Game of Death will probably be the last movie starring Wesley Snipes for some time because he was sent to jail for fiscal evasion recently. This move can be considered solid but not spectacular. 80% of the movie are interior scenes, which means that it does not offer a lot more than shottings and some fights. In the latter, Snipes can show that he still is in shape and knows the moves. This should come handy in prison.

Surprisingly, the German DVD Version of the movie is almost ten minutes longer than the US one. On the one hand, it features some optical alterations (which will not be mentioned here), on the other hand it contains more storyline. Although some of the additional info is rather interesting, the US Version seems to be more entertaining.



Comparison between the German Version (taken from the German DVD by Splendid and the US Version (taken from the US DVD by Sony Pictures).

35 differents, consisting of
28 extended scenes
4 scenes with alternative footage
3 extended scenes in the US Version

The German Version is 570,72 sec. resp. about 9 minutes 31 seconds longer than the US Version.

Alternative Footage
0:00:48:The two versions start to differ as soon as the prolog. Instead of a frame-per-frame protocol, here is a list with the differences.

German Version:
Marcus in the car
Flashback to the undercover mission of Marcus, Zander and Floria
Intro featuring several skyline views (longer than the US)

US:
Marcus in the car, different shots
Tracking shot along the car
Newspaper article
Car pursuit
Flashback to the undercover mission of Marcus, Zander and Floria (a lot shorter)
Intro featuring several skyline views
The German Version runs 29,92 sec. longer

Alternative Footage
0:04:31: Marcus in the car and the basketball game also feature different shots in the two versions. The soundtrack is different as well.
The German Version runs 18,08 sec. longer

Extended Scene
0:07:29: The dialog between Marcus and the priest was extended. Marcus hints that he has millions in his pocket.

In the US, the priest aks Marcus whether he wanted to confess instead.
The German Version runs 29,84 sec. longer

Extended Scene
0:09:13: Marcus says: "I feel empty.", the priest replies "Go on.".
5,88 sec.

Alternative Footage
0:09:25: Marcus talks some more: "I am a killer. I used to believe in something. Not anymore."
Priest: "Go on, my son."

The priest can be seen in the US as well, but here he is silent. The scene is also later in the US, that is why I do not count this as difference.
No difference in time

Extended Scene
0:09:51: Marcus talks about how much things he did in order to protect his country have changed him. He adds that it had been so easy to kill people, just by pulling a trigger.
59,88 sec.

Extended Scene
0:11:50: Marcus's CIA contact talks a bit more about how times change.
21,68 sec.

Extended Scene
0:12:51: "I want you to go to Africa. Make yourself a reputation as a very nasty mercenary."
2,36 sec.

Extended Scene
0:13:36: A big extension in the German Version. At first, there is a drive through the city traffic, then talks between Marcus and Zander, in which Marcus tells his colleague to coordinate the mission and then asks how Floria was. Zander thanks Marcus for giving them the chance to develop the way they do. Then there is a scene change and another chat, this time between Zander and Floria. She complains that they did not have any normality in their lives, Znder says that he had a plan which was the right thing for them.
174,44 sec.

Extended Scene
0:16:42: Marcus uses his cell phone.
8,32 sec.

Extended Scene
0:26:07: Shot of an approaching police car.
2,52 sec.

Alternative Footage
0:28:07: The Asian bad guy talks into his radio and says where Marcus was, whereas he only looks out of the door window.
1,76 sec.

Extended Scene
0:29:26: The Asian tells his colleagues that he would kill Marcus.
1,64 sec.
After he shot the nurse, Zander tells the physician that had twenty minutes left.
6,16 sec.

Extended Scene
0:42:19: Floria yells at Marcus that she should not act stupidly and that his part would be 10 million Dollars.
6,8 sec.

Extended Scene
0:42:31: Floria says that she had hoped Marcus was more clever.
2,68 sec.

Extended Scene
0:42:56: She asks him whether he wsa fighting for justice.
2,04 sec.

Extended Scene
0:44:08: Floria says that she wanted to buy a nice house on Tahiti.
2,8 sec.

Extended Scene
0:44:26: She asks again why he had never hit on her.
1,8 sec.

Extended Scene
0:49:04: Zander quotes Marcus's mentor Thetrich, that the mission always had first priority.
4,16 sec.

Extended Scene
0:49:36: The doctor emphasizes that the situation was not to be underestimated and that Smith would die if they acted too fast. She then goes on to explain his medical condition and that she would not disconnect his vital connections.
16,92 sec.

Extended Scene
0:49:59: The doctor says she needed twenty minutes to get Smith transportable. Floria threatens her with the gun and says she would give her five minutes.
7,2 sec.

Extended Scene
0:50:23: When Floria puts the gun in Marcus's hand, she shoots a glass in the German Version.
3,24 sec.

Extended Scene in the US Version
0:51:52: The flashback is very different in the two versions when Zander aims his pistol at Marcus. There is a composition of memory pieces in both versions, but the one in the US Version is a lot longer, especially because she uses some footage that had been missing earlier. However, this does not really add to the movie, just as the other alterations.
- 33,64 sec.

Extended Scene
0:52:31: Marcus tells the priest that he had given his life for his team and his country.
8,64 sec.

Extended Scene
0:52:55: Marcus says he had lost everything he believed in. He could have gone to Langley and explain the situation, but he was not in the condition to do so. He adds that he did not know the difference between right and wrong anymore.
21,88 sec.

Extended Scene in the US Version
US: 0:47:19: Marcus looks at the priest when he tells him to go on.
- 4,28 sec.

Extended Scene
0:55:55: The head of police can be seen talking into the radio, he states that an armed person was to be found in the hospital. In the US, this is being done by a female voice.
7 sec.

Extended Scene
0:56:41: Zander and Smith have a litte ego fight. Zander critizices Smith for not taking any responsibility because he was hiding behind a mask. This was the reason why people like him was existing in the first place. Smith hits back and says that Zander could blame mommy and daddy but that this would not change what he was: a prostitute sellin to the highest bidder.
34,88 sec.

Extended Scene
0:57:20: Smith talks a bit longer about Redvale, who went to an African village and injected the people the HI-virus instead of a vaccine, even the children. His following lines, in which he compares Redvale to the mafia, were underlined with different footage. In the German Version, a tracking shot over the skyline can be seen, in the US he is shown talking in a car.
33,2 sec.

Extended Scene
1:07:37: Redvale asks Floria whether Zander was her boyfriend. Theser says he should shut up.
7,6 sec.

Extended Scene
1:09:38: Zander holds money towards his complices and tells them to smell it. Redvale says that they should leave Smith alone, take the money and go away. Floria ironically likes this suggestion. Zander says that he should see the whole thing positively, maybe they would do business some day. Redvale almost threateningly says that this would surely be the case. Zander laughs and points at the money, saying that it was the most beautiful thing in life.
65,96 sec.

Extended Scene
1:19:24: The German Version contains a small memorial flashback about the dead Floria, featuring some shots of her criminal life and doings.
20,76 sec.