Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Orca Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 8, 2018

Michael Anderson's "Orca: The Killer Whale" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Australian label Umbrella Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive new video interview with producer Martha De Laurentiis; and new audio commentary by film historian and writer Lee Gambin. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The angry killer

It is not difficult to see why so many people have compared Michael Anderson’s Orca: The Killer Whale to Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, which was released two years earlier, but the logic behind the comparison is incredibly flawed. It is the same type of poor logic a person could use to conclude that there is hardly any difference between driving a brand new Mercedes and a brand new Jaguar because both have four tires and plenty of the same high-end accessories. Anyone who understands automobiles will immediately point out the obvious. Despite being luxury automobiles from the same price bracket, Mercedes and Jaguar have unique personalities and offer vastly different driving experiences. The situation with Orca: The Killer Whale and Jaws is practically the same. They are similar because both tell stories about powerful sea creatures, but have unique identities and thrill in profoundly different ways.

Richard Harris is Captain Nolan, a seasoned sea hunter, who is on a mission to capture a giant whale that will be used for important research. Of course, upon delivery, he will also be paid a hefty sum that will finally allow him to retire in style. After days of scouting an area where whales love to play, Nolan finally spots his prey and fires off his harpoon. But he hits and kills a pregnant whale, whose mate then goes berserk and threatens to destroy an entire fishing community. (It is best not to reveal precisely how the whale does it, as the danger and later the destruction are major elements of the narrative). The whale’s primary target remains Nolan, the killer of its best friend, so it is only a matter of time before they clash in a deadly duel.

It may seem like Orca: The Killer Whale is structured a lot like Jaws, but this film genuinely wants to be educational and inspire its audience to try to understand why the giant sea creature can become ‘deadly’. It is precisely why Charlotte Rampling’s character and her descriptions and observations are given plenty of time -- they provide a scientific justification for all the bloody action that comes in the second half. In Jaws, the action is almost exclusively utilized to build up a tense atmosphere intended to have an instant effect on the audience. In other words, the audience is not encouraged to analyze and ponder the two sides of the conflict, but experience it as it evolves.

How successful Orca: The Killer Whale is in its mission will be determined by the expectations with which it is approached. Folks expecting an intense but straightforward ecological action thriller mimicking Jaws will likely be underwhelmed, because even though it is not downplayed here, the action has a completely different function. On the other hand, Orca: The Killer Whale will surely resonate well with folks who appreciate a greater dose of authenticity and a more rational depiction of the ‘dangerous killers’ that supposedly hide in deep waters.

The most spectacular visuals were shot on location in Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. Several of them feature terrific underwater footage as well.

The memorable soundtrack was composed by the legendary Italian maestro Ennio Morricone (Once Upon a Time in America, Black Angel).

Orca Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Michael Anderson's Orca: The Killer Whale arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master, but I actually like it a lot. Indeed, even though there a few tiny white specks that pop up here and there and ideally delineation should be better, there are absolutely no traces of compromising digital corrections and this makes a huge difference. I actually ended up upscaling the release to 4K and while I could tell that there are some areas where density was very clearly not optimal, the entire film has a very consistent organic appearance that allows for a hassle-free viewing experience. This being said, Umbrella Entertainment should have used a double-layer disc and tried to optimize the encoding so that the end result is even more appealing. Still, I liked the color grading, image stability is great, and sharpness and contrast levels are proper. All in all, while far from perfect this is indeed a very fine presentation of Michael Anderson's film. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Orca Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 ad English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. However, in order to access the former, you will have to use your remote control to switch audio channels/tracks. Also, there are optional English SDH subtitles, but once again they can be turned on and off only with a remote control (not from the main menu).

I viewed the film with the Dual Mono track and thought that audio mix was very nice. There is proper depth for a film from the '70s, clarity is very good, and balance is excellent. The dialog is also stable and very easy to follow.

Orca Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for Orca: The Killer Whale. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Moby Dick ala De Laurentis: Martha De Laurentiis Remembers Orca - in this new video interview, Martha De Laurentiis, the widow of the great producer Dino De Laurentis, discusses the production history of Orca: The Killer Whale and explains why the film has been compared to Jaws. The interview was produced elusively for Umbrella Entertainment. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Audio Commentary with Film Historian Lee Gambin - this is a very nice commentary with plenty of factual information about the evolution of ecological thrillers, the conception of Orca: The Killer Whale, and the film's structure and style. Also, there are some quite good observations about the horror genre's constant desire to reinvent itself over the years.

• Reversible Cover -

Orca Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I remember back in the days of the mom-and-pop video stores Michael Anderson's Orca: The Killer Whale was routinely placed next to Jaws because it was basically viewed as a copycat of sorts. While Orca: The Killer Whale almost certainly materialized because of the enormous success of Steven Spielberg's film, I always thought that it had a legit identity of its own. This new release from Umbrella Entertainment was quite the pleasant surprise because I had not seen the film in years, probably since the VHS era, and a few nights ago it brought back a lot of good memories. Ideally, the film should look better in high-definition, but the master that was used to produce the release is very healthy. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.