Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Courageous Legacy: 10th Anniversary Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 11, 2022

Sony has re-released the 2011 film 'Courageous' to Blu-ray in its new 'Legacy' cut which adds new content and features remastered video and audio as well as a slew of new and returning bonus features.

Nathan Hays (Ken Bevel) falls victim to an attempted carjacking. He manages to subdue the thief, not because he's concerned with the truck, but because his baby daughter has been riding in the back all along. When the police arrive on the scene, it's revealed that Nathan is a recent transplant who's to start his new job on the force the following day. He's paired with the relatively young and inexperienced David (Ben Davies) as part of a four-man warrant team, the others being Adam Mitchell (Alex Kendrick) and Shane Fuller (Kevin Downes). The men are briefed on a new statistic that shows that children who come from fatherless homes, or from homes where the father is largely absent, are more prone to a life of crime and violence. That, and Nathan's risk-taking endeavor to save his daughter, sparks a discussion on the true role of fatherhood in their lives. However, it's not until tragedy strikes do the men come realize that they must take advantage of the time they have been given and work towards becoming strong, Biblically-based fathers who don't merely support their children, but love and dedicate themselves to them. While they work towards living up to the bond they've made and the agreement they've come to in the presence of God, they befriend a poor man named Javier (Robert Amaya) who comes to learn the value of hard work, honesty, and faith in God in the time he spends with the four seemingly inseparable and spiritually-aware officers. Can they all maintain their faith and live up to their creed, or will the world drag one or more of them down and threaten to undo all they've accomplished for one another, their families, and their very souls?

This new 10th anniversary cut of Courageous includes the bulk of the original film but has a number of additions throughout. First is a new introduction that is included as part of the final film and runtime. This introduction explores both how the film has changed for this Legacy release as well as the impact the film had, and continues to have, on fathers and families all over the world. The film proper has been remastered and recolored. A new audio mix has been created. This new cut edits in newly minted drone shots, new deleted scenes that have not been seen before, and a new ending. Several scenes and bits of dialogue have also been cut to improve flow and dramtic resonance. This cut also allows for closure to a few of the hanging plotlines from the original. While it runs longer, it is a tighter and more purposeful cut in this format. The review of the original cut still applies overall; please click here for a full review of the original film.

Courageous Legacy: 10th Anniversary Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony has re-released Courageous to Blu-ray. The picture has been remastered and the color timing adjusted. The end result is a very high yield 1080p image that would have assuredly played even better on the UHD format, but even at this resolution there is no mistaking the new Blu-ray presentation's overall excellence. First, the new color spectrum is very good. The newfound depth, integrity, accuracy, and overall vividness are very welcome. Contrast and color temperature are dialed right in as if an exact science, yielding a very balanced and brilliant, where applicable, picture that is much more well saturated and accurate compared to the previous installment. Viewers will notice quality blacks and white balance in addition to healthy skin tones. Details are razor-sharp, offering excellent clarity and fine detail to faces and clothes, particularly the police uniforms and all of the accessories on the belts, the patches, and so on and so forth. Environmental clarity is excellent as well, yielding a super clean and efficient image. The picture still holds to some noise, at times, but offers no real points of concern or contention. While the new footage and ending are going to be the main draw for most viewers, videophiles should find this to be a very welcome add-on to the overall Courageous experience.

Courageous Legacy: 10th Anniversary Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is also new. Even as it holds to the same encode as the previous release, the presentation has been adjusted for this new release. The track is adequate, but it is fairly front heavy. The surrounds are not used extensively or even all that prominently, even during times of high yield music and action intensity. But mostly this suits the film just fine, being dialogue driven as it is. Still, the lack of surround fullness, as well as the lack of serious low-end extension, can leave some scenes, like the truck hijacking at the beginning or a police chase later in the first act, sounding fairly flat and lacking any real sense of dynamics. Still, this is a solid enough track, but one that lacks that serious Hollywood oomph.

Courageous Legacy: 10th Anniversary Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This new 10th anniversary Blu-ray release of Courageous includes both new and returning supplemental content. New content is marked as such, and reviewed. For reviews of the carryover legacy supplemental content, please click here. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy voucher are included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• NEW! Audio Commentary: Alex and Stephen Kendrick discuss both the new and legacy content, pointing out new edits, new footage, the recoloring, and more, while also simply recounting the story of the original content.
• NEW! Behind the Scenes: Courageous Legacy (1080p, 5:11): Discussing the process of re-releasing and re-editing the film, building a new ending in the present time, speaking to a new generation of fathers, and more.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 9:52 total runtime): Included are Derrick Talks with Antoine, Derrick Meets Jade, Javier Loses Job, Nathan and David at Gun Range, Time to Man Up, Thinking of Emily, Processing Shane, and Nathan and Kayla Discuss Ring,. Note that Finding Nathan's Dad and The Sweetest Thing are no loner included in the deleted scenes package.
• OUTRAGEOUS
• Courageous in 60 Seconds
• The Making of Courageous
• The Heart of Courageous
• The Story of My Father
• NEW! Music Video (1070p, 4:22): Courageous by Casting Crowns.
• NEW! A Church of Prayer (1080p, 5:19): Sherwood Baptist Church's culture of prayer both in the church and on the set during the making of the film back in 2010.
• NEW! The Importance of Fathers (1080p, 4:37): Cast and crew reflect on the place of the father in a child's life in general and in their own lives in particular. It also looks at how the movie can help fathers raise their children in a Godly way.
• NEW! The Man Behind the Music (1080p, 7:51): Sherwood Baptist Church's Worship Minister Mark Willard reflects his work on various Kendrick Brothers films and the musical evolution through the first few films.
• NEW! Role of a Lifetime (1080p, 2:58): Briefly looking at Dr. Daniel Simmons' role as "William Barrett" in the film. Dr. Simmons pastors Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.
• NEW! Trailers (1080p, 2:24): Included are trailers for Show Me the Father (2:24), War Room (2:20), Overcomer, and a combo trailer for Show Me the Father and Courageous: Legacy (2:21).

Courageous Legacy: 10th Anniversary Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Courageous is a spectacular film of family and faith. Its centerpiece revolves around the role of Christian fatherhood in the home, of the man's place as the spiritual leader of his household. It's a picture of discovery, of tragedy, of faith in something greater for the betterment of oneself, one's family, and one's community. The picture espouses positive, uplifting messages that will speak to all comers, Christians or non-Christians, those seeking to reaffirm their own faith and values or those merely in search of something positive on which they may build upon and in some way incorporate into their own lives. The film is well made and looks and plays well beyond its budget. Strong acting and steady direction round Courageous into form as a fantastic, must-see movie fit for all audiences. Sony's new Blu-ray release of Courageous: Legacy features tip-top video and acceptable audio to go along with a good array of both new and returning extras, and it receives my highest recommendation.