Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Spacewalker Blu-ray Movie Review

Moscow, we have a problem.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 25, 2021

Dmitriy Kiselev's Spacewalker (AKA The Age of Pioneers and Spacewalk) is a very well-made 2017 historical drama that, having just reached Region A Blu-ray, has been worth the wait. In just 140 minutes, this film skillfully condenses the real-life Voskhod 2 space mission where, in March 1965, Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first person to complete a spacewalk. Despite his success, the mission was plagued with technical problems that nearly resulted in death for Leonov and his partner, commander Pavel Belyayev, both in space and immediately following an emergency return landing deep in the icy forests of western Russia, some 240 miles away from their intended target.

Spacewalker has a relatively straightforward narrative with very few tricks or sleight of hand, instantly reminding seasoned space-film fans of earlier fare like The Right Stuff , First Man, Apollo 13, and even a splash of Gravity. This almost guarantees there aren't unexpected surprises, but plenty of suspense is generated along the way: from the training of cosmonauts Leonov (Evgeniy Mironov) and Belyayev (Konstantin Khabenskiy) -- which is almost thwarted due to a nasty leg injury -- to mission prep headed by Sergey Korolev (Vladimir Ilin) with interference by military official Nikolay Kamanin (Anatoliy Kotenyov), much of its first hour is gone before the shuttle even launches.

Other elements are juggled as well, from Alexei's relationship with wife Svetlana (Aleksandra Ursulyak) to the space program's public image in the midst of a brutal Cold War. Like several of those films mentioned above, Spacewalker's story is told almost exclusively from the perspective of its home country and it has an extremely patriotic tone that nonetheless feels historically accurate. Its inarguable highlight is the mission itself, from Alexei's successful spacewalk to the technical issues that threaten the life of both cosmonauts; these include a faulty lock mechanism that must be corrected manually, a hairline crack in the craft's outer hull that almost leads to oxygen poisoning, and their delayed emergency landing that almost leads to a frozen death back on Earth. It's one climax after another during the film's second half, which unfolds at a thrilling pace and slightly improves on Spacewalker's somewhat uneven opening stretch. The thrilling source story, combined with solid performances and terrific special effects, outpace its less impressive elements, which also include intermittent text breaks that offer nothing more than bland exposition.

The closest thing to a villain in Spacewalker is any government employee who favors money over the safety of its lead characters; that and, of course, the inhospitable nature of outer space and parts of our own planet. It's a mostly well-paced and thoroughly enjoyable production with decent fundamentals and impressive window dressing that brings an underrepresented "space race" story to vivid life. Very few shortcuts have been taken here and, though I don't know enough about the real Voskhod 2 mission to comment on Spacewalker's authenticity, its core story details are dramatic enough that extra sweetening isn't needed -- not to mention that real-life cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, who passed away just last year, served as lead consultant on the film. MPI's belated but very well-rounded Blu-ray supports the main feature nicely with great A/V specs and a few imported extras that give the package a bit of added value.

Spacewalker Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, I have very few complaints about Spacewalker's appearance on Blu-ray; aside from the lack of a 3D option (available on at least one international release), it has just about everything you'd want from a visual perspective. Image detail and textures are quite impressive in wide shots and close-ups alike, as the entire film has a very smooth and polished appearance overall -- and though I suspect that a bit of noise reduction was applied during a few scenes, it's nothing flagrant or pervasive. Spacewalker sports a largely teal and orange color palette (especially in the mission control scenes) with muted tones in other areas, all of which are bolstered by rock-solid black levels and excellent contrast. This is a largely dense and thick image with terrific depth whose appearance seems tailor-made for its source decade's visual aesthetics. No glaring compression artifacts or other defects could be detected; though a handful of shots appear to have been shot at a lower framerate and look a bit juddery, upon closer inspection this seems to have been a conscious decision by the filmmakers to mimic how the some of the original footage might have been recorded. Overall, it's a great transfer with very little room for improvement.

Spacewalker Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Armed with dual Russian and English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio tracks -- and you'll probably want to avoid that English dub, which is sadly the default -- Spacewalker plays exceptionally well on the small screen. This lossless audio mix heats up very nicely during the second half, from the ever-present low rumble of outer space (which, yes, isn't really a thing) to the claustrophobic craft interior as well as the demo-worthy re-entry sequence, which features no shortage of channel separation and panning effects that really sell the chaos as it rapidly unfolds. Elsewhere, this is a more dialed-back presentation but no less effective, with crystal-clear dialogue that's balanced nicely with the background effects. Spacewalker's original score, though more than a little derivative at times -- I easily picked up on a few chords and stray sounds that sounded dangerously close to both Gravity and Batman Begins on separate occasions -- also comes through forcefully with a strong dynamic range that isn't overcooked. All told, it's a very well balanced mix and sounds quite polished overall, with no need to grab for the remote and adjust the volume every few minutes.

During a few brief switch-over comparisons, the fidelity and volume level of both audio tracks sounded identical.

Optional subtitles are included during the main feature in two helpful varieties: standard English for the Russian dialogue (and partial sign) translation, as well as English SDH for the dub. A few extras are subtitled as well.

Spacewalker Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with Gravity-esque cover artwork and a few very interesting bonus features. The first two are presented with Russian dialogue and include removable English subtitles.

• The First Walk in Space (26:25) - Consultant Alexei Leonov, who sadly passed away in 2019, shares personal memories from the real-life mission depicted in the film. It's also paired with personal photos and historical footage from the era, with Leonov offering lots of candid stories about several of them. He's excellently portrayed in the film by Evgeniy Mironov, who also offers a few comments about stepping in to the role.

• The Story Behind Spacewalker (25:12) - This more technically-minded piece includes additional comments by Leonov, as well as director Dmitriy Kiselev and several unidentified crew members, who collectively speak about creating the film including its adaptation, casting, effects, and other post-production work. It's almost identical in format, scope, and execution to the first featurette and is definitely worth watching

• Theatrical Trailer (1:14) - Dubbed in English, unfortunately, and also available here. (A extended Russian trailer with forced English subtitles can also be seen here if you're interested.)

Spacewalker Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dmitriy Kiselev's Spacewalker is a durably-made historical drama whose Cold War-era story, told from a completely Russian perspective, doesn't break much narrative ground but remains compelling from start to finish. Featuring terrific lead and supporting performances, very good special effects, and an extremely thrilling second half, it's worth watching even if a 140-minute subtitled movie doesn't sound like your cup of vodka. MPI's Blu-ray includes solid A/V specs and dual Russian/English audio tracks (but avoid the dub, please), as well as a small collection of thoughtful supplements featuring cosmonaut / lead consultant Alexei Leonov, who unfortunately passed away in 2019. It's a very well-rounded package for the asking price and comes Highly Recommended for established fans and newcomers alike.