Interstellar (Limited 2-Disc Digibook Edition)

----- I've added photos to my review showing the Digibook and disc 1+2 language/options.... ----- I first saw this film in the cinema and I've just received and watched the Digibook Blu-ray - Hurray ! Christopher Nolan has been in my movie 'Hall of Fame' for many years, by virtue of his previous efforts, most notably the intriguing 'Memento', the mesmerising 'Insomnia', the spectacular 'Batman Begins', the thought-provoking 'The Prestige', the enthralling 'The Dark Knight' and (most recently) the utterly captivating 'Inception' - which for me tops them all and firmly sits at the top of the pile, alongside Michael Mann's 'Manhunter', as my most favourite film. For me, having already seen it in the cinema, 'Interstellar' is an extremely impressive spectacle which (unusually for a Christopher Nolan film) provoked extreme emotion - I know I have not been the only grown-man to 'blub' as the movie reached it's climax.... If the storyline is fully-appreciated your eyes will ache due to the often tremendous visuals, your ears resonate due to the incredible soundtrack (sound-effects and a powerful Hans Zimmer score) BUT, perhaps more significantly, your mind will slowly get scrambled with the combination of (a la 'Inception') brain-boggling 'concepts' and (towards the end) that heavy emotion. and this Blu-ray presentation managed to provoke the same reaction for me, despite a smaller screen and less expansive sound-system - it presents things as good as you could expect in HD (albeit that the potential spectacle is diminished a little due to a smaller screen of course !), with the dts-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack managing to almost equal my previous cinematic experience with lots of rear/subwoofer 'activity'. Like 'Inception', to properly appreciate the convoluted plot this film demands maximum attentiveness - and right from the very start, since as he (first ?) did in his previous film Nolan has included an opening sequence which is likely to be forgotten but is HUGELY significant nonetheless. and so I must state that I do not aim to cover the plot much since, VERY quickly, it is revelationary and hence makes spoiling things for first-time viewers too likely; BUT, since it is at the start I can mention that opening sequence as it hints at what is to follow.... I should also mention that many reviews, including the often too-lauded contributory 'encyclopaedia-type' website beginning with a 'W', manage to fail to mention this opening scene (or omit bits from their description of it) which perhaps shows that the significance of it has been 'missed'.... We first see a series of 'talking heads' interviews with individual aged people, who discuss certain events which pertain to what follows - CRUCIALLY however, those interview clips have interspersed amongst them a series of clips of piloted space flight which are just as significant. *** Remember the beginning as you continue to watch and things may be clearer and without repeat viewing !!! What follows is an introductory-type set of scenes so we are familiarised further (and more specifically) with the era, present 'predicament' and the significant characters - before the story rapidly progresses as the influential plotlines are 'injected' into it. and that's it from me on the story I'm afraid, spaceflight is obviously a huge theme of the film as hinted at by the title and many images easily seen on product packaging - but any further explanation is too fraught with spoilers ! What extra I can say is that there are fewer fast-paced action sequences as in 'Inception', but perhaps more of the 'concept' discussion/explanation scenes than that previous film - and it is those concepts which, for me, (eventually) justify the 'brain-boggling' aspect of the film. However, unlike 'Inception', whilst I think I've fully understood all those concepts (which are again linked to a theme of 'time'), I remain unhappy about one particular set of scenes which I believe are not necessarily a 'plot hole' but are certainly hard to prove as 'viable' without a LOT of investment in the theory of time 'science' or believability (and yes, I have studied the theories of Einstein !) - I have covered that a bit at the end of this review, after the dashed line, as it contains spoilers... Luckily, despite any reservations, things rattle along at such a pace in this film that small issues can be readily left for later without viewing being spoiled - and as mentioned before, as things progress a massive emotional element slowly dominates proceedings - which for made the whole experience so memorable. The acting is excellent, the cinematography expansive and the special-effects quite superb and wholly 'realistic'. The other factor which contributes enormously to that experience is, of course, the superb musical soundtrack by (once again) Hans Zimmer. Except this time he composes solo and has produced a score which I think is vastly different from anything he has done before, it being largely 'electronic' - devoid of percussion and brass instrument contribution on which has so often 'majored' in so successfully. For once, the music supports the film more than standing on it's own, with few tracks (I also have the full soundtrack separately) warranting individual listening as they are not as 'dominant' as previous work, EXCEPT for the quite superb track 'No Time for Caution' (used in a space docking scene towards the end of the film) which is also notable for featuring a marvellous church organ 'solo' (not played by Zimmer, despite him often playing keyboards) which demands repeat viewing/listening - LOUD ! To mention cast members would also again invite spoilers, but I do not risk that when I state that the lead actor, Matthew McConaughey, has once again proved himself to have few peers (let alone betters), with a performance in which he is clearly fully-immersed to ensure that we are not only captivated by his character but also properly appreciate the storyline and the significant elements within - watch and learn, just like him in 'Dallas Buyers' or the more recent TV series 1 'True Detective'. It is also a delicious coincidence that he also featured in the impressive 'Contact', since this film shares many, many significant traits with it - along with other films such as '2001: A Space Odyssey', '12 Monkeys', 'The Terminator' or 'Millennium' for example....oh, and 'Event Horizon', which must surely have been the source for the paper/pen worm hole explanation scene in this film as it has almost a complete rip-off from it !!! Also, am I the only person to recognise musical 'hooks from Mr Zimmer which resonate with sounds from '2001' and 'Contact' ??? My 2-Disc Blu-ray Digibook features a well-reproduced partial element of the larger Nolan 'photo book' about the film (stills, concept artwork etc), with that second disc holding a lot of 'featurettes' (+ the usual promo trailers, no commentary - as usual for Nolan since 'Memento'....) - both held with secure clip-fasteners on the back; there's also a UV watch/download code slip. The Digibook was delivered in cellophane wrapping, so the outer edges are not properly protected for posting..... I've added photos to my review showing the Digibook and disc 1+2 language/options.... Like all previous Nolan films, a first viewing of 'Interstellar' left me hugely impressed but also cerebrally 'drained' - however, unlike his other films this one also produced a massive emotional 'hit' since it has significant sentimental elements (largely courtesy of Matthew McConaughey surely ?) . Whilst I don't think that it can be properly 'reproduced' on a home screen to the same affect as when at the cinema, this Blu-ray does as good a job as can be done and means I can watch it again and again to enjoy as much as I did the first time. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- SPOILER-ALERT SPOILER-ALERT The gravitational 'dust lines' which Cooper decodes to reveal and direct him to the secret NASA facility were placed by him at a 'later' date. Since he only got to that later date by virtue of his subsequent NASA flight a paradox exists ie how could he leave the lines to start the process which eventually gets him to the position of leaving them ??? After he arrives there, since the staff at the NASA facility eventually reveal that Cooper is a relied-upon 'hope' to fly the subsequent space mission (due to his past experience) why had they not already contacted him or, at least, greeted with open arms when he got there of his own accord ??? END OF SPOILERS END OF SPOILERS -------------------------------------- --------------------------------------

Right from the beginning this movie captures you. The cast is stellar and the story for me works brilliantly. The cinematography is epic and the soundtrack is so good I purchased the album just to listen to again. I particularly love the scene with the drone chase. The harsh reality of long distance space travel is shown well and there is some science behind it all (with a little artistic license) love having this in my collection and will watch it several times more!

I enjoyed watching this movie

Superb film. Best I've watched in a very long time. Atmospheric, superb soundtrack and visuals. Need to suspend belief slightly but a great watch into which you can fully immerse yourself. Turn the lights off and enjoy!!

The parallels and inspiration from 2001 are clear to see with the music and how space is dealt with etc. Space movies all tackle particular themes including relationship to earth - and perhaps that is the weakest element of this movie's plot. Overall it is an incredible artistic achievement even if it has a lot of issues. As with all Chris Nolan films, father figures are very apparent. The scientific metaphysical philosophy presented is a bit hard to get on board with, but if you can somehow get on with it, it is a satisfying watch. Certain tech billionaires take this movie to be some kind of biblical text on how humanity should evolve, but as a fiction piece it is excellent.

I loved every aspect of this movie. The attempt to convey what scientifists currently believe about relativity, sticking within those bounds rather than speculating, impressed me. It was wonderful to see these theories played on on screen using all the tools we currently have for special effects. The writing was interesting, the casting, acting,directing and other aspects of using film to tell a great story, all good. The music was spectacular and really added to the immersion. I loved that it was long, slow at times, not action packed, no gratuitious violence or sex, and above all not a bloody crime story! Also loved the aspects which reminded me of 2001 : A Space Odessy. That film was amazing for its time and this one is for our time. The scenes of climate crisis devastation all the more powerful because they are currently playing out across our precious planet. Re prime video: I wish there was a way to disable trivia which pops up every time my mouse cursor moves accidentally. Very distracting. I was happily reading through it during end credits but unfortunately the app closed.

What I liked 1) Cinematography Visually, the film is a gem. Every shot is stunning, and it genuinely makes you feel as though you're drifting through space with the characters. I have no idea how they pulled it off, but it has to be said—the movie looks incredibly realistic. The shots of the planets and outer space look authentic. In an era when cinema often bombards us with CGI that feels like it was whipped up by a bunch of teenagers, this was a true visual relief. Not once did my brain question the reality of what I was seeing. 2) The Score The soundtrack powerfully conveys the deep emotions woven into the story. Personally, I found that the music perfectly captured the grandeur and beauty of the universe. Without a doubt, it’s one of the greatest scores of all time. What I didn’t like 1) Dialogue The way the characters spoke didn’t feel natural. It came across like the script was trying to shoehorn philosophical discussions into everyday conversations—and it showed. Also, I didn’t enjoy how much exposition the script contained. We all know the golden rule of storytelling: show, don’t tell. I understand that the film is set in the future and they needed to explain how Earth has changed—but it would’ve worked better if they had shown us more instead of telling us everything. 2) The philosophy First, let me stress that film is subjective. What one person loves might not appeal to another—tastes vary. But for me, this film was too deep and philosophical. Oddly enough, I viewed it as a miss—not because it was bad, but because I think a more scientifically inclined viewer would appreciate it more. Above all, I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s not a bad film, but for me, it was a bit too heavy and not very accessible to the average person. Still, like I said, if that’s your thing—go for it.

Great film, a lot of attention paid into detail

TODOS ABSOLUTAMENTE TODOS LOS LARGOMETRAJES DE CHRISTOPHER NOLAN CUENTAN CON ARMAS DE FUEGO. Salvo éste. Arruina-tramas más adelante. No seguir leyendo si no se ha visto la película. A pesar de ser aficionado el cine de Christopher Nolan, sus películas siempre pecan de utilizar armas de fuego para cooptar a los personajes a realizar lo que hacen. Por eso interestelar es tan buena, la motivación de los personajes no tiene que ver por medio de una amenaza individual, cada personaje tiene su motivación y su forma de ver, con el fin último de poder salvar a la humanidad. Interestelar más que hacer un guiño a grandes clásicos de la ciencia ficción, tener efectos especiales espectaculares y físicamente realistas, música inolvidable y ejecutada a la perfección como ya es costumbre de la dupla Zimmer-Nolan, es primeramente la obra maestra de un cineasta que ha alcanzado su madurez. La película toca temas fundamentales sobre la existencia humana, las motivaciones del día a día, la paternidad, el amor, el heroísmo y el sacrificio. Inicia en un futuro no especificado pero situado aproximadamente entre el 2050 y el 2100 en el cual la humanidad ha entrado en una crisis alimentaria global y no es por sobrepoblación. Lentamente construye el ambiente para que el espectador empáticamente se relacione con alguno de los personajes que presenta. Llena de giros e imprevistos la película no para de sorprender. Justo en cuanto se ha comenzado a volver tediosa, algo inesperado y perfectamente justificado sucede que dota de profundidad adicional al filme, en vez de cambiar de sentido, enriquece la narrativa. A todo esto se debe sumar las excelentes actuaciones de ganadores de oscar y de varios nominados, además de caras conocidas ya en el trabajo de Nolan, una preciosa y cuidad cinematografía, la mejor edición sonora que he visto en películas como ésta y un soundtrack que recuerda tanto a los trabajos minimalistas de Phillip Glass como a las épicas sonoridades que genera Zimmer. Todo lo anterior filmado en IMAX, estos agregados hacen que la producción deba ser disfrutada en no menor calidad que en FULL HD y con audio descomprimido como se presenta en un BLU RAY que por sí solo vale el precio que trae. Adicionalmente la caja cuenta con un DVD, material adicional, una copia digital para la computador y un cuadro (filme de celuloide) de una escena de la película, donde se puede corroborar que está grabada originalmente en formato IMAX y convierte una compra común en una pieza de colección. La película satisfacerá a amantes de la ciencia ficción, como a coleccionistas, amantes del suspenso, el existencialismo, la relatividad, amantes de películas épicas y de las películas de acción. No se pueden perder esta obra maestra.

Für mich ist "Interstellar" einer der besten Filme aller Zeiten und markiert den absoluten Olymp des Sci-Fi-Genres. Aber nicht nur inhaltlich, sondern vor allem technisch setzt diese 4K UHD Blu-ray Maßstäbe. Hier meine Eindrücke zur Technik: ​Das Bild: Absolute Referenz Visuell ist die Scheibe aktuell das Maß der Dinge. Die Schärfe und die Farben sind unglaublich. Besonders die IMAX-Szenen sind atemberaubend und nehmen einen förmlich mit in die unendlichen Weiten des Weltraums. Wer wissen will, was sein TV wirklich kann, muss diesen Film einlegen. ​Der Ton: Brachiale Gewalt auch ohne 3D-Sound Ein wichtiger Hinweis vorweg: Es gibt hier keinen 3D-Ton (kein Dolby Atmos oder DTS:X). Aber lassen Sie sich davon bloß nicht abschrecken! Die vorhandene DTS-HD Master Audio Spur ist schlichtweg phänomenal. Was hier an Bass und räumlicher Tiefe geboten wird, sucht seinesgleichen. Der Score von Hans Zimmer drückt mit einer Wucht in den Raum, dass die Wände wackeln. Ich habe selten (oder eigentlich nie) ein so heftiges und immersives Heimkino-Erlebnis gehabt. ​Fazit: Technisch sind Bild und Ton absolute Spitzenklasse. Wer einen 4K-TV, einen Player und eine vernünftige Surround-Anlage besitzt, muss diesen Film in der Sammlung haben. Es ist eine Demonstration dessen, was Heimkino leisten kann. ​Kaufempfehlung: 100%

Absolut Cinema

Très grand classique de la science-fiction interstellar en ultra HD HDR à voir et à revoir

I must confess that I've been interested in Interstellar since I saw the teaser trailer for it released towards the end of 2013. I've been interested in space exploration since childhood, a side-effect I suspect of growing up near NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center where the Saturn V rockets of the Apollo era were designed and where NASA continues to do work. Also being something of a fan of Nolan's previous films, the idea of him doing a space film was something that seemed irresistible. I'm happy to say that, after two viewings in cinemas and one via the recent home video release, Interstellar is a film not only didn't disappoint but improves with each new viewing with the result being that it could well be the best science fiction film in recent memory. Interstellar is in some respects several films in one, not unlike Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey was with the difference being that here the plot's are all connected via the character of Cooper, played by Matthew McConaughey. Cooper is a former pilot and NASA astronaut turned farmer in a world sometime in what seems to be a not too distant future where technological progress has come to a halt, food resources are becoming scarcer thanks to a blight and a disaster not unlike the Dust Bowl of the 1930s which has cause society to revert to a slightly more technological take on the agrarian societies of the past. It's a world filled with what one character calls “a caretaker generation”, something that Cooper ill-fits into. A series of anomalies though, including a “ghost” knocking books off the shelves in the room of Cooper's daughter Murphy (played by young Mackenzie Foy) leads him to a NASA being led in secret by Professor Brand (played by Nolan stalwart Michael Caine). Brand and NASA, having discovered that the blight will eventually lead to humanity's extinction, is preparing to launch an expedition through a mysteriously place wormhole out near Saturn that leads to another galaxy with three potential worlds for humanity to settle. Alongside a group of astronauts including Brand's daughter Amelia (played by Anne Hathaway), Cooper and the viewer launch off on an odyssey that takes them and us to another galaxy. Once there though, Cooper and Amelia must deal with the facts behind the theory of relativity, our own human weaknesses and a surprising turn of events involving the now grown Murph (played by Jessica Chastain) that will determine the future of humanity. Those familiar with Nolan's work may be surprised that the man who brought us perhaps cinema's most successful take on Batman and films like Inception would be interested in taking us out into the realms of interstellar space. Yet the film contains many of the hallmarks of Nolan's films that make it something that only he could make. It certainly has the epic scale we've come to expect from Nolan's recent films such as the Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception as the film takes the viewer from agrarian future Earth to NASA's base, to on board the spacecraft Endurance and to planets in another galaxy as well as showing Nolan's ability to take often difficult ideas and ground them in a reality viewers can understand. Nolan, speaking in the 2011 documentary These Amazing Shadows, talked about liking films that make the audience come back again and again for which he specifically cited Kubrick's 2001 with Interstellar most certainly falls into that category. That's partly because Nolan makes use of one of his favorite storytelling techniques, one that he's used in films throughout his career including Following and Memento: non-linear storytelling. Nolan, along with his co-writer brother Jonathan, grounds the film within the real-life theory of relativity and its implications upon the astronauts during their mission, something that becomes increasingly important as the film progresses. That non-linear storytelling also becomes a strong emotional force late in the film as we see father and daughter, one in space and one on Earth, struggling to overcome difficulties as each tries to carry out their end of the plan to save humanity. Yet where that non-linear plotting comes to the fore with the films ending which, I must confess, left me initially wondering if Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat had taken a pass at the script upon first viewing. All of this has served to confuse some viewers and downright aggravate others as the film raises many questions upon a first viewing. The film though invites viewers, much like 2001 before it, to come back to it again and again in search of answers. Those willing to return to it will find much to appreciate about it. There's the performances from the entire cast for example. I rarely think that a film is perfectly cast but Interstellar is one of those rare occasions where I think that's fair to saw. Nolan's films tend to be well cast affairs anyways but with a cast including McConaughey, Caine, Hathaway and Chastain in major roles with Foy, Casey Affleck, John Lithgow, Ellen Burstyn and Matt Damon in supporting roles, it's hard to find a single role miscast here or to imagine anyone else in those parts. McConaughey's performance especially is powerful with it being more than equal to his Oscar winning performance in 2013's Dallas Buyers Club. Mention must also be made of the trio of actresses playing Murph which includes Foy and Chastain as they become the film's emotional anchor to the Earth once Cooper launches out into space. Production wise as well, there's plenty to be impressed by. The film's five Oscar nomination, and sole win, all were for production values and it isn't hard to see why. There's the Oscar winning special effects that, thanks to the input of science consultant Kip Thorne, present us with an as-accurate-as-possible journey through a wormhole as well as distant planets and a trip to that strangest of all phenomenon: a black hole. The special effects also extend to the Endurance spacecraft and the smaller Rangers which must be models and sets because they have a reality and a weight to them as it were, that most CGI I've seen still isn't quite capable of presenting. There's some fantastic production design work covering a wide range of sets and locations which presents us with the most credible depiction of a near-future you're likely to see anytime soon. The icing on the cake though might well be the score from Hans Zimmer, which is the exact opposite of what one has come to expect from him, even from his films with Nolan. Zimmer's Interstellar score sees him taking a minimalist approach more comparable with Phillip Glass' work on the documentaries of Errol Morris than without almost anything else he's done to date. Yet Zimmer's score also can build to incredible moments of emotion and raw musical power as demonstrated by the scene where Cooper leaves home, the music during the sequence on Miller's planet and the sequence that closes the film. That Zimmer's score didn't win is one of the biggest Oscar upsets in recent memory Yet what makes Interstellar stand out from a film like 2001 is its script. 2001, despite some of its big ideas and breath taking visuals, is at times a cold and clinical film where the most human character is the computer HAL. Interstellar definitely has its share of striking visuals and fascinating scientific concepts (explored in much greater depth in The Science Of Interstellar by the films science consultant Kip Thorne) but that's not really what the film is about at an emotional level. The film explores humanity's place not just on this pale blue dot but out in the universe from our potential as a species to that fight or flight reflex that leads some of us to do incredible things and others to commit terrible acts of cowardice (something that makes me think that the name of Matt Damon's character is no accident). Interstellar speaks to what drives us and asks what we are capable of, telling us that (to paraphrase a line from the film's first teaser trailer) our greatest accomplishments are still waiting for us out there somewhere and that, in the words of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas that becomes almost a refrain throughout the film, we should not go gentle into that good night and rage, rage against the dying of the light. For my money, Interstellar is Nolan's best film yet. It's a remarkable piece of film-making filled with strong performances, incredible visuals and a stunning score. Those things though are all just part of what makes the film as good as it is. Unlike so many science fiction films, shows and books out there today the ultimate message of the film is one of hope. It's a stirring and inspiring tale, told in a science fiction context that brings to my mind what the late Carl Sagan, speaking thirty-five years ago in the original Cosmos, said: “The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to stars.” Interstellar shows that we can and that we might just do it too.