Disc Details
Special Features:	Director and Producer Commentary Making-of Documentary Making-of Visual Effects Theatrical Trailers Photo Montage Aerial Symphony
Video Format:	Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) [SS-DL]
Languages:	English (Dolby Digital 5.1) Czech (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles:	English
Captions:	Yes
Casing:	1-Disc Keep Case

The film is based on the little-known story of Czech fighter pilots in WWII who escaped Nazi occupation of their country to fight in Britain’s Royal Air Force. Though many of these men gave the ultimate sacrifice for their homeland and the cause, those who survived returned home only to be thrown into Soviet work camps under the rapidly expanding Communist regime. Told partly in flashbacks from a survivor held in one of these horrific camps, “Dark Blue World” is the story of two of these Czech pilots, Franta (Ondrej Vetchy) and Karel (Krystof Hádek), whose compelling friendship is tested by an English woman (Tara Fitzgerald) they both love.

While the cinematography and visual effects are simply stunning -- the aerial combat shots play out like a symphonic version of 1969’s “Battle of Britain" -- the film is grounded by a love triangle that never breaks beyond old-fashioned movie clichés. Ondrej Vetchy is charismatic as the heroic captain Franta, but his supporting cast fails to keep up. Part of the problem is a severe language barrier, as the Czech actors clearly struggle to make their English-speaking lines convey any sort of message. You get the impression that Franta and Karel are so concentrated in speaking proper English that they forget altogether about their mutual English love interest. When the film takes to the skies however, it’s a whole different world.

In describing “Pearl Harbor,” Roger Ebert once said “[it’s] a two hour movie crammed into three hours.” The same can be said of “Dark Blue World.” Though offering gorgeous cinematography and visual effects (they alone might be worth at least a rental), the film’s underlying themes of eternal friendship and love are dragged along, inevitably weighing down the entire experience. Though Czechs will surely rally around the heroism of the storyline, American audiences already attuned to the pitfalls of “Pearl Harbor” may want to steer clear.

Picture Quality: 9/10
The High Definition 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is commendable. Crisp, smooth, and colorful. The remastered film stock used in some of the flight sequences is predictably grainy, though the touch-up work is well done. Particularly beautiful are the horizon shots as the planes glide in pre and post-battle formation.

Sound Quality: 8/10
The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is pulsing and vigorous. The English 5.1 track includes English subtitles whenever dialogue goes back to Czech. During the aerial dogfight sequences, bullets zing past the viewer from each speaker, and the subwoofer booms authoritatively. The musical score, as well as the film’s intelligent use of big band and swing tunes of the time, offer a soothing balance to the action. Though not of the calibur of the "Pearl Harbor" DVD, it's still an excellent transfer.

Menu: 8/10
A very easy to navigate menu system. No easter eggs found during review.

Extra Features: 8/10
Director Jan Sverak and producer Eric Abraham discuss the making of the movie on the disc’s commentary track, as well as the historical events that inspired the film. This is an informative track that will give American audiences a much-needed look at one of the “forgotten” stories of World War II. “The Making of ‘Dark Blue World’”, a 30-minute documentary (mostly subtitled in English), is not nearly as compelling, though it does include footage of the cast and crew working on-location. The “Making-of Visual Effects” goes through a before and after for several effects shots created from matte paintings and effects-layer compositing. For visual effects enthusiasts, this is one of the most pleasantly surprising additions to a foreign language film release. Some of the most interesting sequences are ones where effects crews pour garbage out of a bucket, or bullet casings against a blue screen, then composite the shot of dogfighting with these blue-screened layers. The “Aerial Symphony” shows footage from the film, set to music, of planes in action.

The Final Word:
Though flawed by a cliche-ridden script, Jan Sverak's sweeping WWII epic is still a picturesque homage to Czechoslovakia's little-known heroic aerial efforts in the war. The disc itself holds a fascinating array extra features, that along with excellent audio and video quality makes for a nice addition to the DVD library. Though avid fans of Sverak's award-winning "Kolya" won't find its equal in "Dark Blue World," fans of spectacular aerial battle sequences should take note.

Stephen Wong