FINAL ANALYSIS: PATHFINDER is an entertaining action film with a soul. The featurettes skim the surface while the deleted scenes and audio commentary provide more insight into the film.



this DVD Review is (c)7-21-2007 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com