Rating: 
Summary: The last word in filmmaking
Review: This is my all-time favorite movie. If you love action, history and romance, look no further.Purists, be warned: This movie deviates greatly from James Fenimore Cooper's book. The characters are the same, but the plot bears little resemblance to Cooper's. (In my mind, this is OK, because I much prefer Michael Mann's movies to Cooper's books.) In the movie version, Hawkeye/Nathaniel (Daniel Day Lewis, looking mighty fine) is a frontiersman. He is the adopted son of Chingachgook and the adopted brother Uncas. In their travels, they come across a Huron war party's tracks. They arrive as the war party attacks a group of English soldiers en route to another fort, escorting a colonel's two daughters (Madeleine Stowe and Jodhi May, both of whom do an excellent job here). Nathaniel, Chingachgook and Uncas save the day and offer to take the girls and their friend, Maj. Duncan Heyward, to their father. When they get to the fort, though, it is under attack -- and it turns out that the colonel had warned his daughters not to come. Magwa, the scout who had led them into the trap, had killed the messengers and intended to kill the girls. Love blooms between Nathaniel and Cora (Stowe). There are some incredibly romantic scenes, most memorably the one in the cave behind the waterfall. Uncas and Alice (May) also fall in love, although this is not explored very much. After a repeat viewing, you will notice the subtle looks and emotions better. After some chase scenes across spectacularly beautiful countryside (New York in the movie, North Carolina in real life), the movie culminates in an epic battle between Magua and Uncas, Chingachgook and Nathaniel. If you love this movie, you really should have the widescreen edition. The scenery here is so gorgeous that it's a shame to miss so much of it on the "pan and scan" version. A word about Jodhi May: I think she is spectacular in this movie, especially since she was only 17 when it came out. After seeing this, I watched her performances in "Aristocrats," "A Turn of the Screw" and "House of Mirth" and continued to be impressed.
Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: Visionary direction, wonderful performances from a skilled cast, lush musical score, and spectacular location filming all combine for a visually stunning, and emotionally moving film. One of the best of any genre. Highest possible recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Honour, Courage And The Fight Against Greed
Review: This film is a magnificent interpretation of Fenimore's classic work, bringing vividly to life so many of the unforgettable scenes described in the book. Fenimore's prose can sometimes be heavy going, but the film has extracted the essence of the plot faithfully (there are some differences but nothing drastically Hollywood eg The Man In The Iron Mask) . The actors chosen were perfect for the role. Daniel Day Lewis is the quintessential Hawkeye, all one imagined the character to be. He is a very fine actor and this is one of his truly memorable roles. Another classic performance is given by the character who plays Magua, his every expression conveys hatred and a deep sense of malice. All the supporting cast do a fine job in conveying an authentic feel to the historical drama. The story is set amidst breathtaking scenery of forest, river and mountains, and the haunting music plays in your mind long after the film is over. The costumes are just gorgeous, the camera captures every detail of colour and form. From the opening scene of a stag being hunted to the unbearably moving final scene where the last of the mohicans contemplates the loss of everything in the world dear to him, of ideals betrayed and greed and cowardice triumphant, there is not a wasted moment. The film gives a realistic portrayal of what true love is, without "Titanic" style theatrics. Given the backdrop of savagery and bloodshed, the love theme is all the more poignant. You can watch the film at two levels. One level is just good old fashioned entertainment, with your heart beating faster and faster as the final scene approaches. You can also interpret the film at a deeper level. Many of the events depicted in a fictional setting in a frontier environment are actually happening today, not just in America but all over the world, the context is different but the struggle is the same. The film is very inspiring, and can be watched over and over again. Together with "Rob Roy" , these two films are to me the best adaptations in the 1990s of classical adventure stories. There was an older movie version made in the sixties, but that version pales in comparison to this definitive adaptation. The only criticism of the film is that it should have been made as a 3 hour film so that the character of Uncas and the younger Munro daughter could be developed better, as in the novel but this is a minor point. You might also like to consider re-reading Cooper after the film, it makes the book seem more alive now you can visualise the settings of some of the scenes. I'd strongly recommend this film to anyone looking for high drama, great acting, a thoughtful script and fabulous locations. Its rare to come across an adventure film that makes you think deeply !
Rating: 
Summary: This Movie is an Insult to Cooper's Book
Review: I know that I must be from the "Old School" because I believe that a movie based on a piece of classic literature should at least try to stay true the book. The makers of this movie completely destroyed Cooper's storyline, which by the way is very good. For those of you who have not read the book, Hawkeye is a middle-aged man who is the same age as Uncas's father, Chingachgook. Uncas is in love with Cora and Duncan Heyward is in love with Alice. In the movie Heyward is in love with Cora and dies in her place at the hands of the Hurons; in the book he lives and ends up married to Alice. In the movie Colonel Munro dies at the hands of Magua; in the book he lives and mourns at Cora's funeral. In the movie Magua has this extreme hatred of Colonel Munro and his daughters; he wants to see all three of them dead. In the book, Magua hates Munro but he admires Cora because she is such a strong woman. Magua wants to marry Cora not kill her; his wanting Cora to be his wife is his way of getting revenge against Colonel Munro. Magua got drunk and visited the Colonel's headquarters in his drunken state; Munro had him whipped for this. That is the reason for Magua's hatred of Munro. In the movie Uncas dies trying to save Alice and after he dies Alice throws herself over a cliff. In the book, Uncas dies trying to save Cora, and she is killed by one of the other Hurons. In fact Magua is mad when she is killed. The whole storyline about the Colonial Militia does not exist in the book. Hawkeye is never imprisoned for helping anyone escape from the fort. In fact Hawkeye is the one who carries the messages between Munro's fort and Webb's fort Edward. The first Indian massacre that happens at the beginning of the movie when Magua is the "guide" also never happens in the book. About the only thing that the movie and book have in common is that Hawkeye and the two Mohicans help Cora, Alice, and Major Heyward get to the fort and also the Indian massacre that happens while the British are leaving the captured fort. Several years ago, when I first watched this movie, I liked it. After I read the book and then went back to watch the movie again, I was completely disgusted. Cooper is very very hard to read, and I can understand why many people would rather watch the movie than read the book. However, his book is really good and it deserved better treatment in the movie than it got.
Rating:
Summary: Additional Scenes DO Add to the Movie
Review: I am a huge fan of this movie and have watched it dozens of times. Since getting the DVD, I've watched it all the way through once and watched a few of the scenes a few more times. I know that some lines were deleted, but I was pretty happy with the scenes that were added including: 1) Added scene at the fort now shows the "diversion" that Munro says that Heyward will create. I always wanted to know what the heck he was talking about. 2) Added scene in Albany in Webb's office shows how justified the settlers were in fearing for their families and property from the very beginning. 3) Added shots during the march after the surrender and just before the massacare seem to show how very close the British were to the fort when they were attacked. In the original cut, it seemed to me like they were a long way from the fort. Knowing (or at least thinking) that they were that close to the fort puts Magua's conversation with Montcalm in a little different light. They may have added some dialogue in that scene too, but I'm not sure. Either way, it now seems much more clear that Montcalm knew exactly what Magua was going to do and in fact asks for it indirectly. 4) In general, there are a bunch of little 2-3 second clips here and there that to me make all the distances in the movie much shorter, whether it be the distance from the fort to the mortars, fort to albany, fort to massacare, village to cliff, etc. Flow-wise, they aren't NECESSARY to the plot, but I think that they help us relate to the fact that these people are walking everywhere and they can only travel may 10-15 miles in a day while we travel at more than a mile a minute in our cars. Webb was just a few miles away; the French were just a good 5-iron shot away from the fort with their mortars: etc. Perhaps I was just too excited to see some new scenes after 10 years, but I think at least some of them DO make a positive difference.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful adventure
Review: It has been years since I saw the VHS version of the movie, so I cannot comment on the differences between the director's cut on DVD and the theater version available on VHS. I will say that Chingatchgook's diatribe at the end of the DVD about the white man coming and wrecking the land is very out of context and very cheesy. The DVD version should end as the VHS version and the book do, with Chingatchgook saying, "...I, Chingatchgook, last of the Mohicans." This is a great movie! I am so moved by Daniel Day Lewis' performance. His character, Nathaniel, is a great example of the self-possessed warrior-man who finds and wins the golden-haired girl. (See Robert Bly's Iron John.) Nathaniel is so free from deriving his sense of self from the opinions of others that he is able to completely give himself to Cora, once he realizes that she is free to completely receive his love--and his wildness.
Rating: 
Summary: Dances With Wolves meets Miami Vice
Review: Ever wonder what might happen if the former executive producer of Miami Vice directed Dances With Wolves? One's worst fears are confirmed in "The Last of the Mohicans", an overly long frontier rock video that masquerades as an epic tale of love and war. And, yes, it happens to be directed by Michael Mann, former executive producer of Miami Vice and director of such stylish fare as "Heat" and "Manhunter". The film marks the third Hollywood attempt at the James Fenimore Cooper novel. The setting is 18th century New York, where war rages between England and France, each vying for control of the Americas. Daniel Day-Lewis plays Hawkeye (no Alan Alda jokes, please), the white, adopted son of a Mohican tribesman, who falls for an English officer's daughter, played by Madeleine Stowe. Their relationship is threatened by the war and the evil Magua (Wes Studi), the leader of the Huron bent on destroying Stowe's family. It's a great story with plenty of room for commentary on war and interracial romance. However, the film quickly falls apart, primarily owing to Mann's overblown direction. Mann presents Hawkeye as an untouchable God-like figure, and right from the beginning it's clear that he will conquer any tribe that gets in his way (and, of course, any woman who strikes his fancy). In one scene, Day-Lewis runs into battle and doesn't so much as get a scratch as those around him get shot, scalped, and have their tongues forcibly removed from their heads. He emerges from the battle to give his girlfriend a hug. Awwww, ain't love grand? It's discouraging to see Day-Lewis here, fresh from his Oscar win for My Left Foot, reduced to running through the forest in slow motion. His lines are few and far between, and what little dialogue he has is delivered in one of those phony "Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon" American accents. Head-crushing is the order of the day, as Day-Lewis morphs into Rambo, beating bad guys to a pulp and delivering an eerily Stallone-like speech under a waterfall. "They drew first blood, Adrian!" Stowe is also wasted. She's the love interest here and, as such, stands around and screams until Day-Lewis can hack his way to her. Within the disappointing film is a good performance by Studi as the bad guy from the wrong side of the tribe. He's appropriately evil and adds some much-needed tension. The battle scenes are relatively well done, but have a Hollywood feel to them that undermines their effectiveness. Here's to hoping that this will be the last of the "The Last of the Mohicans" we see for some time.
Rating:
Summary: DVD versus VHS
Review: This is one of the only movies that appears completely different in the two formats. The DVD version has a few scenes apparently added at random throughout the movie which add nothing significant to the story and, indeed, do not even appear to be as finished (i.e. no background score or seeming direction) as the rest of the film. These frames have seemingly been entered only to fill time missing from the mysterious deletion of many other and better scenes. The only one of these additions possibly worth keeping is the final soliloquy at the very end by "the last of the Mohicans". On the other hand the VHS film flows together seamlessly, telling a complete story with a polished finish. Every scene is properly imbued with appropriate music, including the haunting melody performed by the Celtic band, Clannad, which was cut from the DVD version. That is why this rating is only average: the VHS version is an exceptional five stars; the DVD version is an unimpressive two stars. Ideally both versions would be available as options on a DVD. As it is the DVD cinema is merely a superficial and generic "frontier flick" while the VHS movie is a deeply compelling romance.
Rating:
Summary: Great DVD, but some DTS problems
Review: Love the movie, but not a lot of extras (other than the extra scenes..but those were shown on TV recently). The DTS decoded by my Samsung DVD-M301 caused audible fragmentation and skipping of the music and audio during music-rich scenes (opening credits, etc). The problem is fixed by 'dumbing down' to DDigital. I say 'dumbing-down' because I believe DDigital was part of original DVD. I suspect the conversion 'upgrade' to DTS is the culprit behind the DTS problems. But all in all, DTS handled the majority of the movie very well. Highly recommended movie!
Rating:
Summary: The mountains and The Musics....Perfect.
Review: "The Last of the Mohicans" ; when you watch this movie, you never forget the view of the dark green, snowy mountains, meaning of brotherhood and the genocide of American Indians.
But the most unforgetable thing in this movie is the great music.
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