The Film - For anyone who has only seen the theatrical version of this film (or hasn't seen it at all), look no further than this magnificent 4-disc director's cut package. THIS is the definitive version of Kingdom of Heaven. Complete story lines and characters had been omitted from the theatrical edit in order to satisfy the studio demand for a shorter running time. Shorter movie = more showings per day = more revenue. Thankfully we have now been freed from this time restraint and are treated to the version of the film Ridley Scott intended to release from the beginning. Complete with an overture and intermission, the film has been given the deluxe, road show treatment here. I will say no more of the plot to avoid any spoilers; suffice it to say, if historical, epic action films are your cup of tea you owe it to yourself to check this out.

The DVD - Both video and audio quality are top-notch for standard DVD. There also exists a Blu-Ray version, which I imagine takes the visceral impact of the film to a whole new level. As one would expect from this type of tour-de-force filmmaking, the surround sound audio is immersive and booming. As for extras, we are treated to 2 full discs that cover everything you would possibly want to know about the making of this film. I was actually overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the extras and needed several days to sort through it all. There are also 3 full-length audio commentary tracks on discs 1 and 2.

Bottom line - This is certainly the best and most thorough release we are likely to ever see for this film. Don't worry about a future double-dip with significant improvements - this one has it all. You have the choice of standard DVD and Blu-Ray, so there's no excuse not to own at least one. Highly recommended.