Based on a remarkable true story, Unsung Hero follows Helen (Daisy Betts) and her husband David Smallbone (for KING + COUNTRY’s Joel Smallbone) as they move their family from Down Under to the States with nothing more than their seven children, suitcases, and their love of music. As Helen and David set out to rebuild their lives, they begin to realize the musical prowess in their children, who would go on to become two of the most successful acts in inspirational music history: five-time GRAMMY Award®-winning artists for KING + COUNTRY and Rebecca St. James.

For in-depth thoughts on Unsung Hero, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Unsung Hero arrives on Blu-Ray with a very good 1080p presentation in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio that thrives in high definition. The clarity throughout is in good shape with subtle textures in the production design and clothing coming through perfectly. Black levels showcase a great amount of depth and do not fall victim to egregious digital noise or banding outside of intermittent shadowy hallways. Color saturation is admirable within the rich color palette with moments always presenting exactly as intended. Some instances of the environment and lighting make more of an impression as they radiate off the screen. Skin tones are natural with age lines and other subtle facets on display. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has delivered a fetching HD presentation.

Audio Quality

The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track gives life to this story as intended. The movie uses environmental sounds quite well, and the track never stumbles when bringing it to life. This narrative is not terribly kinetic, but there is an effective low-end response when the story calls for it. This journey allows for moments of quiet which puts a greater emphasis on the sounds of the world around the characters, which the soundscape disseminates from numerous directions. The dialogue flows through crisp and clear as it balances well with the all-important music and the sound effects. This track is what you want from the experience. Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Producers Joshua Walsh and Luke Smallbone, and Co-Directors and Co-Writers Joel Smallbone and Richard L. Ramsey provide a lively commentary track in which they discuss the production of the film, the choices that were vetoed by the producers, the easter eggs in the film, the last-minute casting of key performers, shooting in Kentucky, and more.

Miracles Are Everywhere – The Making of Unsung Hero: A terrific 54-minute making-of documentary that looks at the family’s story, the decision to make a film, the physical transformation of the performers, the location shooting, the camaraderie on set, and more.

Deleted Scenes: Six unused scenes totaling ten minutes are provided.

Compassion: A three-minute piece with Luke and Rebecca discussing the charitable organization close to their heart.

Faith In The Journey: A six-minute look at the place of faith in this story

The Bridge Is Out!: A seven-minute animated short is provided.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Unsung Hero is a pretty decent watch by faith-based movie standards. It helps that the story being told comes from a true place that has been dramatized for the screen. Through this process, many of the presumed rough edges have been smoothed over in favor of a more generally uplifting tone. The actors do a fine job, although the screenplay rushes through things a bit too quickly for things to land with the desired emotional impact. Secular audiences are not made to feel unwelcome, but those who count themselves as spiritual individuals are more likely to get something out of this one. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a very strong A/V presentation and a nice array of supplemental features. If you are looking for an inspirational family drama, this should do the trick.

Unsung Hero 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: Lionsgate Home Entertainment 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.