Rating: 
Summary: DVD vs. VHS
Review: It had been a while since I saw the VHS version, so I did not immediately notice the changes made in the DVD. I did miss the old scenes once I realized their absence, and regardless of the merits of the extra scenes, don't understand why they were removed. I've read mixed reviews about the extra scenes, and I agree that except for the last monologue, they are inconsequential. I thought the final monologue was quite brilliant, actually. I believe many of those who disliked Chingachgook's speech may have misinterpreted it. When he speaks of a time when men like him won't be around, he is not speaking merely as an Indian, but as the rugged, unspoiled men that all of us, regardless of race, are descended from. He is not talking about the Indian displaced by the White man, but of a certain human character displaced by cars, cell phones, and DVD entertainment systems with surround sound. I'm not advocating we all destroy our computers and live in Unabomber-style shacks; modern life is, on the whole, great. But if a strong part of us didn't yearn to be like Chingachgook or Hawkeye, we wouldn't love this movie so much.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite movies
Review: This is definately one of my favorite films and highly recommend to anyone. Daniel Day Lewis is at his best here, as is Madeline Stowe. If you are a fan of the book, you may be disappointed, as this movie does not follow the book like you might like it to, but if you can appreciate it for what it is....a great work of fiction in itself, then this is for you.
Rating:
Summary: --A Spellbinding and Beautiful Film--
Review: This movie is an absolute treat to see. Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye and Madeleine Stowe as Cora Munro are a believable couple and pairing them in THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS was a stroke of genius. Their beautiful together!Set during the French and Indian War, Hawkeye is a scout, and along with his adopted Mohican family managed to save the daughters of an important English officer. One of the women, Cora Munro, is a strong female character and she and Hawkeye fall in love. Chingachgook is the foster father of Hawkeye and along with his son are the last people of the Mohican tribe. Magua is the other major Indian character and his traitorous deeds give the story most of the battle sequences. This movie has it all, great acting, terrific music, outstanding scenery and an exciting story.
Rating: 
Summary: Visually stunning!
Review: This is absolutely one of my favorite movies! I purchased this DVD (the new DTS version) before it was released quite a while ago (at least 18+ months) but didn't watch it until yesterday. I had rented the VHS tape a few times before buying, so I decided to wait a while before seeing the film again. I'm giving this DVD 4 stars instead of 5, but I want to strongly emphasize that I loved the movie and was not disappointed. The film is visually stunning and the music hauntingly beautiful (be sure to listen to the music during the end credits). I do have some minor criticisms though. I won't retell the story because many reviewers have done that exceptionally well below (please see below). However, I will agree with those that stated a few things that could have been better. There simply are no extra features. I know many DVDs are full of junk (substitute the word of your choice for "junk") these days that add to the cost but don't really contribute to the experience, but this DVD would benefit from something; anything actually, other than the sad list of characters (incomplete) that they provide. The main menu includes a sound/subtitle setup option, the aforementioned incomplete list of players, the required chapter index, and a "play movie" option. Nothing else is included. Nada. Zip. Nothing... There is also the small matter of the missing scenes/lines (also discussed in detail below). I wanted to hear Hawkeye say to Duncan "Someday you and I are going to have a serious disagreement." Lines like these establish the interplay between characters, and though seemingly small, they define and broaden our view into relationships. The deletion of this scene and several others adds nothing to the movie, it only detracts, even if only a little. If you haven't seen the original, you'll never know it's gone. I myself couldn't remember what was different until I read it below, but then remembered how much I liked it the first time All right, enough criticism. As I said, this is one of my favorite movies and will remain so. I would think about buying a new version if they actually released one with all the scenes restored, but if they don't, this one will do just fine. If you don't have this movie in your collection, I would recommend adding it. You will not be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I'm in a small minority on this picture as I gave it a 5 when 77 percent of everyone else gave it a 7 or greater. My problem with "Last of the Mohicans" starts with the fact that director Michael Mann made it difficult to follow plot developments. I found myself guessing every 10 minutes about what had happened. Secondly, it wasn't clear until late in the movie that Hawkeye's Mohican companions were his step-father and step-brother. Since these characters weren't developed, one feels next to nothing when the step-brother is killed. Thirdly, the romance between Hawkeye and Cora seems to spring fully-grown from a five-minute conversation under the stars one night. When it was clear to me that the two were supposed to be in love, my reaction was, "Gee, that was fast." Fourthly, the director (and probably the writers, too) pretend that the smooth-bore muskets used at the time were as accurate as rifles. Hawkeye fires at moving targets and never misses. At one point he clearly takes a long range shot to put a man being tortured out of his misery. Even 50 years after the time the film is set muskets were next to useless beyond 100 yards. They also delivered a substantial kick when fired, and Hawkeye performs the impossible by firing two at once, from the hip, on the run. No way in hell that's possible. Lastly, I was surprised to find Daniel Day-Lewis' acting so wooden and unconvincing, considering his reputation. The best thing about this movie is the special effects, which is a compliment I seldom make. I think Mann accurately reproduced the sound and the amount of smoke that muskets produce in battle. And the scenes of the fort under siege were well done, particularly the shot from long range when the sights preceded the sounds.
Rating:
Summary: beautiful
Review: I know (because I've discussed it with friends) that I'm not the only woman who was ruined for all other men by Daniel Day-Lewis's performance in this film. It's not just that he looks good (though he most certainly does), it's the utter conviction each of his actions and words carries, the fact that he can run through a battlefield, dispatching several opponents along the way in a most efficient yet graceful manner, without ever once taking his eyes off Madeleine Stowe's Cora. The movie hinges on Day-Lewis's performance, but as a whole it is also just wonderful. The scenery is breathtaking and Madeleine Stowe, Jodhi May, Russell Means, Eric Schweig, and Wes Studi all give excellent performances. It's sort of a traditional Hollywood epic, big and sprawling with huge armies and cannons going off and men in costumes shouting at each other about honor. But in some ways it's more interesting than that. The deep love between Nathaniel, Chingachgook, and Uncas is deftly established in a few early scenes and is never absent from any of their later scenes together, though they exchange very little dialogue and much of that not in English. Those relationships, as much as the one between Nathaniel and Cora, give the movie real emotional richness and keep the ending from seeming melodramatic or cheap.
Rating:
Summary: Great Cinematography...where are the extra features?
Review: 'The Last of the Mohicans' is a visually stunning movie. To watch it in anything other than widescreen would be a mistake. The scenery and setting, usually lush forests, waterfalls, and rivers, is wonderful, and does not come through adequately in the pan and scan format. The story itself is taken from James Fennimore Cooper's classic novel of the same name. While the story is similar, there are several key differences. That being said, the spirit of the book is still in the move. The French and the English fight for dominance in the new world, while the native Indian population deal with the loss of land and fading hopes to survive in North America in the face of superior weapons and numbers of the European forces. The action in the movie is first rate. Scenes of English forces lining up in formation to fire in volleys at attacking Indians are captured well, as well as the foolishness of the technique. The attack on the fort was well done, with great scenes of cannon balls exploding against the walls of the fortress and the occupants fighting back. The best action scenes though are those involving Hawkeye, the protagonist, and his allies in hand-to-hand combat against other natives. Unfortunately, the DVD is lacking several features that have made the format so popular. There is no director's commentary, no deleted scenes (some of which may have been edited back into the movie anyway), and no 'making of' feature. This movie is probably a candidate for an ultimate collector's edition at some time in the future, as are many DVD titles. If I were judging the disc on content alone, it would get three stars, just because the movie is so good, but the extras aren't there. I'd recommend this DVD to anyone who liked the move but isn't interested in the extras. However, as I mentioned earlier, I wouldn't be surprised to see a later version with the goodies we have all come to expect with the DVD format, and would suggest that you might hold off for a little to see if this comes to pass.
Rating:
Summary: Long live the Long Carabine
Review: At first I was disappointed that this film veered so radically from the plot of Cooper's novel. Then, I realized that with a movie this well done it didn't matter a bit. Besides, the plot changes were necessary to make a movie, and oh well, few actually read Cooper anymore. The acting is understated for such an epic, and all performances were great. However, the cinematography and above all the score stole the show for this movie. I HIGHLY recommend the soundtrack, which is remarkably seamless since it was done by 2 composers. -best line: "Stay alive, no matter what occurs-I will find you"
Rating:
Summary: LOTM(VHS)A Step Behind 'Braveheart',2 Ahead of 'The Patriot'
Review: While "LOTM" misses the complete perfection of "Bravheart", its strengths add up to an amazing film. It carries an overall intensity, a sense of urgency which elevate it into one of the great adventure films of all time. The fight scenes, though not as numerous or complex as "Braveheart", are riveting. There is romance for the ladies, a great performance by Daniel Day Lewis, and a fantastic soundtrack. The ending keeps you on the edge of your seat without a single exploding bus or flying supervillian. You don't have to look hard to find faults, but the good add up to a really great movie. Highly recommended in its original version on VHS (check out other reviews to see the pitfalls in the 'altered' form on DVD).
Rating:
Summary: One of the best War Epics ever created
Review: The Last of the Mohicans caught my eye when I first saw it on TBS about 4 years ago. I don't know what it was exactly. On the whole, the cast is filled with relative unknowns, other than Lewis and Stowe. Perhaps what did it, and this is thanks to the auther James Fennimore Cooper is that this may be the only film where the colonial British are portrayed as victims, and not their typical bad guy persona that we see in most Revolutionary and French and Indian War movies (The Patriot is a perfect example) Now the Brits still have a bad side to them, but without ruining too much of a sub-plot, lets just say they aren't standing very tall in the end. However this movie is so much more than just British vs. French.
This movie can be separated into sections. The first being the 3 Mohican traveleres finding the Munro Daughters and a British Colnel. The next being the time in Fort Henry. And the next being a final confrontation between the Huron Indians and the main characters. Each section was executed flawlessly with the exception of the first one being a bit slow. The acting was top notch, the music was incredible, and the location of this film was amazing. Overall this was a definite snub for the Oscar's. It just goes to show you that not every high priced movie needs a megastar. The final 20 minutes of this movie alone should make you purchase this DVD. A 10/10
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