A deep-sea diving trip at one of the world’s most remote spots becomes a fight for survival for sisters Drew and May when a catastrophic landslide sends rocks tumbling into the sea. After being struck by the rockfall, May now lies 28 meters below the surface, trapped by debris and unable to move. With dangerously low levels of oxygen, it is up to Drew to fight for her sister’s life. She must put her own life in jeopardy and risk paying the ultimate sacrifice. But with no help in sight, time is quickly running out…
For in-depth thoughts on The Dive, please see my colleague Lane Mills’s review from its theatrical debut here.
Video Quality
The Dive debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original aspect ratio that looks pretty good most of the time with some caveats. The movie spends a significant amount of time in underwater darkness, which is sometimes betrayed by weak black levels that showcase some crush. While objects retain their detail and depth much of the time, banding can also rear its ugly head. The transfer provides a stellar amount of detail and clarity when above the surface. The movie has a bright color palette that renders very nicely on screen, especially when observing the glorious expanse of water. Certain vibrant hues make a big impression. Very little damage or digital noise was detected that would detract from this transfer. RLJE Entertainment has delivered a fairly good transfer.
Audio Quality
The film comes to Blu-Ray with a robust DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that brings the sound design to life perfectly. Surround channels conjure a very distinct sense of spatial awareness with sounds emanating from all of their natural points. Dialogue and sound effects are balanced consistently with the music where nothing lacks in clarity. The movie utilizes creeping environmental sounds to add to the sense of disorientation to the proceedings with a very immersive atmosphere. The low end is not the main focus of the material, but it adds some memorable heft to certain moments. This audio track accomplishes everything that is asked of it and more. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
The Dive is a somewhat disappointing survival thriller, especially when compared to the superior Breaking Surface. It is not that the movie is bad, it just fails to get you emotionally invested in the fates of these characters. With such a specific premise, you need a script that is going to bring the best out of this situation, and this simply does not thrive in any particular way. RLJE Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a good A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. Seek out the Norwegian original before spending time with this one.
The Dive is currently available to purchase on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
