Rating: 
Summary: Wanna be anti war movie
Review: [...].As a Vietnam veteran, one tour enlisted, one tour as an officer, this film depicts the struggles, complications, and conduct of the Vietnam War about as well as most 40's and 50's films depicted Custer's last stand. In other words, not even close. Directed by someone who had never been there, starred in by actors who had never been there, with results like they had never been there, BUT THEY ARE AGAINST WAR. DUH!!!We all know war is hell. Many have said that many times many long years ago. This slap in the face to all those who fought well and tried their best by a bunch of people unwilling to place their own hides in jeapordy for a philosophy so tenuous as FREEDOM, [is] really [bad], no matter how good the special effects or expensive the number of extras.
Rating: 
Summary: "Some day this war's gonna end..."
Review: I'm not going to rehash the plot of "Apocalypse Now" here because God knows more knowledgeable critics than myself have done it before. Rather, I would like to offer a few general thoughts about the film as a whole, and then discuss specifically the "Redux" part of this disc. First and foremost, if you haven't read "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad, do yourself a favor and pick it up. "Apocalypse Now" stands on its own two feet as a work of art, but one does it short shrift if they don't explore its roots. In my opinion Coppola was astute enough to recognize that "Heart of Darkness" was well ahead of its time, and that, moreover, it proved an apt metaphor for the Vietnam conflict. By taking the swirling madness out of the novel, and adapting it to an entire country, he perfectly realized the borderline insanity that was that torturous war. Secondly, "Apocalypse Now" is a powerful anti-war film, but it is also an intelligent one. Far too often, a stance against violence gets wrapped up in idealism. No sane person enjoys war, but there are many sane people who strive to carry it out professionally, and if at all possible, maintain their sanity at the same time. Coppola has stripped away the idealism, and shows combat in all its filthy, mind-numbing madness. He documents good people in awful situations. Who among us can rest assured that they wouldn't have cracked under similar circumstance? He makes an argument against war by showing what it does to decent people; it is the job of all of us not in the line of fire to assure that when we send our military into action it is for the right reasons. Along the same lines, the theme of addiction to combat is explored to its utmost. Coppola clearly understands that a human being can hate what they are doing, but love what is being done to them at the same time. As the characters repeatedly face death, they only feel alive when they are in jeopardy; nothing else seems real. This is a subtle theme of the movie, but a very powerful one, if you are interested in exploring it further, I would highly recommend "My War Gone By, I Miss It So" by Loyd, and "Dispatches" by Herr. Now for the 'Redux' part: this movie has never looked or sounded better. The film has been cleaned and scrubbed such that it is absolutely brilliant to watch. But it is the sound that really blew me away; I can honestly say that I have never heard a better encoded movie. Sitting in my living room I felt as if I was in the jungle; every drip, splash of rain, twang of a bullet and thwump of a rotor was right there. I really can't wait to watch it on some sultry July evening so I can really immerse myself in the film. As for the added scenes, they were generally excellent. I particularly enjoyed the extra footage of Col. Kilgore, and especially an added scene with the Playboy Bunnies: I don't won't to give away the details, but it really paints a remarkable portrait of the dehumanizing nature of the war. Unfortunately, I found the most anticipated added scene, the French Plantation, to be rather disappointing. That's not to say that the acting or cinematography was sub-par, nothing could be further from the truth. I just felt that it interrupted the narrative flow of the movie. I understand that by injecting out of place normalcy into the movie Coppola was striving to make things even more surreal, but I just found it distracting. Finally, the DVD (other than the added scenes) has no extra features. This isn't a bad thing per se, as I said earlier the movie stands on its own two legs. However, I would have very much liked it if the superb documentary "Heart of Darkness: The Making of Apocalypse Now" had been included. It is the definitive study of this movie, and provides remarkable insight into the often painful creation of this film. For those of you interested, it is available separately on DVD. Also, this is a film that begs for director/actor commentary. Ultimately, these are small complaints about a brilliant movie. If you haven't seen "Apocalypse Now" you should rectify that error ASAP. It is a brilliant movie that I find myself drawn to repeatedly and that always leaves me thinking. If you are already familiar with the film, you must treat yourself to this definitive edition.
Rating:
Summary: Doors Shut out!
Review: I looked forward to this release so I could experience again the thrill I got from not only watching a great movie but also hearing the terrific score led by the inimitable vocals of Jim Morrison and the Doors. What a disappointment! The additional scenes did nothing: how ridiculous is that "French" scene!!! As to how they "butchered" Jim's rendition of "The End" during the finale is just criminal! Give me back the thrill of the original: it was far more cogent and powerful; this new one is a Tosser's version!
Rating: 
Summary: Poor excuse for a DVD release
Review: I'm amazed at how little there is here, and how Zoetrope chose to blow a great release opportunity. Does anyone else remember that there's a feature-length documentary on the making of this film? I'm not asking that anything be given away for free, and I realize Hearts of Darkness is not yet released on DVD, but why not include some material from the documentary? How about some photos and/or cast member profiles, even some text about the historical milieu? Coppola said this film "isn't about Viet Nam, it IS Viet Nam." Martin Sheen had a heart attack, and Lawrence Fishburn was just a kid who went on to have a fairly healthy career in film. Surely these profiles deserve some extra treatment. "What about 49 extra minutes of footage not included in the original edit?" Please. The scenes are clumsy and rightfully deserve to have been left on the cutting room floor. The only thing "DVD" about this release is the ability to jump to specific scenes. I'm hoping this release will be reconsidered, possibly reproduced to include additional content, and/or packaged with Hearts of Darkness for a nominal price increase to cover both titles. Otherwise, this is a DVD release that does nothing to exploit the medium, and should be avoided or at least rented before purchase.
Rating: 
Summary: Apocalypse No! The Horror! The Horror!
Review: "Apocalypse Now" is a classic film; "Apocalypse Now Redux" is not. Most of the additional scenes are filler that add little to character development or the plot. I did enjoy scene #16 (Centerfold Pinholes), but only on a personal level. I love those Playboy playmates! Scenes #24-27 involving the French plantation seemed very much out of place with the rest of the movie. They hindered rather than helped move the story along. Scene #32 (How does it smell to you, soldier?) really detracted from the film. Prior to that, we've only seen Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) in shadows or wearing camouflage at night, making him look ominous and mysterious. In scene #32, we see him up close in the sunlight, making him look like Uncle Fester from the Addams family! Far from being the definitive version of the movie, "Apocalypse Now Redux" was a disappointment. Francis Ford Coppola was wise to edit out the additional scenes from the original version of the movie, and should not have taken the time and effort to reinsert them. Don't tamper with a classic!
Rating:
Summary: If you think this DVD is great, think again....
Review: I'm not going to talk about the virtues of the added footage, or complain about lack of extras like commentary. That doesn't interest me. What did interest me was seeing this film again in its rich color glory. That's where this DVD fails. The source material here is definitely not what it was. Yes, it was stunningly shot. So good in fact that obviously most people don't notice that this version mostly uses fading stock. There is more orange than originally. It doesn't affect the blacks and blues too much, but the yellows and the red have more of an orange tinge. This is a classic sign the film is in need of restoration. I suspect this is because Coppola had to use footage kept himself so that there wouldn't be a contrast between the original and new footage. Still the images are fairly crisp, and there's no specks that I noticed. It's like watching the film with the color slightly drained. Trust me, the original was even more vibrant and rich. I also wasn't too crazy about the new sound mix. For example, too much added Wagner during the Ride of the Valkyries sequence. It drowns out the dialogue, and becomes redundant.
Rating:
Summary: All time favorite just got better.
Review: I always loved Apocalypse Now but I believe the directors cut is superior. With the exception of the French Plantation segment,the new version filled in alot of gaps that needed to be filled.I remember seeing the documentary Hearts of Darkness and always wanting to see the sceens that were cut from in their entirety.I was always wishing that they would make it onto extras of a DVD but they nowhere to be found on the original DVD.
And now with Redux not only do we get to see the sceens,but they are a regular part of the film.This is a good release,anybody want to buy an orginal Apocalypse Now DVD so I can buy this (LOL)
Rating:
Summary: An american classic
Review: Not all re-releases with extra footage are worthwhile. This one is imho. I enjoyed all the extra detail. It's one of those chances to see more of an already awesome classic that you probably don't want to miss. One caveat: If you didn't honestly like the original version - i.e., the emotional tug-of-war between the real and surreal, which from what I've read is a pretty darn accurate portrayal of the historical event for many - then you probably won't enjoy the added footage. I most certainly did!
Rating: 
Summary: Coppola does it again in Apocalypse Now...
Review: Francis Ford Coppola has proven his consistancy in producing films that keep the viewer on the edge of their seats. Coppola, although twisted, has one of the best imaginations and styles that has ever occupied the director's chair. This 1979 classic movie shows that Coppola's films are here to stay. He creates characters that are well developed. His imagination contributes to the vividly creative characters he has portrayed in his films. I look forward to many more movies directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Rating:
Summary: DVD gives us a way to judge movie editing like never before.
Review: The original Apocalypse Now stands as a great movie that I'd give 5 stars. Redux served as a way for me to critique the editing of the original. Coppola for years lambasted the edited original many have thought that the original was somehow lacking and that additional footage would have improved the flick. Francis was wrong Redux is enjoyable but it gives us too much Captain Willard. Willard was great in the original because he was not a likable character.
The added footage of the surfing sequence was good the helicopter playing a recording of Duvall on a loop imploring Lance to return his surfboard is priceless.
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