Director: Peter Berg
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich
Release Date: January 10, 2017
A Review By: Kevin Lovell
Film Rating: 8.5/10
Disc Rating: 8.5/10
Synopsis:
Mark Wahlberg leads an all-star cast in this unforgettably powerful film inspired by a thrilling story of real-life heroes. For the one hundred and twenty-six people aboard the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig, April 20, 2010, began like any normal day. Before day’s end, the world would bear witness to one of the greatest man-made disasters in U.S. history. Deepwater Horizon reveals the brave acts of the men and women who rose to the challenge—and risked everything to lead others to safety.
Based upon the incredible true story, ‘Deepwater Horizon’ accompanies the various individuals aboard the massive offshore drilling rig the Deepwater Horizon on that fateful day in 2010 when the rig exploded and led to numerous casualties, as well as the most massive oil spill in America’s history. The film follows a number of key people aboard the rig on that day and the daily activities and relationships they shared, which (along with their courage) were truly put to the test when questionable tests to the equipment and some insistence by the oil tycoons subsequently led to a chain reaction of deadly destruction and a devastating event that Americans likely won’t forget any time in the foreseeable future.
Directed by Peter Berg (Lone Survivor, Patriots Day) from a screenplay by Matthew Sand (Ninja Assassin) and Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom), from a screen story by Sand which was inspired by the article by David Rohde and Stephanie Saul respectively, Berg does a more than capable job at the helm of ‘Deepwater Horizon’ delivering an intense film that’s both visually impressive and respectful to the real life individuals. The movie also owes a large share of credit to the talented folks that make up the cast and portray the real life individuals including Mark Wahlberg (Lone Survivor), Kurt Russell (Big Trouble In Little China), Gina Rodriguez (TV’s Jane The Virgin), John Malkovich (In The Line of Fire), Dylan O’Brien (TV’s Teen Wolf), Ethan Suplee (The Wolf of Wall Street), and more, nearly all delivering solid performances in each of their respective roles.
‘Deepwater Horizon’ is a wildly intense, fiery and emotionally riveting film based upon the infamous events that occurred in 2010 which led to a massive explosion aboard the offshore drilling rig and subsequently resulted in the biggest oil spill in the nation’s history. The film concentrates largely on a number of key people on board that day, and provides a heartfelt and at times almost unbearably intense exploration of that catastrophic event. It certainly delivers plenty of visually outstanding moments including a great deal of explosive and frenetic activity, while still wisely choosing to showcase the relationships and family-like nature of those who worked together on the rig, not to mention the tremendous courage so many of them displayed that day; without which there would have undoubtedly been far more casualties than occurred. Passionately guided by Director Peter Berg and further complimented by capable performances from a talented cast including Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich and a number more. ‘Deepwater Horizon’ is a powerful, explosive and capably constructed account of the terrible true event that I would definitely urge folks to give a shot. Whether you’re personally interested in the unforgettable event, or simply appreciate the work of the various talented cast members and/or director Peter Berg, it’s an impressive film that’s handled with care and definitely worth making a point to check out when you have the opportunity to do so.
Overall, ‘Deepwater Horizon’ is an explosive, heartfelt and often wildly intense film recounting the terrifying and unforgettable explosion and subsequent oil spill that occurred in 2010. Director Peter Berg does a great job guiding an incredibly talented cast and providing plenty of visual eye candy, while never forgoing the humanity and courage in favor of simple spectacle. ‘Deepwater Horizon’ definitely gets my recommendation; it’s a visually stunning, and emotionally powerful dramatization of the devastating real event that is certainly worth a watch when you’re able. It should be more than worth the cost of a rental for those who may be uninterested in purchasing a copy of the Blu-ray to own, or are simply hesitant to drop the cash on a blind purchase.
VIDEO:
The Blu-ray release of ‘Deepwater Horizon’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation utilizing the film’s original 2.40:1 Cinemascope Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks quite fantastic as a whole and provides a sharp, detailed and gorgeous presentation throughout, with no notable faults present within. It holds up impressively even amidst the frenetic activity and constant fiery madness in many sequences, and never causing anything occurring on screen to become negatively affected or rendered indiscernible. Overall, this is a wonderful high definition video presentation complimented by a more than sufficient bitrate that should easily please.
AUDIO:
The Blu-ray release features a Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack. This lossless multichannel soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal and easily one of the most impressive audio presentations I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing recently. It constantly takes full advantage of all seven available channels to send blasts of fire, bouts of mud, shattering glass, toppling structures and plenty more destructive elements tearing its way throughout the various speakers, even offering creaks, bumps and other minimal auditory effects representative of the location in order to immerse the viewer during the tamer moments; and always making certain that any dialogue which may occur simultaneously remains clean and fully audible at all times. Overall, this is a magnificent Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack that perfectly complements the insanity of the film and should easily thrill the casual viewers and audiophiles alike.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Blu-ray release of ‘Deepwater Horizon’ includes a number of noteworthy extras. Included on the release are a collection of Featurettes that take a closer look at bringing the film to life and the real events it was based upon, including behind the scenes footage, interviews/comments with the cast, crew, and the real life individuals who survived the ordeal, plus more. The included Featurettes are: the 5-part series ‘Beyond the Horizon’ which is separated into segments each dedicated to specific cast members (running approximately 51 minutes in length altogether), along with ‘Captain of the Rig! Peter Berg’ (running approximately 18 minutes), ‘The Fury of the Rig’ (approximately 27 minutes), and a look inside numerous key sequences from the movie with ‘Deepwater Surveillance’ (approximately 18 minutes combined). A few bonus extras courtesy of Participant Media are also included: ‘American Worker Tributes’ (16 minutes altogether), and 2 different versions of the advertisement ‘I Am a Steel Beam’, the first with narration by Director Peter Berg, and the second with narration by Actress Gina Rodriguez (running 1 minute apiece).
*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray and resized. They additionally will suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.
Film Rating: 8.5/10
Disc Rating: 8.5/10
‘Deepwater Horizon’ is Now Available to Own on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD & Digital HD from Summit Entertainment & Lionsgate Home Entertainment
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