Rating: 
Summary: What ever you do, STAY ALIVE!!
Review: The best part of the movie is when Lewis has to leave Stowe because they will all be captured and all killed so he is forced to abandon her. He turns to her and tells her "Whatever you do, stay alive!" More powerful than telling her I love you, more powerful than any passionate proposal. The compelling part of the film is the chase and running of the film and the complex racial and political issues. This is a terrific film, its an excellent interpretation of the book and a great film to boot.
Madeline Stowe, as always is a beautiful, compelling actress who uses her abilities of both beauty, strength and compelling emotion to the Nth degree here. This film first turned me on to them and while Lewis got an Oscar, Stowe has yet to receive hers but she deserves one as well.
Rating: 
Summary: A Big Disappointment
Review: I am a huge fan of the VHS version of this film -- breathtaking, romantic, epic, and nuanced, it's one of the tapes I'm slowly replacing with DVDs. When I first saw "Director's Expanded Version," I thought, "Oh, there's a second version of the film on the DVD with additional scenes," or I thought maybe there was a special feature that included deleted scenes. No such luck. There is ONE version on the DVD, and it's a case of Should Have Left Well Enough Alone. The extended version expands scenes that didn't need to be extended, causing the pace to slow and exclamations from me at the TV -- "They cut out of that scene earlier for a REASON!" There's a whole added scene where Cora and Alice and the gang arrive at the fort that's under seige. Already, the film kind of slowed down too much for me at that point in the VHS version, but it was forgivable. But with the added scene it comes to a screeching halt. Plus, you just don't need the added scene to get what's going on. It screams of, "Gee, we had all this good battlefield footage, let's use it." But the alteration that had me practically sobbing was the deletion of the Clannad song. You know the one -- when the brothers are pursuing Magua up the rock-faced mountain to rescue Alice and Cora. That scene is one of my favorites not just in this movie, but in any movie, and now it's ruined. I'm not using hyperbole here -- I mean it. I doubt I will watch the DVD version again. I will simply plug in my old, ratty VHS and enjoy the movie -- the infinitely better version of the movie -- that the director has seen fit to alter.
Rating: 
Summary: Big Lie for the day -- this DVD is an "Expanded Edition"
Review: This DVD is a huge disappointment. With every other movie I have ever bought that was labeled a "Director's Cut" or an "Expanded Edition", the movie had things added to it and not taken out. This version of the movie cuts out much of the familiar and favorite dialogue from the movie released in the theater. Did you like the part where, hiding in the forest, Hawkeye & Cora have their conversation about her people being a breed apart and not making any sense? When Cora gets offended by this, Hawkeye gives her such a look and says "I would make an exception in your case, Miss" and she sarcastically says "Thank you so much!" All this is ripped out of this version. When Major Hayward and Hawkeye have their confrontation in Col. Munro's office about whether the Colonial militia should be released from service to defend their families, gone is the part where Hawkeye looks at the Major and says "I think one day you and I are going to have a serious disagreement". When the party is escaping from the massacre and are in the canoes on the lake, gone is the part where Hawkeye sees Major Hayward pointing a gun at him and says "Got nothing better to do on the lake today, Major?" When the party is hiding from the Hurons in the cave behind the waterfall there are some scenes and dialogue missing. Most notably when Hawkeye and Uncas and Chingachgook decide they have to flee and Cora says "I want you to go, that way if the worst happens and only one of us survives, then something of the other does too."
This DVD can be credited with adding a few tiny bits of dialogue here and there but very little of it adds anthing to the story and does not make up for the lines that were cut. There are also some added shots of the backside of horses as they pull a coach, a few extra shots of the crowd leaving Ft. William Henry and a few extra shots of the French soldiers digging the trenches. They are not worth shelling out money for a DVD if you already have the VHS version. The only thing of real merit added in this version are shots of Major Hayward's diversion outside Ft. William Henry while Hawkeye and Uncas are covering the escape of the courier that is being sent to get reinforcements from General Webb at Ft. Edward. If they had just added that and left the rest alone, it would have been a tiny improvement.
If you look at the original VHS tape of the theatrical release you will find the length recorded as 114 minutes. The length of this newly released, expanded edition is -- now get ready to be overwhelmed -- 117 minutes. This DVD is simply a major rip-off by a film company trying to get some money from extra movie sales. Unfortunately, they do not have the material to make it worth your while. Take my advice, Save Your Money!!
Rating:
Summary: For a movie as wonderful as "The Last of the Mohicans"...
Review: Throughout my consumer-driven life, I have, on occasion, felt prompted to write a negative review of something I purchased. I have not, however, EVER gone through with it, until now. This wretched rendition of such a wonderful film deserves all the cursing I can muster. The cretins at FOX deserve a form of punishment from Dante's "INFERNO" for mutating Micheal Mann's picture for this DVD. For a moment let me put aside all pretense of eloquence and say..ahem......Now that I have stated my opinion, allow me to tell you why. First of all, there are no special features. And I mean NO special features. Zip, zero, nada, nothing, zilch. I don't mean to belittle the marvel of "Digital quality picture and sound", but for those of us, like myself, that have a POS television and sound system, special features are the primary attraction of DVDs. The best "extra" on this disc is the ability to put the sub-titles in spanish (it doesn't even come with a "dubbing" option); interviews, cut scenes, commentaries, biographies do not exist on this DVD. Secondly, this "Anamorphic Widescreen" is a complete rip off. The natural subtitles that come with the feature (ie - when someone is speaking french or an Indian language) often get cut off at the sides of the screen. Scenes that warrant "Widescreen" are wide enough to tease you, but not wide enough to really get the scope of this breath-taking picture. Also, the "Director's Expanded Edition" is not exactly as it was on VHS. I confess that I never saw the original theatrical release (I was 11 in 1992 and my parents were not in the habit of taking me to "R" rated pictures) and that my only exposure to "The Last of the Mohicans" is the "Director's Cut" VHS edition. While I noticed no significant changes in scene or sequence, a few of my favorite lines were unceremoniously cut. And I cannot fathom why. They could not have contributed more than 3 minutes to the length of the movie, but they contributed so VERY much to the character development. I was utterly disappointed. Finally, just let me say that this DVD is a waste of your money. There is NO reason to purchase this film on DVD (when this is the DVD to purchase). Buy the widescreen VHS version, trust me, you'll respect yourself in the morning. ... ...Just My Opinion,
K. KELLEY
Rating: 
Summary: Should be called Director's CUT
Review: Calling it Director's Expanded Edition is a bit of a misnomer. It makes no sense to me why they cut a few lines here and there. Some that I kept waiting for and never turned up. Also the dropping of the song by Clannad was odd. They should have deleted the credit for the song while they were at it. I enjoyed the theatrical/VHS version of the movie immensely. This DVD version was a let down.
Rating:
Summary: I'm really mad!
Review: This is one of my favorite movies of all times. It should have won an acadamy award. The cinamatography is gorgeous, the actors perfect, and this is one movie that is actually better than the book in my opinion but, where the heck did the beautiful song go? I bought the DVD expecting more not less of my beloved movie and I feel totally [upset]. I won't watch the DVD again it is simply ruined for me. For anybody who has'nt seen this great movie, get the VHS!
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, Romantic, Emotional!!!
Review: Michael Mann (producer/director/cameraman - yes, if you notice in the credits he always serves as a cameraman in his productions because he is so dedicated to putting on film the precise images he wishes) - brought us Miami Vice, Manhunter (the first screen appearance of Hannibal Lecter so is the prequel to Silence of the Lambs) turned his eye to this classic tale.
He has often been accused of being more style than substance, which I think is wrong. Mann is both style and substance, and as in all his efforts, repeat viewing bears this out. But nowhere more so than in this film. Mann is likely a perfectionist, and he carried that out to the smallest degree with this production. They spent nearly two years before they began filming growing the crops needed for fibbers and dye, tanning the hides so that the period dress for this film is accurate.
Daniel Day-Lewis brings the character of Hawkeye to life, giving it warmth, sensuality, charisma, wit and strength, showing he is one of the best actors of our time. Stowe is beautiful, winsome, feminine, sensual and yet full of pioneer fortitude, displaying the strength women needed to survive in the new world. The two leads work well together. The remainder of the cast give solid performances, Steve Waddington (BBC's Ivanhoe and Sleepy Hollow) as Heyward is properly stuffy, but a man willing to give his life for the woman he loves, Wes Studi as menacing a bad buy you would want,and Russel Means as Chingachgook all work to make this period piece perfection that Mann wanted. Romantic, full of adventure and beautiful filmed, with haunting music by Clannad and Leahy...a must!!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT!!!!
Review: I thought this was a great movie. Everything about this movie was so wonderful. The scenery took my breath away. All the actors and actresses brought their characters to life. I've never read the book so I don't know how it pertains to the movie, but I thought the story-line was awesome. It's a movie that can appeal to almost anyone(except for kids!).
People who love a romance or for the people who like an action, it's definintely for you.
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece, plain and simple.
Review: Michael Mann was primarily a television director who revolutionized the police series with exciting music, impressive visuals and fascinating stories. Of course, the name of that series was "Miami Vice." His foray into the world of motion pictures is one of the most exciting motion pictures of all time. Again, he employs exciting music, impressive visuals and intense performances, this time on an American classic. I was especially impressed with his ability to capture what it must have felt like in the forests of early America. Starting from slow beginnings, he builds the film with ever increasing intensity into a total assault on your emotions and your nerves. When I saw it in the theatre, the audience did not move as the credits appeared. We had to sit there and recover before we walked back into the outdoors. Mr. Mann has gone on to make other fine films, but this is his masterpiece. Hollywood must have hated him for having come from television and created such an incredible experience, because the film deserved the Oscar for Best Picture.
Rating:
Summary: A superb piece of filmmaking
Review: I used to ask different people who had read Cooper's novel how close the Michael Mann film was true to the original. Some people said it was right on the mark, while others said it wasn't even close. So finally, I resolved to read the book and find out for myself. The answer to my question is that the film is somewhere in between the two extremes. There are many ELEMENTS of Cooper's novel scattered throughout in the film. The chronology of events is changed around somewhat, as are the alignments of romantic love affairs. The spectacular scenery is exactly as depicted in the novel. All of the major characters in the book are present in the film, save the musician David Gamut. The greatest liberties taken by the movie involve the character of Duncan Heyward. The casting in this movie is exceptional. As I was reading Cooper's book, the faces of Madeline Stowe, Daniel Day Lewis & all came to my mind as I was reading of the sundry personages presented in the text. This may sound logical, as I saw the movie first. However, directors do not always follow the depictions of characters when making film versions. In this case, Michael Mann & the casting department fit Cooper's presentations to a "T." Probably the best example of where the film & book agree is in the massacre of Fort William Henry by the Huron Indians [an actual historical event]. However, the novel captures with more veracity the way in which general Montcalm lost control of his Indian Allies and was unable to prevent their breaching the treaty of surrender. If you are looking for a visual feast of filmmaking, you can do much worse than this one. The acting, direction and screenplay are immaculate, and the soundtrack is absorbing. Here is your best chance to travel back in time to the fierce years of the French and Indian war. For those who have the ambition, the book is highly recommended as well.
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