DVD Corner

Kon-Tiki Blu-ray Review

“Kon-Tiki” is never as inspiring as it should be.

“Kon-Tiki” is an Academy Award nominated film about the 1947 true story of Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl’s quest to prove that South Americans settled in the Polynesian Islands. Setting sail with a mere 5 crewmen on a Balsa Wood raft, Thor and company ventured out on a 101 day 5,000 mile trip to prove the Anthropologist naysayers wrong (and he did).

As inspirational and incredible as the real story may be, “Kon-Tiki” suffers from hitting all the same tired notes that we have come to expect from uplifting biopic cinematic stories. We see Thor defying the odds, we see his trip being plagued with obstacles like a storm and sharks, we see him squabbling with the crew members, etc. The story structure is simply too overly familiar here which makes the journey seem more like a chore than anything else. It’s sad to say, but last year’s fantastical sea faring journey story “Life of Pi” is far more engaging and emotional than this tale that is based on real events. I don’t know what that says about cinema, but it’s interesting to think about.

Note: The Blu-ray disc contains both the U.S. cut of the film and the original Norwegian cut that runs nearly a half hour longer.

Video/Audio:

“Kon-Tiki,” which is presented in 2.40:1 1080p, is a visually stunning film that looks even better on Blu-ray. From the Norway and Thailand location shooting to the impressive CGI, the film’s visuals are hands down the highlight of the entire production.

As I mentioned above, viewers have the option of watching the film in English or Norwegian with a 5.1 DTS-HD MA audio track. While most film buffs will opt for the Norwegian version, the edited English version is satisfactory as well.

Extras:
* DVD copy.
* The Weinstein Company trailers.
* “Visual Effects Featurette”- The title says it all.
* “Kon-Tiki: The Incredible True Story”- Maria Menounos hosts this featurette that contains film clips, discussions about the film and Thor’s novel, interviews with cast (and others not involved in the film like Matt Lauer), and information about the real life story.

Summary: As admirable as Thor’s risk taking journey is, his story deserved better than the rather routine material that is featured in 2012’s “Kon-Tiki.”

September 12, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Kon-Tiki Blu-ray Review, Kon-Tiki Norwegian, Kon-Tiki U.S., Thor Heyerdahl