Invincible Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Invincible Blu-ray Movie Review

A heartwarming and truly inspirational movie is a champion on Blu-ray.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 26, 2007

I'm a huge football fan, and I have to admit that the recent influx of football movies had me a tad bit flummoxed. Sometimes there can just be too much of a good thing, but as it turns out, that's not the case here. Invincible, Gridiron Gang, and We Are Marshall were all released within a few months of each other in 2006. I have yet to see Gridiron Gang, but We Are Marshall and Invincible are both exceptional inspirational movies. Mark Whalberg (Shooter) turns in a heartfelt and moving performance as real-life, unlikely hero Vince Papale, a Philadelphia bartender turned professional athlete for his hometown football team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Greg Kinnear (We Were Soldiers), Kevin Conway (Gettysburg) and Kirk Acevedo (Oz) also turn in exceptional performances.

"Wait 'till next year" takes on a whole new meaning in 'Invincible.'

Vince Papale (Whalberg) is struggling to make ends meet. He substitute teaches twice a week and tends bar at night. His wife is not happy with his employment status and she leaves him. Meanwhile, his beloved Philadelphia Eagles are a miserable team. They are shut out by the Cincinnati Bengals in the final game of the season, ending up with 4 wins and leaving the field to a chorus of boos from the Philly faithful. Hoping to turn things around, the Eagles bring in successful UCLA coach Dick Vermeil (Kinnear) to be the new head coach. Vermeil announces open tryouts, hoping to revitalize interest in the team, and definitely not expecting to find a great new player. A motley crew comes to the tryouts, including Papale.

Papale makes the cut, but doubts his ability to succeed because he has been torn down at every opportunity by his wife, father, a friend, and even the Eagle’s locker room attendant who doesn’t think the correct spelling of his name matters as he likely won’t last very long. One of the best scenes in the movie is one of the simplest. Papale returns home from an early morning run, exhausted. He takes a look at his empty house, likely thinking of his wife’s last message to him that he will never make anything of himself, and he turns around and goes back outside for more running and training.

This marks the second time I have seen Invincible and it's just as good, moving, and exciting as the first time. This certainly isn't the first movie (nor will it be the last) to bring audiences the message that anyone can achieve, strive for and reach lofty goals, and beat the odds and make a name for themselves when they are told they will never amount to anything at every turn in life. Invincible, however, is one of the very best at conveying this all-too-important message. It's based on a true story which makes it all the more memorable, meaningful, and rousing. One of the marks of a great movie is that you can see it multiple times and be thoroughly engaged and entertained every time even though you know the outcome. I'll admit to laughing, sitting on the edge of my seat, cheering, and even shedding a tear of joy when Papale tells his best friend Tommy (Acevedo) that he has made the team, all during my second viewing. Whalberg and Acevedo play this scene so well that you are convinced that they have been lifelong best friends in real life. This is a fantastic movie that is well worth your time, and is certainly a movie you can show to any member of the family, or to a person going through tough times. It's predictable yes, but it's also so uplifting that you literally can't help but smile every time Papale beats the odds.

Invincible Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio and in 1080p high definition, Invincible looks marvelous, considering the artistic license director Ericson Core chose to undertake with the look of the film. Much of the color palette has been muted in favor of a gold-ish, sepia toned color scheme. The result makes the film look dated about 30 years, right around the time this true story of Vince Papale occurred in real life. It looks good and works very well with the overall feel and style of the film. Noise is almost nonexistent, black levels are outstanding, and flesh tones, in lieu of traditional looking tones, fare just fine under the artsy look of the movie. I noticed no discernible flaws worth mentioning. This is yet another fine transfer from Disney.

Invincible Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Disney presents Invincible on Blu-ray with both a 5.1 uncompressed audio track as well as a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. This is a very impressive offering that showcases what high definition audio is all about. From beginning to end, every aspect of this soundtrack sounds crystal clear on Blu-ray. It's wonderful and room-filling with the sounds of cheers, boos, banter, and chatter. Ambience is one of this presentation's strengths. The sounds of rain and thunder in one sequence and the hard hits of a football game and crowd noise in others fill the listening area, saturating the viewer with wonderful, lifelike audio bliss. The track is appropriately proportional; bass is never too powerful, dialogue is never drowned out over music and action, and sound effects and ambience never overextend their welcome. This is an awesome sounding track in every regard.

Invincible Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Several better than expected supplements are included on this disc. First up are two feature audio commentaries. The first features Vince Papale, producer Mark Giardi, and writer Brad Gann. Papale is the obvious interest here, and he has a whole lot to say about the project and himself, including his history and real-life challenges and motivations. Also discussed is recreating 1970s Philadelphia (including the now defunct Veteran's Stadium), casting, and writing the film. The second track features director Ericson Core and editor Jerry Greenberg. This too is a pretty interesting track, though not as lively as the first. Many of the same issues are discussed here, including recreating Philadelphia and the true story behind the movie, along with the nuts and bolts type of commentary on the actual filmmaking process that we have come to expect from such tracks.

Recreating "The Vet" (1080i, 7:28) is a worthwhile and fascinating look at how the filmmakers re-created old Veterans Stadium, which was demolished in 2004. It's a flawless recreation and a wonder to behold visually. Becoming Invincible: The Story of Vince Papale (480p, 25:40) is a promotional piece with some good behind-the-scenes information on the film and the people involved.

Invincible Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What's truly great about the Vince Papale story is how the success of one man brought not only friends, but also an entire city, closer together. It's a true rags-to-riches story that'll have you cheering, laughing, and it may even bring a few tears of joy to your eye. I consider Invincible to be a modern classic of both the sports and inspirational film genres. Thankfully, Disney has not disappointed with this Blu-ray release. Invincible looks and sounds marvelous and a great bunch of supplements make this disc a keeper. Invincible is a movie fit for all audiences that even New York Giants fans are sure to cheer for. Highly recommended.