7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
One of those rare films that grabs you by the gut and never lets go, Men of Honor was inspired by the life of Carl Brasher, an African American who dared to dream of becoming a U.S. Navy Master Diver. Despite a bigoted training officer and a tragic shipboard accident, Carl never gives up and achieves the impossible in an incredible finish that will leave you cheering.
Starring: Robert De Niro, Cuba Gooding Jr., Charlize Theron, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Hal HolbrookDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
English, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Don't quit on me.
Inspirational tales aren't strangers to Hollywood; based on fact but sometimes amped up for
dramatic effect and to ensure a tearjerking final triumph for its hero after overcoming the odds,
these poignant and touching pictures have found a place within the hearts of souls of many a
moviegoers as a means of escape from the doldrums, pains, and other realities of the real world
and as a source of encouragement to achieve greater heights through the strengths of spirit and
determination at any cost. Repetitive almost to a fault and as predictable as the sunrise, it would
seem the genre couldn't sustain itself once the moviegoing public figured out that the formula
holds true with just about every single picture of the kind, but year after year
filmmakers and screenwriters happen across another can't-miss tale of the triumph of the spirit
to turn into the next heartwarming motion picture, and audiences continue to flock to each every
offering. The staying power of the Inspirational Drama has become almost the
stuff of legend, and as the real world -- as it has, as it does, as it always will -- moves with its own
ups and downs and ebbs and flows, movies like 2000's Men of Honor offer an escape
from the
realities of life; the picture, like life, has its own series of setbacks and dangers, but the
guaranteed happy ending serves as something of a reprieve from the uncertainty of life, and the
genre, perhaps above all others, proves its worth time and again even in the face of cinema sins
that would otherwise ruin lesser films of little-to-no emotional value.
Tick, tock.
Men of Honor dives onto Blu-ray with a well-rounded 1080p transfer, housed within a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Though the image is often plagued by some obvious speckles and pops and moderate-to-heavy banding in underwater scenes, Fox's Blu-ray transfer otherwise proves a solid visual experience, despite its antiquated MPEG-2 encode. The transfer often reveals well above-average detailing, particularly on the various faces where pores, blood, sweat, and lines take on a highly realistic texturing. Additionally, viewers will often be amazed at the intricacies visible on the diving equipment, uniform patches and adornments, and building façades. Men of Honor isn't the most vibrant picture out there; it's no The Young Victoria for sure, but the copper-colored diving helmets, tan and white naval uniforms, green grasses, and the like all make for what is a fairly natural and pleasant color scheme, each proving to be nicely rendered on this Blu-ray. Blacks are solid, flesh tones appear accurate, and the image is almost consistently sharp, though it sometimes looks a bit excessively so, giving a few scenes a slight digital-like sheen; however such issues never prove much of a detriment to the high definition viewing experience. Finally, Fox's Blu-ray transfer of Men of Honor retains a layer of grain that's heavier in some scenes than it is in others, but it consistently lends to the image a quality film-like appearance, adding the finishing touches to what is, on the whole, an above-average Blu-ray transfer.
Men of Honor surfaces onto Blu-ray with a well-integrated DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Proficient in every area, the track supports the movie very well, whether in the more adventurous and dangerous action-style scenes or the many dialogue-intense dramatic segments. There's certainly no lack of aggressiveness with this one when the film requires a potent audio output; water splashes and spills effortlessly about the listening area with both power and clarity, while underwater scenes nicely recreate the sense of depth and pressure as water seems to surround the listener. Additionally, the track packs a potent low end; it's not as tight and natural as the more impressive of lossless tracks, but explosions and the shifting of a sunken vessel send heavy reverberations through the soundstage. Men of Honor's track also delivers strong atmospherics; a constant buzzing of crickets in chapter four nicely fills the soundstage, while a bar scene in chapter nine offers the clanking of glasses, the light din of country music, and smacking pool balls in the background. Also sporting consistently intelligible and crisp dialogue reproduction, Men of Honor offers a balanced and fine-tuned lossless listening experience.
Fox's Blu-ray release of Men of Honor splashes up a commentary track and several additional minor goodies. The commentary track features Director George Tillman, Jr., Actor Cuba Gooding, Jr., Producer Robert Teitel, and Writer Scott Marshall Smith. For a group commentary, this one is surprisingly tight, interesting, and well-constructed. The participants all demonstrate a genuine appreciation for the material and the story of Carl Brashear and speak on the quality and camaraderie of the cast. They also divulge some secrets from the set, discuss the themes of the story, and provide plenty of additional insights. This is a high-quality commentary that offers a nice flow and plenty of relevant information. Fans will want to give this one a listen. Also included is a pop-up trivia track that covers real-life facts and information from the film; the Men of Honor theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:26); and additional 1080p trailers for Flight of the Phoenix, Courage Under Fire, The Omen 666, and X-Men: The Last Stand.
Men of Honor isn't the greatest of the crop of Inspirational pictures, but it's a solid effort despite an absolutely transparent plot, but then again, if it were to play out any other way, it wouldn't be an uplifting tale or stay true to the real-life events that make it a relevant and important story to tell. The genre is by its very nature and definition a victim of absolute predictability, but such films also have going for them an intrinsic value that supersedes what is otherwise a cardinal Hollywood sin, and that's their ability to inspire. Men of Honor does just that; its message is valid and relevant and its intentions are true. Structurally, however, the picture never deviates from a most basic production both in front of and behind the camera. Nevertheless, fans of Inspirational cinema will find plenty to enjoy here, and they'll want to have a box of tissues handy for the picture's expected but no less powerful, gripping, and moving finale. An early release in the life of the Blu-ray format, Men of Honor looks and sounds better than many discs being released today. Despite the MPEG-2 encode and the constraints of a BD-25 disc, Fox's visual presentation is solid, and at times even gorgeous. Likewise, the lossless DTS track impresses, but the disc does lack a thorough supplemental package. Nevertheless, Men of Honor -- particularly if purchased at an aggressive sale price -- is a film and a Blu-ray disc worth adding to the collection. Recommended.
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