Kon-Tiki

In 1947, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl decided to cross 4,300 miles of Pacific Ocean on the huge balsa wood raft Kon-Tiki, named for the Inca sun god. Determined to prove his theory that some 1,500 years ago South Americans crossed the sea and settled in the South Pacific, Heyerdahl wrote a book about his perilous expedition that has sold more than 50 million copies, while his cinematic chronicle of the journey won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 1951. Financed by the Peruvian government, the charismatic Heyerdahl (played here by blond-haired, blue-eyed Norwegian actor Pål Sverre Hagen) and his brave crew of five men—four Norwegians and a Swede—spent more than 100 days afloat, encountering whales and sharks, along with treacherous storms, while a radio operator did his best to stay in contact (when the transmitter worked). While he did bring along a movie camera, Heyerdahl's craft had no motor onboard, and was built using only the indigenous materials available to the original sailors (the logs were lashed together with rope, not wire). Serving up an exciting re-creation of an astonishing adventure, directors Joachim Rɵnning and Espen Sandberg's Kon-Tiki was an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language film. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “The Incredible True Story” featurette on the film's real-life inspiration (26 min.), a visual effects featurette (10 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus DVD copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this thrilling Oscar nominee.] (S. Granger)