33, The

The 33 takes place in 2010 when the eyes of the world turned to Chile, where 33 miners had been buried alive by the catastrophic explosion and collapse of a 100-year-old gold and copper mine. Over the next 69 days, an international team worked night and day in a desperate attempt to rescue the trapped men as their families and friends, as well as millions of people globally, waited and watched anxiously for any sign of hope. But 200 stories beneath the surface, in the suffocating heat and with tensions rising, provisions—and time—were quickly running out. This is a story of resilience, personal transformation, and triumph of the human spirit. Based on the gripping true story of survival—and filmed with the cooperation of the miners, their families, and their rescuers. Based on the book Deep Down Dark by Hector Tobar. (Gary Reber)

Special features include the featurettes The Mine Collapse (HD 03:54) and The 33: The World Was Watching (HD 03:05), the theatrical trailer, upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.40:1 1080p AVC picture switches between the darkness and low-light conditions within the mine at 2,300 feet below the surface and above ground in full sunlight. The above-ground sunlight puts natural light on the topography, people, dwellings, vehicles, and equipment. As such, the color fidelity is excellent. As for the darker scenes, optimally a display capable of deep-black-level reproduction is best to fully appreciate the dire survival conditions deep down. What little light there is projects just enough to exhibit natural fleshtone hues covered in heavy sweat and grime, as well as the rock walls surrounding the miners. Under optimal conditions, shadow delineation is excellent. In both conditions, color is warm and rich, and blacks are deep. Resolution is excellent, with fine detail exhibited in facial features, hair, clothing, gear, and object texture. Even sweat is effectively resolved on the bodies of the buried miners. The dream sequences among the miners are colorful and vibrant, heightened by lighting effects. This is a beautifully photographed picture, which is reference quality throughout viewed on an optimized display and in a darkened theatre environment. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is dynamic sounding and fully energized during the mine-collapse sequences with strong, deep bass energized in the .1 LFE channel. Scenes within the mine are effectively realistic, with nuanced Foley and atmospherics. Heightened sound effects, such as the mine collapsing, occupy the entire soundfield with aggressive surround directionalization. Above ground, the soundstage is effectively articulated with atmospherics. John Horner's music score nicely complements the storytelling and the mood of emotions as times progresses, and during the time the miners are rescued. For the most part the focus of the soundtrack is on dialogue. In that respect, spatial integration is good, particularly with regard to the miners trapped in a cavernous tomb. This is a well-executed soundtrack that delivers a sense of realism. (Gary Reber)