Straight Up: Helicopters In Action Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Straight Up: Helicopters In Action Blu-ray Movie Review

Lost in a (helicopter) dream.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 6, 2015

Straight Up: Helicopters In Action is the perfect descriptive title for a fun little Documentary that offers a quick and broad highlight reel of what helicopters can accomplish in the modern age, shining a little more light on a technology that modern man too often takes for granted as just 'something up in the sky" or that "makes a lot of noise." For people who live close to, say, a military base (yours truly) or a major hospital (yours truly), helicopters flying overhead may seem like an everyday part of life, but when they're coming in fast and low -- when those four or five chinooks are in formation and on exercise or when an air ambulance rushes overhead -- it's still an event, triggering a reactionary run through the back porch door to watch the machines hurry overhead, machines that are essentially a flying testament's to man's grasp of physics, machinery, electronics, and the dexterity necessary to pilot them, to use some laws of science to defy others. Maybe for the jaded helicopters are just another "thing," but for anyone with a childlike enthusiasm for machinery, travel, and flight, the magic of the helicopter never gets old, and it's for those people that Straight Up: Helicopters In Action was made.

In flight.

The film begins with a recreated scenario in which a couple of travelers become stranded when their car is covered in snow by an avalanche. In comes the helicopter-based search and rescue team to save the day. Narrator Martin Sheen and the film offer a brief lesson on how helicopters work and are piloted -- including pitch controls for the top and tail rotors and the four-limbed operation -- and follows with a look at a few specific models, from the old "banana" Piasecki H-21 to the new XV-15 and modern stealth designs. It depicts helicopters in operation today as critical cogs in the machine of human operations around the world, including roles as military transport vehicles and assault craft, in the war on drugs, on humanitarian relief missions, in subduing endangered animals for care, and in the industries of forestry and live-wire electrical work.

It's a shame that Straight Up: Helicopters In Action cannot offer a more detailed history of the helicopter or take a little more time to demonstrate how, exactly, they work -- the few minutes the movie spends on these topics are its best, particularly in its dynamically clear shots that show the pilot operating the machine and the precise movements it makes as a result -- but as a simple pleasure cruise around the world of modern bladed aviation, it satisfies core requirements. The movie, originally presented in the large screen IMAX format back in 2002, feels appropriately big and enveloping, with a number of beautiful backdrops -- snowy mountains, wide-open ocean, dense forests, and jungly terrain -- accentuating the diverse role that helicopters play in every environment. There are plenty of great perspective shots, both intimate right up inside, or alongside, the helicopters, and larger sweeping vistas of one or more of the machines in action. It's not the end-all, be-all of helicopter history and narrative, but the film is fun and accessible and sure to appeal to audiences in search of some big-screen thrills.

Beyond the relative absence of a more in-depth look at the history of and science behind helicopters -- there's really not much more than a cursory overview of each -- the film also lacks a sense of general flow. While it's compact and efficient, there's an evident lack of cohesion as it simply jumps from one adventure to the next, revealing the basics in how and why a helicopter suits a particular role within some organization or service. The film never quite finds much of a purpose beyond serving as a glorified highlight reel for the diversity of helicopter usage. That's OK in terms of accepting the program for what it is, but audiences in search of a more comprehensive investigation into the world of helicopters may be disappointed when it's all said and done, their appetites whetted but not fully filled, their curiosity engaged but not fully satisfied, their senses excited but not fully indulged.

Straight Up: Helicopters In Action Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Straight Up: Helicopters In Action was always going to look better on a massive IMAX screen. Home screen size limitations really don't do its scope and grandeur justice, but Blu-ray at least allows the raw quality to shine through and hint at the spectacle of that big-screen sensation. The 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer offers a well defined image, albeit one that's not without a few issues. Minor pops and speckles appear throughout. Light edge halos trace along some straight lines. Color saturation is a little problematic in early shots of the red-accented helicopter where the red appears to bleed, albeit insignificantly. Otherwise, the transfer serves up a very nice, satisfying image. Light grain remains and helps accentuate a crystal-clear image that shows some natural depth and strong definition on clumps of snow, natural vegetation, and metallic helicopter surfaces. Colors are, generally, balanced and pleasant, with some handsome yellow and blue paints seen on various vehicles, not to mention sparkling waters, clear blue skies, and lush green vegetation. Black levels tend to wash out, particularly evident in the nighttime rescue sequence near film's end. Despite a few issues, this is a nice, quality image that viewers should enjoy.

Straight Up: Helicopters In Action Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Straight Up: Helicopters In Action features a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack that's sufficient and makes good use of the surround channels but fails to really take off. While helicopter rotors slice through the stage and both choppers and jets rip through from side to side or front to back, there's not much in the way of real, lifelike fullness, vitality, or weight. Likewise, support effects -- some gunfire, for instance, that pops in the back channels during the military segment -- are well placed but don't find much good, healthy muscle or realism. Perhaps most disappointing is Martin Sheen's narration. It's audibly puny, lacking vigor and getting dwarfed even by the track's modest effects. Even in otherwise quiet scenes, it's shallow and a minor strain to hear. There's a good foundation here, but that's all this track is: the promise of something better.

Straight Up: Helicopters In Action Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Straight Up: Helicopters In Action contains a couple of featurettes, a commentary, and a trailer.

• Taking Off: Behind the Scenes of Straight Up! Helicopters in Action (480i 4x3, 22:12): A standard definition look at the benefits of blending IMAX and helicopters, film basics, shooting the various scenes, tech details, and more.
• Careers in Action (480i, 4x3 17:26): In another SD supplement, helicopter professionals, as well as those who depend on helicopters for their jobs, discuss what they do and how they work with helicopters in vital mission roles.
• Audio Commentary: Director David Douglas jumps right in by discussing shooting locations and moves on to cover working with various helicopters, further discussing some of the scenes, and more.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 0:52).

Straight Up: Helicopters In Action Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Straight Up: Helicopters In Action is a short and compact look at the roles modern helicopters play in service to man. From military operations to forestry, from emergency rescue to the war on drugs, the film highlights the helicopter's place in modern civilization and its utility in quickly and efficiently transporting people to where they need to be. It's quick and fast to shift from one scenario to another, giving it sort of a scattered feel even considering its singular broad focus. Still, it's a fun little diversion but may leave audiences wishing for something more in-depth, at least in terms of the history of and science behind helicopters. This Blu-ray release of Straight Up: Helicopters In Action offers solid video, fair audio, and an average array of extra content. Recommended.