Mel Gibson's lush, savage Revolutionary War epic is given the royal treatment in this DVD from Columbia-TriStar. The film is shown in an anamorphic widescreen presentation, which preserves the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. In addition, the digital mastering makes for a clearer picture with crisp, vibrant colors. The sound is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, so viewers won't miss one thundering musket or crunching cannonball. As for extras, The Patriot does not disappoint. Director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin offer a feature-length commentary that offers some good insights into the making of the picture. The commentary at times seems to be improvised, however, occasionally leading to some distracting asides and in-jokes. The Patriot also offers a host of deleted scenes, which feature an optional commentary and serve to expand some of the film's subplots and characters. Viewers are also treated to three behind-the-scenes featurettes. The first of these offers a tutorial on the creation of the film's gorier special effects, while the other two provide an interesting look at the filmmaker's painstaking efforts to bring American history to life. For fans of the film, this is a must-own. For the uninitiated, it offers an excellent chance to experience The Patriot.

Brian Helgeland rocked the medieval world with this knightly tale that combined jousting and romance with a modern music score. Presented in Anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, this DVD captures the snap, crackle, and pop of each lancing blow. The story of a squire "changing his stars" by impersonating a nobleman so he could compete in tournaments was one that brewed in Helgeland's head for a number of years before he finally put it to paper in one month's time. His years of research then allowed him to do the unlikely -- give tiny, enhancing details to a big-scale film. These facts and more can be found on the DVD, a disc that not only provides great insight into Helgeland's method and process, but allows fans to take a closer look at one of the things that made this such an entertaining film: the action and jousting sequences. (Who imagined there was pasta inside those lances to make them splinter especially well?) Features include commentary by Helgeland and his good friend, the oft-naked Paul Bettany, as well as 11 behind-the-scenes featurettes, six deleted scenes with the filmmaker's introduction (check out the one with Chaucer's wife), an HBO "making of" special, Queen and Robbie Williams' "We Are the Champions" video, filmographies, and theatrical trailers for A Knight's Tale and Final Fantasy.

A sumptuous picture and thundering sound quality compensate for the complete lack of extras in this DVD edition of Paramount's blockbuster. The picture is a gorgeous 2.35:1 widescreen transfer, although it is not anamorphic. Still, it's hard to complain with such vibrant blues, golds, and reds filling the screen. Sound, too, is excellent. Offered in Dolby Digital 5.1, it's given a workout throughout the entire picture. James Horner's score has never sounded more alive, and the actual sinking is an earth-shattering sonic experience. From the roar of seawater to the splitting of hull plates, every sound is reproduced with startling clarity. The only head-scratcher here is the complete lack of extras. A film of this size, and having this much impact, must have a vault-load of deleted scenes, documentaries, and so on. James Cameron has often re-released his films in extras-laden special editions. Let's hope that one for Titanic waits in the wings. In the meantime, the gorgeous picture and sound will satisfy those who simply must have Titanic on DVD.