Photo by: Paramount Pictures

Don’t plan on seeing any special features for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” if you rent the movie from a video store.

The movie was released on a bare-bones single-disc DVD by Paramount which is the copy that most rental stores carry. However, a double-disc DVD and Blu-ray set was released by Criterion.

The Criterion release includes a director commentary track by David Fincher and hours of behind the scenes features. One of these features is a nearly three hour segment called “The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button,” which explains everything you may ever want to know about the film.

Another special feature is interviews with leading actors Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett and behind the scenes footage of the on-screen transformations. The secrets of the film’s award-winning visual effects and an explanation of the computer techniques that brought the characters to life are also included on the two-disc version.

Being nearly as long as the movie, it is divided into segments called the first trimester, second trimester, third trimester and birth. Also included are two trailers and four still galleries.

 

 

Although the features may be worthwhile, you have to shell out over twenty dollars for the movie which hardly seems to be worth buying as it is, with or without special features. The initial story idea is intriguing and unique but the film progresses too slowly.

There is no doubt that the novel “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is based on is a compelling page turner, but when brought to life on the silver screen it didn’t do it for me. In this case it would be safe to say you are much better off renting the movie for less than five dollars, cozying up on the couch with some popcorn and getting ready to spend nearly three hours of your free time watching.