Above the Best Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Above the Best Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 13, 2019

War makes heroes of everyday men but can also break the best of them. Above the Best, crafted from authentic wartime sights and sounds, tells the story of Apache pilot Daniel Flores who flew the aircraft for two decades between 1991-2011. His story follows his own Apache crash in Conroe, Texas and the claustrophobic anxiety with which he has suffered ever since. Framing his tale is a May 5, 2006 incident, an exfil mission gone wrong when "Colossal 31" crashed on mission, killing all 10 souls on board. The accompanying Apache helicopters, neither of which were piloted by Flores, fled the scene, placing all Apache drivers on the hot seat. The film closely examines two of Flores’ subsequent missions in Afghanistan.

Flores reflects.

The first takes place in Afghanistan’s Tagab Valley region, supposedly a place away from the ravages of war. Flores is part of a QRF (Quick Reaction Force) callsign “Deadwood” sent to support troops on the ground, call sign “Vandal,” who have been engaged in a protracted firefight with the enemy, which is attempting to encircle a convoy that has come to a dead stop on a road and running low on munitions. The Apaches arrive and lay down fire but quickly realize they are not supporting Vandal, still on the ground further south, but rather a ground-based QRF force dispatched to support Vandal. Flores and another Apache rush to support the forces as time, ammunition, and patience run thin.

Months later, Deadwood is ordered to escort “The Code,” an anonymous general, in a morale mission to raise the spirits of American troops serving in the Korengal Valley, labeled as one of the most dangerous places on Earth. Deadwood is sent solo in support, but the 30mm gun quickly runs dry. Flores returns to Asadabad, but the ground crew does not have the equipment to load the mission-critical ammunition. Flores, with two weeks to go on his tour, is ordered to take off without a full compliment of armaments. The chopper takes fire en route to dropping off its cargo and again after liftoff. Flores finds himself in support of troops on the ground without the munitions necessary to lay down proper covering fire and engage the enemy directly.

The film starts quickly, dropping the viewer into a complex narrative about an exfiltration mission and all of the military intricacies thereof. It’s a rapidly paced beginning with little in the way of introductory context. The film assumes some level of military knowledge of acronyms and other jargon that might make audiences who are not particularly well versed in it feel a little lost, both in interviews and comms chatter, some of which is difficult to hear clearly. But as the story proper unfolds, following Flores on two key missions, the feel of disconnect dissolves in favor of the well-constructed narratives that draw the viewer into the action through the sights and sounds of war and the first-hand recollections that give a humanized weight, scope, and perspective to the combat.

The pacing is quick and the feel for entrenchment with the men on the ground and in the air above is palpable. Though the video footage is raw, the sounds are harrowing and the verbal storytelling is rich with detail and emotion. The film focuses on Flores, but several additional interviewees are amongst the men he supported on the ground. Audiences never see the enemy or witness the action from their perspective, but the film shows numerous rounds going downrange from both the ground and the air, and impacts of incoming fire on vehicle armor make for a frightening reminder of the dangers coming in, not just going out. It's a gripping story, made all the more intense by the realism around it. The film's only flub is the too-quick beginning, but once it settles into its rhythm there's no mistaking its power both as a story of war and a story of the humanity on the field of battle and away from it.

Above the Best Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Gravitas Ventures has released Above the Best to Blu-ray on a burned disc that presents the film at a resolution of 1080p and at a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The 1080p image is of a relatively high quality. Interview subjects and locations appear extremely sharp and colorful, though some select shots do show some macroblocking around the edges, such as a door frame during the first Flores interview at the six-minute mark. But textures are sharp, skin tones are complex, and colors are full and revealing; background artifacts appear but do not abound. Some night vision footage reveals severe macroblocking and fuzzy detailing, but it's effective in recreating the core visual structure of the famous green-tinted views made popular during CNN's coverage of the first Gulf War. Cameras mounted inside and outside Apache helicopters show extremely poor clarity and reveal jagged edges and false coloring, as does various footage from the ground, but the presentation thereof is certainly acceptable given the inherent limitations. The picture quality is far from exacting but largely fine under its natural constraints.

Above the Best Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Above the Best features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Overlaid music is largely the property of the front speakers. Clarity is fine and there's a modest low end accompaniment but little surround engagement or even aggression at reference volume. But it's a proper balance in support of the authentic comms chatter and sounds of war that dot the film, neither of which are of extremely high quality by their very nature. Such elements are front-center focused and play with enough detail to shape the moment, not define it beyond. Interview dialogue is clear and maintains a firm front-center position. This is not a dynamic "war movie" soundtrack but instead a documentary-style sonic production that is meant to compliment, not dominate or define, the experience.

Above the Best Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Above the Best contains only one supplement, the film's trailer (1080p, 1:55). No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

Above the Best Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Above the Best recalls the Daniel Flores story thorough sight and sound. It touches on Flores' PTSD and interviews his wife and son at film's end, both recalling a story of how his claustrophobic anxiety has impacted him years removed from his battlefield service. For those interested in learning more beyond the movie's scope, Flores has written a book detailing his experiences in the Apache cockpit. Gravitas Ventures' Blu-ray release serves the material well. It's limited in picture quality and audio reproduction when considering the authentic footage interwoven into the movie. The interview clips are also visually imperfect but fare well, generally. No extras beyond a trailer are included. Highly recommended on the strength of the film.