U-571 - HD DVD review

Submarine films are few and far between in Hollywood. Over recent years, we have seen Hollywood churn out "The Hunt For Red October," "K-19 Widowmaker" and "Crimson Tide." These three films have their merits, but the definitive submarine film does not come from Hollywood, but from Germany. Wolfgang Petersen's film, "Das Boot (The Boat)," is the benchmark of submarine films. Petersen's tale, which has been shown in three versions (original, director's cut and miniseries), shows suspense and the psychological impact on the crew of a U-Boat. "The Hunt For Red October" and "Crimson Tide" offered some suspense, but though they were entertaining, the films really did not delve into any great depths about submarines. "U-571" is the only submarine pictures in recent years and it finds itself to be wonderfully entertaining and superior to all previous Hollywood efforts. It does not, however, reach the power of the twenty-five-year-old "Das Boot."

"U-571" is a very entertaining film. For those who are experts on underwater warfare, there are plot holes and historical inaccuracies. For casual fans of these underwater sardine cans or those looking to simply have a good time, "U-571" delivers as well as any good torpedo shot. Action and suspense are delivered numerous times throughout the film and soon every depth charge fired at the crew of the boat leaves the audience fearing of what may happen. Much more attention to detail is given here than recent efforts such as "October" or "Crimson Tide" and a genuine sense of being cramped in filthy close quarters is felt throughout the film. "Das Boot" did well to show this, as does "U-571," but the other American efforts make a submarine interior look like a penthouse at the Hilton. Again, "U-571" is not a true historical record of submarine warfare, and the events of the actual enigma captures are combined into one story here. British and American crews found success in capturing these devices. Though it may not be historically accurate, "U-571" certainly delivers an idea of what it was like in these small vessels that prowled beneath the ocean's surface.

The film finds Lt. Commander Mike Dahlgren (Bill Paxton) and his executive officer Lt. Andy Tyler (Matthew McConaughey) rushing to sea for a very secret mission. Their boat, the S-33 has been fitted with steel plating and dressed up to resemble a Nazi U-Boat. Marine Major Matthew Coonan (David Keith) takes to sea with the submarine's crew and briefs them and trains them to board the German sub and overpower its crew and take the enigma machine before it can be destroyed or before a radio message can be sent back to change the keys for decoding on the machines. The mission does not go according to plan. The characters played by McConaughey, Jon Bon Jovi and Harvey Keitel find themselves on the U-571 boat after their S-33 is sunk. The German sub is crippled and they are pursued by German destroyers who need to sunk the captured submarine. The chase between the German destroyer and the German U-Boat is the real meat of the film and where it shines.

The actors who take part in this film are wonderful. Most of my original excitement to see "U-571" stemmed from the fact that Harvey Keitel and Bill Paxton were appearing in the picture. Keitel is an incredible actor and Paxton is the perfect example of the average man. I would go to see any movie where these actors appeared on screen together. Throw them in a submarine and I am most certainly game to spend my $30.00 for the HD-DVD. In addition to these two fine actors, Matt McConaughey decided to throw on some clothes and leave the bongos home to put forth one of his best performances in recent times and "U-571" was one of his better action film performances over the years. McConaughey does well in the film and is the most prominent face throughout the picture. Jon Bon Jovi, David Keith and others appear throughout the film with good performances. This wasn't a film that won its cast any gold statues and the performances far from deserved it, but the performances are good for an action / war film.

"U-571" may not be for everybody. However, I love submarine films and have a weak spot for them. If you do enjoy a good military thriller, war film or are a fellow sub buff, you won't be disappointed after seeing "U-571." "Das Boot" may be my favorite, but "U-571" does a good job of taking the runner up position in the genre. I have seen numerous other submarine films over the years and this is one of the better ones. This film does not deliver the level of realism of Wolfgang Petersen's epic, but it is light years ahead of anything else done by Hollywood. Of course, my favorite after these two films is the much older "Run Silent, Run Deep," as I was disappointed by "The Hunt For Red October," "Crimson Tide" and "K-19."

Video:
Did you know that the filmmakers built the full-sized S-33 from scratch? This was one of the extremes taken by director Jonathan Mostow and his crew to make the film look as authentic as possible. "U-571" excels in this regard and may be the best looking submarine film ever made. It is incredibly detailed and its hi-definition transfer on the HD-DVD format is simply breathtaking. From the cramped and darkly lit scenes under the surface of the water to the sunny moments bobbing in the waves in view of the German destroyer, "U-571" never disappoints in being visually impressive. The vintage destroyers shown in the film and the individual rooms of the old submarine look as good as any war film ever made.

The 2.35:1 transfer is as clear as anything yet shown on the new format. Given its dark nature, "U-571" exhibits superior black levels and shadow detail. Skin tones are warm and properly contrasted. Colors are a bit drab given the subject matter, but absolutely no complaints from this reviewer. There is a lot of water in this film. The submarine leaks throughout the entire film. The ‘wet' look that the sets and actors are constantly subjected too is noteworthy. The reflection and shine of these wet surfaces shows the detail and clarity that HD-DVD is capable of. Compared to the standard definition DVD, the water looks wet. It's a wonderful effect.

Audio:
One of the reasons I love submarine films is for the experience. Submarine films sound great. "U-571" does not disappoint and you feel every depth charge that is exploded. Sonar pings echo through the entire film and the sound of water easily sends some helpless viewers on a run to the nearest bathroom facility. The sound is simply incredible. Visually, the film is stunning as well. The sets are very realistic and well done. This HD-DVD sounds phenomenal and rivals any current home theater soundtrack and "U-571" is a film with more than one scene that will proudly show off even the best home theater setups.

The disc contains English, Spanish and French Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 mixes. For those without six channel analog inputs, both a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix and a DTS 5.1 mix are provided. Of course, the Dolby Digital Plus track is the best sounding of the three. The tenseful moments when the sub seems like it is going to implode under the intense pressure is pure ear candy. When compared in an A-B test against the original DVD release, the HD-DVD sounds better with even more impact in its bass and sharper overall sound. The exploding bolts sound especially nice. The lesser 5.1 tracks sound superb as well and the DTS track slightly noses out the Dolby mix. The only complaint I had with the soundtrack was that some of the underwater scenes had their music and effects nearly drown out the dialogue. I had to adjust my volume to quite lofty levels to clearly hear all of the vocals. I like my sound effects loud, but there were times when the mix almost demanded to be played loud to hear and enjoy everything.

Extras:
The HD-DVD release of "U-571" features the exact features found on the older DVD release. Universal continues to simply copy their releases and only the "Bourne Supremacy" stands alone in having original content. Also, Universal is really starting to bore me with their identical menu overlays. Can we at least change the color or perhaps put a themed background on those suckers? I know the format is young, but this is a good time to experiment with the format. Us early adopters are much more forgiving than the general public.

The largest supplement is a "Feature Commentary with Jonathan Mostow." Mostow certainly loves his creation and he talks through the entire time with very little dead air. A lot of detail about the making of the film and decisions he made to bring the story to life are discussed. Mostow discusses how audiences (especially DVD) dissect films and pay attention to every detail and how he strived for as much authenticity and detail as he could afford to give. The commentary is a educational listen.

The fourteen-minute "Spotlight on Location: The Making of U-571" is the sole documentary on the making of the film. It is the standard electronic press kit that explains the reasoning for the film and does its best to highlight the picture. Dino De Laurentiis stops by to discuss his passion to do a World War II movie and the collaboration between Laurentiis and Mostow to make the film. "Inside the Enigma" is a relatively short featurette that gives historical background on the importance of the Enigma machine. "U.S. Naval Archives: Capturing the U-505" is a three minute press reel about the U-505 capture. Interesting, but it should have been much longer. "Creating and Constructing U-571" talks about constructing a full sized and sea-worthy replica of the submarine. Again, good but short. "A Submariner's WWII Experience" and "Britain Captures the U-110" round out the historical shorts surrounding the events that the film focuses on.

Parting Thoughts:
I love submarine films. I really do. While "Das Boot" is the essence of the genre, "U-571" is an above average entry in the oft overlooked category of sub films. What makes these films so exciting is the tension and suspense provided by a vessel pushing its structural limits by diving far below the recommended depths. I think this is a mandatory plot line for sub films, but I can never get enough of it. With a good line-up of actors in Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel and others and great looking set pieces, effects and reconstructed submarines, "U-571" stands above most submarine films made. The HD-DVD release does sound and look amazing, though it is saddled with the same supplements of the older DVD release. If you are looking for something to show off the sight and sound of your HD-DVD setup, this is the best example yet. Crank it up and sit back and enjoy every busting pipe, exploding bolt and creaking seam. This is not an award winning film, but it is an entertaining one.