Warner Bros. Pictures
The 33 details the real events surrounding the August, 2010 collapse at the San José Mine not far from Copiapó, Chile in South America.
The film itself is enjoyable enough. If you harbor a Jones for disaster flicks, The 33 is right up your alley.
Despite knowing going in the trapped mining crew makes it out alive? The fact it’s a real-life disaster story gives the film an extra dose of suspense, especially when you discover there was less than a 1% chance they would be found at the depth they were confined, atop the added unknowns of natural deviations which are the nature of drilling that far down. The film shuffles from the light and hope of the families and friends above the mine praying for any sign of life from their loved ones to the anguish and despair of the miners below, helplessly beset in their 90+ degree geological prison, food less than a minimum to survive. You can only live on air and water so long.
But live they do. And that brings a satisfying conclusion to the story.
Disappointing, however, is the extras on this Blu-ray version of The 33. While the transfer and graphics are in fine form (1080p High Definition 16 x 9, with many of the desert scenes coming across as achingly sharp and eerily stark sometimes) as is the audio (DTS HD master audio), lacking is the quality of the bonus material. The Mine Collapse, The 33: The World Was Watching and a theatrical trailer are the only extras and those you could barely refer to as “extras.”
The Mine Collapse barely offers any additional material on the film with brief snippets of discussion from director Patricia Riggen. She does offer a few insights into the making of the film, focusing on the collapse of the San José Mine specifically, along with mere minutes of commentary from other crew on the film such as the visual effects coordinator, the production designer and the director of photography along with a few of the cast members. The majority of The Mine Collapse is scenes from the film itself and contains extremely little (precious little) added content.
The 33: The World Was Watching is basically a repeat of The Mine Collapse under a different guise. More film footage, a couple words from some of the the cast and crew (even fewer side notes than the first “extra” if that’s even possible, so don’t blink) and that’s it. While there was at least a bit of a bone thrown at you in The Mine Collapse, this one actually insults your intelligence by enlightening you to the fact you’ve just wasted several minutes of your life you’ll never get back.
The theatrical trailer? Completely pointless. Give us the trailer shown in Chile; that would have been more of a bonus than all three additional special features put together. Is that assessment harsh? Yes. But it’s damned accurate.
In addition to the details above, The 33 offers subtitles in English as well as in Spanish and French plus audio in descriptive English and in Spanish. Scene selection access offered as well. (There’s nothing noting scene selections are bonus material but, if it makes you feel better about buying this Blu-ray disc, pretend it is and be joyful.) The film features Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche, James Brolin, Bob Gunton and Gabriel Byrne plus a few cameos.
Warner Bros. Pictures generously provided Hotchka with a Blu-ray of The 33 for reviewing purposes.
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