From Hell: Director's Limited Edition - IGN (original) (raw)

When word trickled out that there was going to be a movie version of Alan Moore's graphic novel "From Hell", fans of the book were ravenous for information about the project. When it was announced the Hughes Brothers would be directing the dark tale and Johnny Depp would likely star, many people started scratching their heads in wonder, confusion, frustration, or all three. Of primary concern was how closely the movie was going to follow the beloved novel and how a directing team previously known for genre projects like Dead Presidents, Menace II Society and American Pimp would handle the material.
Add to this smoldering pot of questions the general haze of moviegoing just barely a month after September 11 and it is easy to see why From Hell barely made back its $35 million budget. Thankfully, the film was produced by Fox and the general standards of excellence that apply over at Fox Home Entertainment were cranked into gear for this one. The film has received an amazing two-disc set, lush menus, and a limited production run which will bring an urgency for fans to acquire the disc. As of this writing, Fox has not publically commented on the numbers of the Limited Edition but using history as our guide, we can assume that once these are gone, consumers will only be able to get a single-disc version as is the case with Independence Day, Cast Away and others. Long story short, whether you like the movie or not, this could be one to pick up for collectibility sake. Regardless of that factor, this is also one to grab because of its excellence in both production and asthetics.

The Movie

I was disappointed when I saw this one in theaters. To me, it was too dry, not gory enough, and the budding romance between Depp's Inspector Abberline and Heather Graham's Mary Kelly held zero interest. While the graphic novel focuses primarily on Jack The Ripper, "From Hell" moves Jack to a minor character and puts Inspector Abberline upfront. Depp, channeling a role eerily similar to his Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow but with a British accent, skulks around the alleyways and sordid characters habitating turn of the century London with a truly uninspired monotony -- of course, he is playing an opium addict.

The basic story is this: a group of murders is taking place in the alleys of London's Whitechapel district. The problem is most of the city turns a callous shoulder to the area as it is mainly the purvey of whores, addicts, thugs, and the insane. Perfect fodder for a killing machine. So Abberline becomes involved in an investigation into the killings, waeving together a possible suspect with ties to the royal family.

Along the way, he befriends a prostitute with perfect teeth, no bruises, and striking red hair named Mary Kelly. As Kelly's prostitute friends are picked off one by one, Abberline realizes he must find and stop the killer and blah blah blah. The problem with the film is that it is never really scary and not especially suspenseful ... there are serious problems with the pacing. Besides that, it runs over two hours long AND as I mentioned before, focuses on the wrong guy!

But, it's not all bad. To be sure, this doesn't look like a $35 million film. Every bit of it is up on the screen and the Hughes Brothers employ a variety of techniques including slow-cranked, distressed, color-washed, and many different stocks of film to get a distinctive look and feel. The costume design is spectacular and the production design is jaw-dropping.

At the end of the day however, the film fails to live up to its promise.

6 out of 10

The Video

This is probably one of the more interesting non-animated films to watch due to the amazing range of color residing on the low-end of the spectrum. Here you'll find deep crimson skies, thousands of shades of grey, and an overall murkiness that is pleasant, atmospheric, and rich. All this and with zero edge enhancement. But don't just take my word for it, take a look:

9 out of 10

The Audio

Wow. The DTS track here is super. It is everything you would expect from a well-produced DTS track. There is nothing to complain about but I will note that the soundfield is a bit smaller than I would've expected in a film like this. You'll definitely get some love in the background and on the low-end but it doesn't scream DTS to me. Never fear, the 5.1 soundtrack is also quite good and appropriately spaced. The score can sometimes be intrusive to the action and brings a predictable tension but this is more a fault of the filmmakers and not the sound presentation.

9 out of 10

Continue to page two for the extras.

The Extras

As far as extra content goes, this two-disc set is choked to the gills, especially for fans of the Ripper. First up, the feature-length commentary by the Hughes Brothers is excellent and detailed, very "listenable" even with the inclusion of screenwriter Rafael Yglesias, cinematographer Peter Deming, and actor Robbie Coltrane. Unlike other commentary "parties" featuring a large number of people, it is fairly easy to discern who is saying what in this one. Not that you'll find anything groundbreaking here, but there are some tidbits worth stumping your friends on "Famous Murderers" trivia night.

Also on Disc One is a boatload of deleted scenes with commentary by Allen Hughes, in fact you get 20 deleted scenes and one alternate ending. I LOVED these deleted scenes and especially the deleted scenes menu which consists of a long spinal column. Of course, it isn't very easy to see why they were cut from the film as I would've been very happy to have seen them left in. One of my problems with the film (as noted above) was a pacing issue and some of these deleted scenes might've helped smoothe the transitions a bit. Or maybe not. Anyway, most of the deleted scenes feature the character Netley (Jason Flemyng, best known for his work with Director Guy Ritchie), the coach driver of "The Ripper." The alternate ending is also pretty wicked as it has Depp as an old man in an opium den ... and at production quality.

Finally, also on Disc One, as the entire disc is THX-certified, you get the familiar Lucasfilm THX Optimizer. And, for Easter Egg fans, if you arrow-left of the THX optimizer, you'll get a silohuette of Jack The Ripper, click it and you'll get a THX promo video.

Disc Two brings even more delicacies into the mix and thankfully it is nearly free of the promotional claptrap that many studios pat themselves on the back for and claim as supplemental material. The one exception to the rule is the HBO First Look "A View From Hell" hosted by Heather Graham. If you're going to have to look at promo material, it might as well feature Heather Graham.

Jack the Ripper, 6 Degrees of Seperation: An Exploration of Ripperology is awesome. This is about 45 minutes of documentary material on the Ripper. Unique in that it branches off with a "magnifying glass" icon that appears on the screen and will take you deeper into the content.

Another segment, called simply "Production Design" takes us on location in Prague where people associated with the film talk about the appeal of Prague, how they built exteriors, and other tidbits about the design of the film.

Tour of the Murder Sites is hosted by the Hughes Brothers and is a light and humorous look at the sets used in the film, replete with prop dummy victims and fake blood.

What is it with Fox and Absinthe? Didn't the famed green drink feature prominently in Moulin Rouge? A trip to Prague without sampling absinthe is like visiting wine country and sipping only Dr. Pepper. Since the film was shot in Prague, no WONDER there is a scene in which Depp's character has a swallow along with a couple drops of laudanum. Further adding mystery to this drink is the extra content Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder in which afficiandos talk about the history of the drink and their personal experiences with it. Interesting, fascinating stuff.

We also get a widescreen theatrical trailer of From Hell as well as a trailer of the forthcoming Unfaithful starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane.

Fans of Alan Moore's graphic novel on which the film is based with want to spend time with this documentary. It also gives some explanation why Jack The Ripper wasn't a lead character in the film and features comments from the Hughes Brothers and producer Don Murphy.

Finally, see our Easter Egg section for a special treat.

All in all, an enormously successful DVD presentation for fans of the film and those enthralled with the mystery and life of Jack the Ripper.

10 out of 10

Overall impression: With its top-notch visuals, unflinching violence, and rich production value, From Hell is only enhanced by what is a super sweet gift from Fox Home Entertainment. With richly-animated, haunting menus, and enough extra content to keep Ripper fans sated for quite a while, this disc more than compensates for the overall weakness of the film itself.