Distributed by
Pioneer Entertainment Europe

Cat.no: PLFEB 37301

Cert: 15

Running time: 120 minutes

Sides: 2 (CLV)

Year: 1990

Pressing: 1998

Chapters: 18 (9/9)

Sound: Dolby Surround

Widescreen: 1.85:1

Price: £19.99

Extras : None

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Director:

Garry Marshall (Beaches, Frankie and Johnny, Overboard)

Producers:

Arnon Milchan and Steven Reuther

Screenplay

J.F. Lawton

Music:

Go West, Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Bowie, Robert Palmer, Jane Wiedlin, Natalie Cole, Roy Orbison, Roxette, Peter Cetera and Richard Gere !

Cast:

Edward Lewis: Richard Gere (American Gigolo, An Officer And A Gentleman, First Knight, Internal Affairs, Intersection, The Jackal, Primal Fear, Red Corner)
Vivian Ward: Julia Roberts (Conspiracy Theory, Flatliners, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Pelican Brief, Sleeping With The Enemy, Steel Magnolias)
James Morse: Ralph Bellamy (Coming To America, Rosemary's Baby, Trading Places, TV: "War And Remembrance")
Philip Stuckey: Jason Alexander (Coneheads, Dunston Checks In, For Better Of Worse...)
Kit De Luca: Laura San Giacomo (Nina Takes A Lover, Once Around, Quigley Down Under, sex lies and videotape, Under Suspicion)
Hotel Manager: Hector Elizondo (Beverly Hills Cop 3, The Flamingo Kid, Frankie And Johnny, Leviathan, The Taking Of Pelham 123, Turbulence, TV: "Chicago Hope")

Pretty Woman is the romantic comedy which put Julia Roberts on the Hollywood map and features her as a "working girl" who attracts the attention of wealthy corporate mogul Richard Gere, resulting in a modern-day Cinderella fantasy which set box-offices alight on its theatrical run in 1990, with more sales to come on its video release that Christmas.

There can't be many movie lovers who haven't heard of it, but the version being reviewed here, though, is not available on video and is the Special Edition Director's Cut which has an extra five minutes of previously unseen footage including extra dialogue, extended musical sections and additional shots in some scenes. It is also the first time this film has been available in widescreen on PAL format.

The picture quality here is rather disappointing, giving it a terribly hazy look all over as if it's a below-average NTSC-to-PAL conversion or a bad pirated video tape about to break into a Macrovision-frenzy, except for the overlaid titles. I had to check my system setup as it's not the usual standard one expects from Pioneer who mostly turn out excellent transfers, but since the lettering of the credits don't suffer this problem then I know it's not my fault.

The surround soundmix is fine though. Mostly a combination of dialogue, a bit of ambience and plenty of music, but it's not particularly pushed to the limit. The soundtrack sold many a CD and the tunes on show here come from Go West (The King Of Wishful Thinking), David Bowie (Fame '90), Natalie Cole (Wild Women Do), Roy Orbison (Oh, Pretty Woman), Roxette (It Must Have Been Love) and even a piano solo written and performed by Richard Gere.

There are just 18 chapters to the film and it ought to have more. The first is labelled "Opening Credits" but those don't kick in for a while and there isn't a separate chapter for the closing credits either, not to mention the lack of a trailer or any interview material.

This film doesn't need too much explanation given its worldwide popularity. It's a mildly entertaining way to spend two hours, but is not the must-see that many people would have you believe.