THE FINEST HOURS is based on a true story that nearly defies reality. The movie tells of real-life perseverance and heroism and is a testament to the spirit of manking for survival in the face of adversity. That epic adventure is now available for home release on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.
As the story goes, Bernie Webber led a crew of four in 1952, in a boat built for 12, in a daring journey that would ultimately rescue 32 crew members of the fractured SS Pendleton under some of the worst weather conditions in local history. The movie delivers strong entertainment value with stars like Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, and Eric Bana. Superb story telling in the Disney fashion full of heroics, valor, loss, love, and ultimately, triumph.
The visual effects are passable in the film and they translate well to the home theater setting along with DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 audio. The excellent audio complements and often lifts the visual effects to bring the movie theater experience to the home.
Included with the movie is a varied collection of bonus content. An excellent documentary, Against All Odds: The Bernie Webber Story is the best of the bonus materials albeit too short piece clocking in at just 14 minutes. It includes interviews with Webber’s daughter and people from the town of Chatham. The filmmakers are also included as well as location shots that parallel the movie’s setting.
The rest of the bonus features include two deleted scenes, three short featurettes, and real Coast Guard member interviews. The weakness of the bonus content with such rich and proud material is the only disappointment although with the film’s mediocre splash at the box office it’s certainly not surprising. Still, it’s disappointing that such an epic true-life story didn’t have the adequate resources to really give it the historic tribute.
THE FINEST HOURS is available now on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital.
