It’s almost criminal that Gravity, one of the most visually gripping films of the 21st century, doesn’t have a 4K release. While that hasn’t changed, a new Gravity Blu-ray is available for purchase. Features-wise, it’s basically the out-of-print Diamond Luxe Edition with less fancy packaging and at a major discount, which is exciting news as it includes the alternate Silent Space cut of the film and Dolby Atmos audio.
“Gravity, directed by Oscar nominee Alfonso Cuaron, stars Oscar winners Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (Clooney). But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone,” says the official description.
Quite simply, Gravity rocks. It’s a thrilling adventure featuring two bonafide movie stars at the top of their game. Sandra Bullock puts in one of her best performances as she struggles to stay alive in a space mission gone awry, while George Clooney is still the most charismatic and charming fella even in a life-or-death scenario. Star power goes a long way, so when paired with excellent set pieces, incredible visuals that put most movies to shame a decade later, and some stellar sound design, then you have a pulse-pounding cinematic thrill ride that runs a tight 91 minutes and makes every single one of them count.
I was excited to check out the Silent Space cut of the film, which is well worth the price of the Gravity Blu-ray if you haven’t seen it. It’s a gimmick, sure, playing off the lack of sound in space, but this alternate cut removes Steven Price’s score, and while I wouldn’t say it’s better for it, it’s certainly not worse off. The Silent Space version is incredibly tense, hearing only the grunts and heavy breathing of Bullock during some of the most intense moments. There’s no pageantry, only fear and a will to survive. It’s wonderfully immersive stuff that forces the viewer to really pay attention to soak everything in.
There is one gigantic improvement that the new Gravity Blu-ray has over its original home release, which is that the audio is Dolby Atmos. The surround sound technology makes the film’s award-winning sound design really stand out and adds another dimension to watching the film. It’s a huge selling point and is a great improvement, showing that this is more than just a standard reissue.
There’s also a second Blu-ray disc in the package, as the special features are on its own disc. The crown jewel of the package is the behind-the-scenes documentary Gravity: Mission Control, which is longer than the movie at 1 hour and 46 minutes. There are also several television programs, such as the 41-minute look at the history of space films called Looking to the Stars and the 22-minute Collision Point: The Race to Clean up Space, which features narration by Ed Harris (who is also in the movie). Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, there’s also an 11-minute featurette focusing on the human experience of Gravity, an extremely cute low-budget birthday video that Bullock sent her director spoofing the film, and 36 minutes of shot breakdowns.
The final part of the special features disc is a short film by Alfonso’s son, Jonas Cuaron. Called Aningaaq, the seven-minute short shows an alternate look at the scene late in the film when Bullock’s Ryan gets in contact with a person on Earth who doesn’t speak the same language as her. It’s a powerful scene in the film, and while the short takes away the powerful mystery to it, it’s not a watch without merit. It shows that Bullock was talking to a Greenlandic Inuk fisherman and it’s wonderfully shot as we get to see some lovely sled dogs as well.
Gravity Blu-ray Review: The final verdict
The new Gravity Blu-ray is a great way to get all of the Diamond Luxe Edition content at an affordable price. The special features ensure you get your money’s worth, and the addition of Dolby Atmos and the Silent Space cut add a ton to the experience of the film itself. This is a really great reissue worth checking out.
Disclosure: ComingSoon received the product from the publisher for our Gravity Blu-ray review.
