The running time is 2 hrs. 55 mins..
I am among the many that seem to think these director's cut and extended cut DVDs are getting a bit absurd, but even still it is always fun to watch one of your favorites and see a little extra. The bigger question here is whether or not it is worth some extra cash. In the case of The Patriot I would say that buying this new extended version is not something you should do if you already own the DVD.
First off I have heard from many people that they thought the original cut was too long at two hours and 45 minutes, so if you are in that camp I don't think a ten-minute longer cut is in your future. Secondly the new footage doesn't exactly add a lot to the story, but there is some cool new stuff in here in the way of character development and fight scenes, but overall it isn't entirely necessary.
This DVD edition also doesn't serve as a 100-percent replacement of your current disc as a few of the special features, most notably the commentary with director Roland Emmerich and Producer Dean Devlin, are not there. This isn't a life or death situation but if you are looking to make an upgrade in your collection you may have to continue harboring both editions on your shelf.
As far as the movie goes I am a fan of this picture and I am surprised by those that didn't enjoy it. This is Mel Gibson doing what he does best, making an epic. This is the Braveheart of the Revolutionary War if you ask me. Granted the story may be a bit more cliché and not as fleshed out as Braveheart was, but it certainly has a spectacular cast with Jason Isaacs as the uber-bad English man, Heath Ledger looking very young as Benjamin Martin's (Mel Gibson) son and even Chris Cooper, Tom Wilkinson, Tchéky Karyo and Joely Richardson thrown into the mix. Personally I love Karyo as the Frenchman Jean Villeneuve, "If I die, then I will die well dressed." He certainly has some of the best quotes in this bad boy.
Overall, since I have already listened to the commentary on the other edition and taken in all those special features this edition will be replacing my older copy as I was able to give that one to a friend. Then again I didn't pay for this review copy. While you do get a few more minutes of Patriot goodness it isn't worth additional dollars if you already own the movie. If you don't already own The Patriot then by all means pick this one up, after all you are getting it at a slightly cheaper price and a little more footage.