Search - 1492: Conquest of Paradise on DVD

Content Advisory: Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1992 DVD Release: 05/14/2002 Format: DVD Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 34 mins Studio: C Logic Members Wishing: 13 Genres: Epic, Adventure Drama, Biopic [feature], Historical Epic See Also: 1492: Conquest of Paradise, 1492: Conquest of Paradise

This, the second of 1992's 500th anniversary Christopher Columbus films (the first being Warner Bros. Christopher Columbus: The Discovery), adheres to the historical facts of Columbus's (Gerard Depardieu) possessed quest to discover the New World, and his solicitation of Queen Isabella (Sigourney Weaver) to gain the necessary funding. Despite travelogue-quality footage replete with beautiful scenery of Caribbean islands and a massive cast, this film tends to plod along with too predictable a plot and a mis-cast Columbus. Depardieu -- a very capable French actor speaking English and playing an Italian -- becomes perhaps the movie's bright spot (even if at his own expense) as he laughably struggles with line after line. Michael Wincott puts forth a worthy performance as a nasty Spanish nobleman whose mistreatment of the natives results in an open rebellion. ~ All Movie Guide

Gérard Depardieu - Christopher Columbus
Armand Assante - Sanchez
Sigourney Weaver - Isabella of Spain
Loren Dean - Older Fernando
Michael Wincott - De Moxica
Ángela Molina - Beatrix

Ridley Scott's sweeping tale of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer that fails to preserve the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. English and Chinese subtitles are accessible. There are no supplemental materials of any consequence. That, coupled with the lack of a widescreen picture, makes this disc difficult to recommend to anyone but the most avid Ridley Scott fans. Although even they might be disappointed with this bare bones release. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide