Apollo 13 receives the kind of treatment very few films are fortunate enough to benefit from on this accurately titled collector's edition DVD. The widescreen anamorphic transfer preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. English, Spanish, and French soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. Spanish subtitles are accessible, and the English soundtrack is closed-captioned. The supplemental materials make this one of the most interesting discs ever produced. The director Ron Howard is joined on his commentary track by Jim Lovell and his wife Marilyn. His accounts of the actual events, along with the original documentary "Triumph of Apollo 13" adds a layer of historical context missing from many discs concerned with actual events. Production notes, cast and crew biographies, and a theatrical trailer round out this package that will please film buffs, DVD buffs, NASA buffs, and history buffs. There is truly something for everybody on this spectacular release.
Wolfgang Petersen's do-or-die high-seas epic makes a smooth transition to DVD from Warner Bros. A gorgeous, anamorphic, 2.35:1 widescreen transfer and Dolby 5.1 Sound brings the titular storm howling to life. In addition, the disc is awash in extras, including a collection of commentaries from director Petersen, author Sebastian Junger, and key members of the visual effects team. Each provides unique insights into the making of the movie as well as into the real story that inspired it. The DVD also includes a "making of" special that first aired on HBO, a documentary on the real "perfect storm" of 1991, a host of storyboards and concept art, and the obligatory trailers and cast and crew bios. Overall, this DVD takes what was essentially a big-budget popcorn flick and outfits it with enough sights and sounds to make it a rather seaworthy addition to someone's collection.
Joe Charbanic's serial killer thriller The Watcher comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. English and French soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1. There are no subtitles on this release, but the English soundtrack is closed captioned. Supplemental materials include detailed production notes, cast and crew filmographies, and a theatrical trailer. Those with access to a DVD-ROM drive can access animated screen savers and wallpaper for the PC. Whatever one thinks of the film, this is a solid DVD release from Universal.
Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale are war-torn lovers in director Michael Bay's epic reenactment of the 1941 tragedy Pearl Harbor. Buena Vista has done a great job on this 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer (spread over two DVDs). All aspects of this picture look great, including even colors, dark black levels, and natural-looking fleshtones. Aside of a small amount of edge enhancement during one scene, this is a fine-looking transfer that should please fans. The audio is presented in DTS 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround in English and French, as well as an English 2.0 soundtrack produced for those listening with headphones. The Dolby 5.1 and DTS soundtracks are very full, featuring continuous use of surround sounds throughout the entire film. Bombs and explosions rocket around the viewer through most of the film's running time. All aspects of the dialogue, music, and effects are distortion-free. Also included on this disc are English subtitles. This two-disc Pearl Harbor set, while not jam-packed, includes a few well-produced extra features. Two documentaries, "Journey to the Screen: The Making of Pearl Harbor" and "Unsung Heroes of Pearl Harbor," are both extensive and very informative. The first documentary focuses on the making of the film, which includes interviews with stars Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and most of the main crew. The second feature takes a look at the real Pearl Harbor and includes interviews with survivors from that awful day. The second documentary is easily the more impressive and moving of the two. Finally, there is a music video by Faith Hill for the hit song "There You'll Be," a short promo for National Geographic: Beyond the Movie -- Pearl Harbor, as well as a teaser and trailer for Pearl Harbor. This is a nice, if insubstantial, DVD edition of Pearl Harbor.