Rating: 
Summary: Great DVD of this 1994 Oscar-winning film, a must-own.
Review: You forget how good "Forrest Gump" is if you haven't seen it in a while. I bought the 2-disk DVD of this 1994 Oscar-winning movie. Disk #1 has the film in Dolby Digital 5.1. The sound is just right, and very aggressive where it needs to be, like in helicopter or ship at sea scenes. The image is very sharp in a widescreen version, and the colors are highly realistic. Two different selectable commentaries are among the best I've listened to. Disk #2 has all the "extras", and lots of interesting ones at that. Most of the features are in Pro Logic, but the feature on "sound design", appropriately, is in Digital Dolby 5.1. They really go into all the "secrets" of making the film. All-in-all quite a bargain DVD set.
Rating: 
Summary: "For no particular reason..."
Review: A movie like "Forrest Gump" can easily be misinpereted or over-examined to death, despite the fact it has an obviously simple story behind it: a man (with a 75 I.Q., played by Tom Hanks) drifts through rather turbulent times (from the 1950's to early 1980's), and tries to find a purpose in the world. There is the story of "Gump" in a nutshell. There's no great hidden politicial or sociological agenda in the story, outside of the obvious fact that life needs to be experienced, not mourned over (not a good thing to hear for a mild cynic like me). This is one of those films that was a surprise to see in my teenage years (like "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Pulp Fiction", both equally good films) and despite the criticism of "Gump" (and believe me when I say I've heard just about all of them and then some), I have only this piece of advice: lighten up, will you? The DVD itself has some interesting stuff, such as several mini-documentaries of the making of the film (including two sequences that were never completed), commentary with the filmmakers, and more. It's a movie that a somewhat cynical man like myself isn't afraid to admit he has in his film library.
Rating:
Summary: My Mamma always said that life is like a box of DVD extras..
Review: You never know what you're gonna get!Forrest Gump is without a doubt one of the best films of the 1990s. Very unique, very original, very wonderful! And now with the release of this gem onto DVD, you get even more to write home to Momma about. 2 Audio Commentaries - The first with Director Robert Zemeckis, Producer Steve Starkey and Production Designer Rick Carter is a nice mix of storytelling, special effects talk, and personal memories, while the second commentary by Producer Wendy Finerman is a more intimate setting (since she's alone), giving cute stories such as the reason why the speakers are cut off while Forrest is speaking in Washington D.C. is because no one could think of anything profound enough for him to say for real. Through The Eyes of Forrest Gump - This 30 minute documentary is one of the most famous, in that it was sold separately on video in stores all over the country...and sold well. On the laserdisc of Forrest Gump it was included as a bonus on side 4. So many wonderful moments from the film are discussed, including how they were able to have Tom Hanks shake hands and interact with JFK, turning Tom into a ping pong wizard, as well as making Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan) believably look as if he truly lost his legs. This is certainly not your run of the mill "making of" that gets boring after a few minutes. It instead holds your interest to the point where you're saying "WOW!! So that's how they did it!" My only complaint is that the transfer of this documentary didn't seem crisp and sharp enough. It almost seemed like they just copied it off of a laserdisc. I happen to own the laserdisc, so I compared the two and to me, the laser looked brighter and sharper. But it's a minor complaint. The film itself looks great! The Magic of Makeup - A wonderful look at how the makeup in this film was so crucial to its success. Included is makeup for Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Sinise and Sally Field. Tom's beard growing is interesting, but watching Sally Field being transformed into an elderly woman is astonishing! Through The Ears of Forrest Gump - This is the sort of thing most moviegoers take for granted...the sound of a film. When you watch this segment you'll get a sense of just how important sound was in making scenes come alive: the sound of the bikes rolling after a young Forrest as he breaks free of his metal braces, the tracers and mortar explosions during the Vietnam sequence, creating different ways to convey the sound of the rain in Vietnam as Forrest had said rained in so many different ways, the storm at sea, and much more! Building The World of Gump - Creating the places and settings of the film, including Forrest's home in Alabama, Vietnam, and Washington D.C. All crucial to the films believability. Seeing Is Believing - 11 visual effects from the film are discussed, including 2 that didn't make the final cut. Forrest was planned to meet Martin Luther King, Jr., a scene involving dogs being released to stop what Forrest thought was a "parade" of black Americans, headed by King. But because Forrest knew all the dogs since they were puppies, he unknowingly stops the violence by getting their attention with a stick, then apologizes to Mr. King, himself ("They're just dogs") - The other new scene is a ping pong match with George Bush Sr when he was the Ambassador to China and having Forrest hit him in the crotch with the ball. Both of these scenes are winners to me, but I'm sure they may have bogged down the story some, and that's why they were cut. Nice to have them here though. Photo Gallery - Some nice still shots of the film that are definitely worth looking at. Screen Tests - A total of 7, the first 3 with Michael Conner Humphrey (Young Forrest) and Hanna R. Hall (Young Jenny), 2 with Robin Wright Penn (Jenny), and 2 with Haley Joel Osment (Forrest Gump Jr.). Besides witnessing these characters coming to life for the first time through the actors, it's also interesting to see Tom Hanks before he employed Micheal Humphrey's accent to his own and how this made a huge difference. 2 Theatrical Trailers - including the "Remember..." trailer, which contains no dialogue and just uses Alan Silvestri's wonderful score. Get the film that gave Tom Hanks his second consecutive Oscar on DVD in a nice two disc set. Relive the magic and the memories. Relive Forrest Gump. "And that's all I have to say about that". - Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional DVD
Review: What a great disk! I loved the original movie a lot and this DVD was no disappointment. For a movie that's 7 years old, they provided great documentaries, technical and special effect details, and many other extras. I wish more pre-DVD era movies were re-released with so much attention to what makes a DVD great.
Rating:
Summary: An engaging movie of will power , and human spirit
Review: Academy Award winner Robert Zemekis and two time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks bring the epic Forrest Gump alive at times funny hilarious and rediculous at other times it has alot of heartwarming moments and strength to pull it off as
an enduring human spirit film. Tom Hanks won an award as the
amazingly and engaging Forrest Gump a mentally disabled man
who may be slow but has found himself in his youth with his ability to run get's him through many historicle paths to a high school football player , to a vietnam war hero where he
meets his good friend Lt.Dan who is played by Gary Senise, who does an incredible job who tells Forrest to go for what he want's in life.Where Forrest gets the medal of honor for
his bravery in vietnam, and meet's president Kennedy.
He also becomes an expert ping pong player and runs from state to state not knowing that what he's doing is nothing short of amazing, whatever Forest does he never gives up because
" Life is like a box of chocolates , you never know what one your
going to get" just as his mother says.In the end he is a shrimper
with his pal Dan who was tragically injured in the war and has lost his legs.But through all this his heart knows only one love his beloved Jenny who besides his mother is the only person
that truly understands him Forest can never forget her and the love story is what keeps this film alive.When in the end he finally marries Jenny, Forrest is happy until the devistating
news that Jenny is sick and tragically passes away but there son is left with Forrest it is only then when Forrest truly realizes why he was put on earth for , for his son to know that he has his fathers love and guidence.
Forrest Gump is a worthwhile edition to your DVD collection and is far better then the simplistic video version that has nothing to offer this one has loads of options.Good acting all around and an endearing film if you have not seen this movie it
is a tearjerker , but for the people who have this by far the best movie Robert Zemekis has ever made add this classic to your collection it's exccelent.
Rating:
Summary: Some sounds problems on Forrest Gump DVD
Review: I'm a big fan of this movie, and could not wait to see
it on DVD. However, I was quite disappointed to find out
that the English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is badly mixed.
There's very little use of the surround channels - and they
pop in and out abruptly. During the big battle scene in
Vietnam, there's no surround sound until two-thirds of the
way thru the scene, and then the surrounds come on abruptly with some background music. Someone at Paramount was asleep
at the wheel when they mixed this one. I hope there will be
a recall.
Rating:
Summary: Bashing of Gump
Review: It has become quite fashionable in the years since its release to bash Forrest Gump as trite and manipulative entertainment. I find it to be totally non cynical entertainment. In this age of Irony and Mean Spirtitedness, we expect our entertainment to reflect popular culture. This movie was/is a huge hit for a reason. People sometimes enjoy simpler, innocent and (yes more childlike) entertainment. I found this film to be an absolutely charming tale of a total innocent, who played by the rules and was kind to everyone he ever met. That the movie was not the self-aware and ironic tale that it's close competitor for best picture, Pulp Fiction, was doesn't bother me.
There is a place for both of these films. I appreciate both. Kudos to T. Hanks for what I consider to be one of the performances of the decade and kudos to Mr. Zemeckis for such a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: 2.35:1 looks GREAT on my 27" TV!
Review: Wow! This DVD's transfer looks FABULOUS in it's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio on my 27" TV! Only an idiot would prefer to see it any other way! This film is a life affirming 'feel good' viewing experience and you will feel as though you know Forrest personally when it's over. Great special effects, superb acting, and a well-paced story make this one of the most watchable films I've ever seen. Did I say that the 2.35:1 OAR transfer looks GREAT on my 27" TV? (ignore any reviews that might say otherwise).
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Great DVD
Review: I received my copy of Forrest Gump the day it came out. Not only is the movie funny, touching, and heart felt, the DVD is of great quality. There are the two deleted scenes (Martin Luther King and Ping Pong with George Bush) and they also show how they were made. There is section on the visual effects that were done in the movie. I find it very interesting. I recomend this DVD to anyone who likes the movie. I also highly recomend the movie to anyone who likes Tom Hanks and his work.
Rating:
Summary: Great DVD
Review: I just purchased the DVD (The day it was released). I spent over 2 hours watching the excellent x-tras on disc two. This is an wonderful purchase for any DVD collection
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