Comparison between the original Theatrical Version and the Japanese Laser Disc extended version.

This version of Albert Pyuns' milestone in the cyborg action genre is a lot less known than the original cinema release although it offers some new or extended scenes. The ending is also much shorter but there is an alternative ending scene which is darker and more open than the original.
It's hard to say which version this really ist. Some information from the internet says that this could actually be the initial Director's Cut. At least some changes in the movie point to that, too:

- every one of the comments told from the off by Jared are now spoken by main character Alex Rain which makes a lot more sense. Also, some comments that rather spoil the movie by telling obvious things or reveal too much too early have been left out.
- the character "Pam" from the THeatrical Version is here called "Sam", exactly as it is called in the ending credits of both versions (!). It also gets a more important role due to some changes in the dialogues (details follow).
- the brutal and admittedly not very well done final fight between ALex Rain and the Farnsworth endoskeleton has been completely left out to make room for the more apt ending.

It is, however, impossible to say definitely whether this actually is the Director's Cut or just another cut version paid for by the Japanese rental company. Following info from the IMDB the version from the Japanese Laser Disc is "only" an uncut Unrated Version while there are allegedly two different versions to be found in the US: the cinema release and the Director's Cut. I couldn't find the latter in any of the well-known internet sources including eBay America. And even if this Director's cut existed it wasn't sure if it is identical with the Japanese cut.

Anyways, the Japanese LD is the only medium this version of the movie can be found on, it was never released on DVD and probably isn't going to. Because of that, this article is dedicated to give interested people and fans of the movie the oppurtunity to compare the different versions.

The running times of the altered scenes refer to the cinema release. The rest of the running time difference is the result of the different running speed of PAL/NTSC and the rounding up/down of the running time of some scenes to full and half seconds.

Running time of the Theatrical Version:1:32:07 min. (1:28:44 min. Without ending credits)
Running time of the Japanese LD: 1:36:10 min. (1:32:39 min. without ending credits)

9 extended / alternative action scenes
5 extended violence scenes
4 extended / alternative storyline scenes
3 censored images
1 cut scene

Opening:

0:00
The logos of the rental companies are different.

Theatrical Version(TV):

Japanese LD(LD):

The logo in the TV is being displayed 3 sec. longer.


In the hotel:

2:48
The text spoken by Jared is missing in the TV:
"The things that people do to get ahead - his work order turned out to be a nicely shaped chip-smuggler who had some expenisve bio-engeneering done to her insides. She was able to charge double because of the extra RAM she could carry."
No difference in time.

3:12
Again something of Jared's text is missing:
"Marico was the name she had been using, and she had hoped to download her data on a gang of terrorists known as the red army hammerheads.
The hammerheads - they're a cute bunch fighting for lost cause. Someday i expect their scan-IDs coming over the uplink. But right now Marico had been his work order - then it was filled."
No difference in time.


Shootout in the ruins:

6:48
Extended action scene
After the big gun was shot out of Alex' hands we can see it falling down the slope.
0,5 sec.

7:51
Extended action scene
The shooting starts earlier: Alex leaves his cover and starts firing with both weapons. His opponents have a hard time firing back.
8,5 sec.

7:59
Extended action scene
After the guy in the suit has been shot the woman leaves her cover und shoots at Alex who is reloading. Eventually she also runs out of ammunition auf has to reload, too.
6 sec.

8:00
Extended action scene
The cover of Alex' enemy is being hit one shot earlier.
1 sec.

8:14
Extended action scene
Alex shoots longer at the position where the now two women take cover.
3 sec.

8:23
Extended action scene
The women shoot back longer as well, especially the big caliber gun is being used more often causing more stuff to break apart.
6,5 sec.

Baja, New America:

14:06
Some of Jared's text is missing again.
"After the techs were done with his body, they shipped him to Baja."
No difference in time.

18:15
Slightly changed dialogue.
TV: "Shut up, Pam!"
LD: "Shut up, Sam!"
No difference in time.

18:42
Again a slightly different text.
TV: "She's right. Nothing is mine any more...."
LD: "Sam's right. Nothing is mine any more...."
No difference in time.

20:30
Jared's text has been changed.
TV: "That was unnecessary. We never get him back now."
LD: "You're too excessive, Sam."
No difference in time.


Shang-Loo Hotel:

36:45
Image censoring
Julian's genital area is covered in the Japanese Version.

TV:

LD:

No difference in time.

36:55
Image censoring
The genital area of the man on the bed as well.

TV:

LD:

No difference in time

36:58
Image censoring
When she is putting on her trouser Julian's genital area is covered up again.

Theatrical Version:

Japanese LD:

No difference in time.

42:50
Extended violence
Michelle rams Alex' skull another time in the tiled wall, this time on the other side of the showering booth. He doesn't throw him in the direction of the direction of the glass before that (which logically makes more sense).
3 sec.

43:53
Extended violence
Michelle can be seen longer.
2 sec.

50:05
Erweiterte Gewaltszene
The cyborg shoots Julian longer and literally rips her into pieces.
4,5 sec.

52:05
Extended violence
The scene in which Farnsworth pushes his fingers in Julian's eye sockets is a tiny bit longer.
He can also be seen longer when he is deleting her memories.
2,5 sec.

Alex first contact with the digitalised Jared:

54:49
Extended storyline
The dialogue with Jared is longer:
Jared: "It was Sam you saw in Baja."
Alex remembers the cyborg and has a short flashback.
Alex: "Sam, your ex-partner?"

The beginning of the next sentence was slighly altered.
TV: "A cyborg was retro-cloned into a perfect...."
LD: "She was retro-cloned into a perfect...."
9 sec.

55:02
Different text:
TV: "They intend to replace humans...."
LD: "Sam intends to replace humans...."
No difference in time.

55:09
Ditto.
TV: "They have to be stopped before they start...."
LD: "Sam has to be stopped before she starts...."
No difference in time.

55:17
Again some alterations have been applied to the text.
TV: "....why don't you side with them?" "They're wrong."
LD: "....why don't you side with Sam?" "Sam is wrong."
No diference in time.

57:41
Different text spoken by Jared.
TV: "The cyborgs sent you, Alex. You were their only chance to locate me. They planted that demo-bomb in you hoping...."
LD: "That's why she sent you, Alex. You were her only chance to locate me. Sam planted that demo-bomb in you hoping...."
No difference in time.


After the slide:

1:01:27
Extended violence
The cyborg that has been hit in the head can be seen longer.
0,5 sec.

Chase to the volcano:

1:13:23
Extended action
Alex leaves the house and is sneaking through the gardens while carrying Max on her back. Farnsworth sees them and continues to shoot at them. Alex then hides in another house.
24,5 sec.

1:14:47
Extended action
The cyborg is shooting longer at Alex & Max before he grabs the rope.
0,5 sec.

1:14:49
Alternative action scene
Theatrical Version: Alex shoots at the rope but misses. He shoots and second time and hits.

Japanese LD: Alex loads his weapon and shoots the rope. He hits with his first try.

The TV runs 2 sec.longer here.

1:19:41
Alternative story scene
TV: Farnsworth's endoskeleton is getting up again after the explosion.

LD: The blasted place where the xplosion happened can be seen, Farnsworth doesn't appear.

No difference in time.

1:20:00
In the TV a read hue has been layered upon the scene between the wind turbines. This effect which supposedly is there to indicate dusk isn't included in the Japanese Version.

Theatrical Version:

Japanese LD:

No difference in time.


Showdown:

1:21:54
Cut scene
In order to enable the alternative ending in the Japanese Version the final fight between Alex and Farnsworth's endoskeleton is missing.
Farnsworth clings to the Hammerhead's plane, gets in through the cargo door and fights with Alex. After a while Alex can push him out again but Farnsworth pulls him outside, too. During this Alex' top of the skull is being ripped off.
Farnsworth tries to get Alex to hand over Jared while Alex tries to get back inside. Eventually Alex sacrifices his left arm, on which Farnsworth is hanging, and the endoskeleton falls down into the volcano.
120,5 sec.

Jared's download:

1:25:33
The Japanese version lacks the final monologue by Jared.
"It is over for me. But the struggle goes on to preserve the human impulse. Alex knows what has to be done - and he's the one to do it. I did my part - he is back. Now there is hope."
No time difference.


L.A.P.D headquarters:

1:25:56
Extebded storyline
Germaine is sitting nervously at his desk and asks whether there has been any security breach during the last three hours. The operator asks if he really meant the police building itself causing Germaine to answer that he should just check it.After a while he gets the response that there has been no breach.
Germaine seems to be relieved and says that he would now go home and his transmissions should be forwarded to him. He then switches the light off and puts on his sunglasses.
49 sec.

Final scene with Alex and Max:

1:28:32
Alternative storyline
Here's the alternative ending that has been mentioned in the introduction.

Theatrical Versio:
Alex and Max climb the stairs, fading to a black screen.

Japanese LD:
When Alex and Max climb the stairs a man is entering the picture from left and stops at the middle, his face still unrecognizable.Cut to the others, who continue to climb the stairs happily. Again a cut to the man from earlier, now his face is visible: It's Farnsworth. A womman's voice is asking out of the off: "Should we take them out now?" Farnsworth turns around and answers "Why not!" before he turns his head towards the stairs again. Then the ending credits are faded in.

The alternative ending is running 5 sec. longer.