For audio quality Soul Surfer once again hits some good marks all around with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track for English (French and Portuguese are included as well). The soundstage comes to life as Bethany goes into the water and beyond. While dialogue is mostly front-centric, the rush of water, murmurs and cheers from the crowd, and the atmosphere of Hawaii find a happy home on the rear channels and beyond. Directionality is wonderful and though there's not much here in terms of LFE presence, the mix elevates the material.
The aforementioned bonus features on this release include a few minutes worth of deleted scenes and three behind the scenes features. There's a glossed over making of featurette, a look at the surfing in the film, and a piece about the relationship formed between Annasophia Robb and Bethany Hamilton as she practiced for the role. The final two features, "Heart of a Soul Surfer" and "Bethany Hamilton on Professional Surfing" both focus on the real life Bethany. "Heart" is the better of the two as it's a documentary from a few years ago with plenty of interviews and discussion of the event and subsequent recovery.
Ultimately the Blu-ray/DVD Combo release for Soul Surfer is a success. The range of that success doesn't extend much beyond its target audience, but then again it doesn't have to. This is an uplifting story about a young girl's life at a pivotal moment. It's handled deftly enough, even if it's a little long-winded and preachy, but overall it's a worthwhile film to watch. Again, consider this release recommended.
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Article comments
1 - Lily
Just wondering how this is "somewhat biographical?" I did some research after watching it and it seems pretty accurate, including the trip to Thailand and the speed at which she was back on the board.Just curious what you didn't think was balanced in the narrative. Their spirituality was a big part of their life, and her trip to Thailand was a life changing experience for her, so not sure how it was a negative part of the storyline.