Captain Phillips (Limited Edition Steelbook) [4K Ultra HD]

Director: Paul Greengrass

Cast: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi

Release Date: July 16, 2024

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Disc Rating: 8.5/10

Synopsis:

Captain Phillips is a multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. Based on a true story, the film focuses on the Alabama’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (two-time Academy Award®-winner Tom Hanks, Best Actor, 1993, Philadelphia; Best Actor, 1994, Forrest Gump), and the Somali pirate captain, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), who takes him hostage. The two men are set on an unstoppable collision course when Muse and his crew target Phillips’ unarmed ship; in the ensuing standoff, both men will find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control.

Based upon the true story of the hijacking of U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates, ‘Captain Phillips’ explores the true tale and focuses on capable captain Richard Phillips and his quick thinking as well as the struggles he endured throughout the terrifying ordeal, in addition to focusing on the Somali pirate captain Muse and their attempts to take over the boat and not return home empty handed; showcasing both sides of the ordeal and the perspectives of each during the 2009 events that rocked the world.

Directed by Paul Greengrass from a screenplay written by Billy Ray and Based Upon the Book “A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy Seals, and Dangerous Days at Sea” by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty, Greengrass does a magnificent job at the helm of ‘Captain Phillips’ guiding this true story along with plenty of heart, care and terror shining throughout. The film’s cast includes Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi, along with Barkhad Abdirahman, Catherine Keener, Michael Chernus and many more who contribute fully capable (and in some cases truly outstanding) performances in each of their respective roles.

‘Captain Phillips’ was initially released into theaters in 2013 and the beautifully crafted and true story was met with well-deserved acclaim; earning 6 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. It explores the unforgettable 2009 events that shook up the world (or at least the US) and does a surprising and admirable job of showcasing both perspectives and allowing the viewer to have at least a modicum of sympathy for the pirates; providing an understandable and relatable reason as to why they do what they do. That’s certainly not to say that most will consider it acceptable by any means, but it’s commendable to allow viewers to understand and sympathize with both sides of the ordeal and make it feel powerful and real in both approach and execution on both ends.

I had somehow never seen ‘Captain Phillips’ prior to this release and repeatedly found myself blown away by how remarkably well done it is, not to mention how much heart and beauty can be found around the edges. Director Paul Greengrass does a nearly perfect job guiding it along and a powerful and immensely talented cast led by Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi who are each nothing short of phenomenal helps it to evolve into something truly remarkable. I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone like me that’s never had the chance to check it out to do so whenever possible because this one really shouldn’t be overlooked.

‘Captain Phillips’ arrives home from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in 4K for the first time. The release features an absolutely stunning new Ultra High Definition video presentation with Dolby Vision that looks truly flawless, and the impressive new UHD video presentation is only perfectly boosted by an equally outstanding Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack that combined bring this nail-biting thriller home looking and sounding better than ever before, and probably better than many imagined it would even on the 4K UHD format. The new release also features a handful of previously released extras on the Blu-ray disc and is packed in a very nice, sturdy and rough surfaced Steelbook. For anyone that’s a fan of this powerful, multi-Oscar nominated and just plain well-crafted film and would like to own it in 4K, this release is a real treat and is very highly recommended.

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Steelbook release of ‘Captain Phillips’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition video presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR-10 presented in its original 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks marvelous across the board and delivers a clean, sharp and gorgeously detailed presentation from start to finish that never suffers from any sort of issues or faults along the way. Detail is immaculately clean and crisp on everything from character faces and uniforms down to the details of the boats, the various rooms and areas within, as well as the expansive sea and other natural surroundings, complete with a nice grain structure that helps to retain its filmic appearance. The Dolby Vision HDR only boosts nearly all of it by contributing more vibrant and lifelike colors noticeable on clothing and various other elements throughout, all of which is perfectly balanced by deep, rich black levels. Overall, this is an outstanding Ultra High Definition video presentation that looks magnificent every step of the way and should have fans ecstatic.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack. Please note that this review pertains solely to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio presentation. This multichannel soundtrack is a real treat itself and it provides a clean, crisp and hard hitting audio presentation throughout that repeatedly immerses the viewer. It regularly utilizes all seven available channels in order to send music, action and nature effects along with a great deal more constantly whipping throughout the various speakers whenever appropriate, while never causing any dialogue or other audio elements that might be occurring simultaneously to become distorted or problematic in the process. Overall, this is a fantastic Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack that sounds tremendous at every turn.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Steelbook release of ‘Captain Phillips’ includes a few previously released extras which can be found on the included Blu-ray disc. Featured on the 4K disc is solely the film’s ‘Theatrical Trailer’ (running approximately 2 minutes in length). The Blu-ray disc additionally includes an ‘Audio Commentary with Director Paul Greengrass’ and a 3-part ‘Capturing Captain Phillips’ Behind the scenes Featurette collection which consists of ‘Embarkation’ (running approximately 20 minutes in length), ‘Full Ahead’ (running approximately 25 minutes) and ‘Stand Fast’ (approximately 13 minutes).

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray disc included in the 4K UHD Combo Pack and resized. They do not represent the quality of the 4K Ultra HD disc itself and will additionally 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 the 4K UHD & Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Disc Rating: 8.5/10

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‘Captain Phillips’ is Now Available to Own on 4K Ultra HD as A Limited Edition Steelbook from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

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You can purchase ‘Captain Phillips’ on 4K UHD Steelbook at Amazon HERE!

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