K-19: The Widowmaker

Harrison Ford is the gruff captain of a Soviet nuclear sub (complete with accent!) at the height of the Cold War in this high-tension drama in which a reactor accident places the ship, the men, and world peace in peril. Loosely based on an actual incident, K-19 is directed by the talented Kathryn Bigelow (Strange Days), who finds freshness in the stale air of the submarine genre, creating a blistering, claustrophobic sense of tension even before a coolant leak threatens to melt the ship's core, and pulling no punches with the radiation sickness and controlled panic that follows. But for all its gripping and handsome execution, there isn't much about K-19 that's unique or memorable--ultimately it cruises along in the shallow waters of Hollywood convention, never achieving the deeper character studies found in Das Boot, Crimson Tide or The Hunt for Red October. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Kathryn Bigelow and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, a 20-minute making-of featurette, a 12-minute “It's in the Details” featurette on research and technical particulars, the five-minute featurettes “Exploring the Craft” on makeup techniques and “Breaching the Hull” on visual effects, and a trailer. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a so-so thriller that lacks the character-driven punch of Das Boot or Crimson Tide.] [Blu-ray Review— May 11, 2010—Paramount, 137 min., PG-13, $29.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2002's K-19: The Widowmaker sports a decent transfer with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound. The bonus features on this release are identical to those on the standard DVD release, including audio commentary by director Kathryn Bigelow and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, a “making-of” featurette (20 min.), the production featurettes “It's in the Details” on research and technical aspects (12 min.), “Exploring the Craft” on makeup techniques (5 min.), and “Breaching the Hull” on visual effects (5 min.), and a trailer. Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray debut for Oscar-winning director Bigelow's Cold War thriller.] (R. Blackwelder)