Torpedo U-235 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Torpedo U-235 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 30, 2020

“Torpedo U-235” is Belgium’s attempt to create a Hollywood-style war story that’s big on sweeping action and intense performances. More precisely, co-writer/director Sven Huybrechts wants his own “Inglourious Basterds,” crafting a violent, history-bending WWII adventure that thrives on attitude and confrontation. It’s a lively endeavor, with a distinct mission to please potential viewers with an assortment of dangerous doings and submarine movie formula, attempting to light up the screen with a much lower budget than any blockbuster would accept.

In 1941, a group of Belgium resistance fighters are called in to protect a shipment of uranium, making their way from Africa to America to help the development of the Manhattan Project. The team and their criminal captain are presented with a dilapidated U-boat to make the journey, experiencing all sorts of enemy challenges and equipment failure as they attempt to survive the perilous journey.

“Torpedo U-235” opens with a bang, introducing the resistance fighters as they execute a dangerous plan to kill a collection of Nazis gathering in a small village. While the production doesn’t have gobs of money to provide a slick viewing experience, it has filmmaking moxie, trying to do something with very little. Ambition extends to the submarine sequences, with most of the writing endeavoring to make life difficult for the untrained crew, dealing with flooding, collisions, and their own fears as they try to slide across the Atlantic undetected. Huybrechts has a vision for entanglements, but he’s also left “Torpedo U-235” too top heavy, as most of the rousing set pieces occur early, leaving the last half of the picture to slow to a crawl, putting emphasis on claustrophobic scenes of crew crisis.

Torpedo U-235 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation does its best in the brightness of day, showing off sharp cinematography that delivers appealing details on leather jackets and creased faces, and exteriors are fully dimensional, offering bigness for open water and a town square battle. Colors are excellent as well, highlighting the browns and blues of warfare, while Nazi reds are bold. Greenery is bright, and submarine panels deliver illuminated hues. Skintones are natural. Delineation is acceptable. Artifacting is a problem throughout the viewing experience, with banding a common sight, along with periodic posturation.

Torpedo U-235 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound mix offers a lively listening event, providing lots of surround activity as weapons of war are showcased. Panning effects are appealing, and naturalistic atmospherics are evocative, while submarine interiors handle with a tighter sense of space. Underwater movement is also comfortably pressurized. Dialogue exchanges are sharp, with precise emotionality. Scoring cues are clear as well, delivering a hearty orchestral sound. Sound effects are distinct, including bullet hits. Low-end delivers some rumble with explosions.

Torpedo U-235 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making Of (23:48, HD) is a swiftly paced overview of the production effort on "Torpedo U-235," beginning with story origins, with the script spending eight years in development. Construction of the submarine set is explored, with producers paying close attention to realism and details, giving the cast a true environment to interact with. Actor camaraderie is highlighted, finding the gang in tight spaces for long days, and their experiences with special effects are displayed. Water and diving challenges provide a look at the more difficult aspects of the shoot, and the Malta location is toured, with the boat used in the feature the same one that appeared in "Das Boot" and "U-571." Miniature work is celebrated, along with ambition from first-time director Sven Huybrechts. Scoring selections are surveyed, bloopers are included, and time at the premiere is offered. Most interesting is the BTS footage, which really shows off how certain sequences were completed, getting a sense of the workday.

• And the Original Trailer (2:02, HD), English Dub Trailer (2:15, HD), and Teaser Trailer (1:13, HD) are included.

Torpedo U-235 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Torpedo U-235" loses steam as it unfolds, and Huybrechts has a strange fascination with incredibly grim events that fail to connect to the rest of the movie's gung-ho spirit, but initial verve is quite compelling. The production aims high and stays there longer than expected, displaying filmmaking creativity and passion to manufacture an effort capable of competing with equally flashy, and better funded, projects.