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The Finest Hours Blu-ray Review

By Rachel Cericola

The Film

"Please tell me we're taking that boat to a bigger boat."

If you enjoy the flippy-floppy feeling of at-sea disaster films, The Finest Hours is a decent way to spend your Blu-ray dollars. Despite being a Disney film (with a PG-13 rating), it delivers an interesting take on the true story of "the greatest small boat rescue."

This is a Disney joint, so it isn't just a bunch of action scenes. It also has plenty of heart and even a little love story. The film spends much of its focus on Bernie Webber (Chris Pine), the Coast Guard sailor who led a four-man team in a tiny boat, in order to save the crew of the SS Pendleton after it broke up during a New England nor'easter.

The actual event is exactly the type of story you'd expect to get a big-screen adaptation. Disney doesn't deliver too many surprises, but The Finest Hours delivers the 1952 backdrop perfectly and has a lot of scenes that will have you reaching for the Dramamine.

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Chris Pine is determined to save the crew of the SS Pendleton in “The Finest Hours.” Photo: Disney.

My one complaint is that The Finest Hours drags in a few spots. It would have helped if the filmmakers shaved a few minutes off the movie's 117-minute runtime. Instead, they tried to pack three movies into one. There's the story of the Pendleton, the one with the rescue crew, and the one where Bernie's fiancé Miriam (Holliday Grainger) runs around town all angry and worried. Guess which one you probably wouldn't want to see as a separate movie? Grainger plays the role just fine, but her subplot takes up too much valuable screen time. Instead, it would have been nice to give Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) or Richard Livesey (Ben Foster) a bit more backstory. Even Eric Bana's Commander Daniel Cluff is barely a blip. It's as if someone at Disney insisted on including a love story. Even worse, her whole part is completely fabricated, making it even less necessary.

That said, The Finest Hours won't leave you feeling queasy. This is a pretty by-the-book disaster tale, with a lot of heart and plenty of awesome action scenes.

Still trying to get your sea legs when it comes to this movie? Check out Chris Boylan's theatrical review of The Finest Hours.

The Picture

Although Disney did release The Finest Hours in 3D theatrically, there is no 3D Blu-ray release. However, film fans should be very happy with this 2.39:1 presentation. Just know that it's a dark one, between all of the at-sea action and the brutal New England winter weather. There's an occasional burst of color, but really it's the black levels and contrast that stand out here. Both are done really well, allowing a lot of interesting detail to pop through. In some cases, the image is almost too sharp, showing off some of the CGI during the rescue scenes. That said, no one should be surprised with anything here. The Finest Hours is just another fine example of how well Disney can deliver a Blu-ray.

The Sound

The Finest Hours is a big-budget disaster film, which seems like prime fodder for Dolby Atmos or DTS:X 3D-style sound. However, Disney has given the film a very active DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. The dialogue is always clear and the soundtrack is bold. You can also expect plenty of whipping winds, thunder, and crashing waves. Of course, the best surround action comes out of the Pendleton, which is filled with creepy screeches, squeals, and creaks.

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The Extras

Considering the subject matter, The Finest Hours has a pretty sad crop of extras. There are two deleted scenes and five featurettes to cover the cast and the actual event. On paper this may sound good, but four of those shorts clock in at under 7 minutes total. The fifth is the best of the bunch. Make sure to check out "Against All Odds: The Bernie Webber Story," which devotes about 14 minutes to the real Webber, as well as the film.

Final Thoughts

The Finest Hours certainly isn't the finest disaster film. It drags in a few spots, but it does have a lot of heart and a really solid cast. It also has an interesting Blu-ray, with top-notch imagery and a wonderfully active audio track. The biggest disappointment here is the lack of in-depth extras. With such an incredible backstory, Disney could have packed this disc will all sorts of interviews and other tidbits. Still, The Finest Hours is a decent way to spend your Blu-ray budget.

Product Details

  • Actors: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz, Eric Bana
  • Director: Craig Gillespie
  • Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French, Spanish), DVS 2.0 (English)
  • Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Studio: Disney
  • Blu-ray Disc Release Date: May 24, 2016
  • Run Time: 117 minutes
  • List Price: $39.99
  • Extras:
    • Against All Odds: The Bernie Webber Story
    • Deleted Scenes
    • Brotherhood
    • Two Crews
    • What is Your Finest Hour?
    • The Finest Inspiration: The U.S. Coast Guard
    • Sneak Peeks
    • Digital Copy

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