U-571

A nail-biting, battle-scarred thriller about an American WWII submarine crew on a mission to secure a Nazi encoding device from a crippled German U-boat, U-571 isn't about to overshadow any of its subs-at-war genre predecessors, but it sure does pack a phenomenal punch in the ante-upping combat scenes that form the centerpiece of such flicks. Matthew McConaughey and Harvey Keitel lead the sailors who board the U-boat, then have to pilot it through treacherous enemy turf after their own sub is blown out of the water by a German destroyer. Frequently formulaic and liberally fictionalized (the British captured the first Enigma machine, not the Yanks), director Jonathan Mostow's (Breakdown) latest is nonetheless a super roller-coaster ride of proximity-pinging torpedo-in-the-water tension and narrow escapes. A strong, optional purchase. (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—Sept. 2, 2008—Universal, 117 min., PG-13, $29.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2000's U-571 features a nice transfer and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. DVD extras include audio commentary by director Jonathan Mostow, as well as a “U-Control” interactive feature with bonus cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage presented in a picture-in-picture track. Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray release of a so-so submarine flick.]