Kidzworld reviews the Blu-ray for Sully, the film about the heroic airline pilot who landed his damaged plane on the Hudson River saving all aboard. Is it a good bet for holiday giving?
By: Lynn Barker
In true story Sully, a seasoned airline pilot has to deal with landing a plane with both engines knocked out by a flock of Canadian geese. Talk about a natural disaster!
Sully and Skiles realize they can't make it to any landing stripCourtesy of Warner Bros.
Routine Take Off
In February, 2009, Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) and co-pilot Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) take off on their passenger airline flight from La Guardia airport outside NYC to North Carolina. Suddenly a huge flock of Canadian geese are sucked into both engines.
Sully helps evacuate passengersCourtesy of Warner Bros.
Quick Thinking
Sully realizes that he can’t make runways at any near-by airports and, with the plane descending, has to ditch in the Hudson River. The fact that all passengers survive is amazing and is called “The Miracle on the Hudson”.
Sully on the Hudson River after the crashCourtesy of Warner Bros.
The NTSB
Because the airline isn’t happy that its expensive plane was lost, the National Transportation Safety Board routinely investigates. Computer simulations of the flight reveal that the pilot should have made it to an airport so Sully goes from hero to bad guy at least in their eyes. Will he have his wings taken away? Will anyone ever consider the “human factor” that makes him a hero? Computers can’t really do that.
Sully and Co-Pilot Skiles at the NTSB inquiry meetingCourtesy of Warner Bros.
Special Extra Features
- Sully Sullenberger: The Man Behind the Miracle is a nice little exploration of the pilot from childhood through the Air Force Academy and fighter pilot experience to his work piloting passenger planes to the ditching in the Hudson and how sudden fame changed his and many lives. Really nice, interesting feature.
- Moment By Moment: Averting Disaster on the Hudson – the step-by-step story of the accident is told by Sully, Co-Pilot Jeff Skiles and air traffic controller Patrick Harten. Sully remembers his every move. Doing anything else would have resulted in a crash on land. Really exciting!
- Neck Deep in the Hudson: Shooting Sully is the “making of” extra. The history of making the film is explained including the cool fact that famous actor Harrison Ford, also a pilot, was approached by someone wanting to turn Sully’s book about the incident into a movie. He steered them to his buddy Producer Frank Marshall with whom he worked on many films since the first Raiders of the Lost Ark. We learn why director Clint Eastwood was chosen and see filming on the Universal Studios lot lake of a full-sized plane floating on the water with passengers evacuating. A really interesting visual extra with comments by Hanks, Aaron Eckhart and other cast and filmmakers.
Tom Hanks as Sully with director Clint EastwoodCourtesy of Warner Bros.
Wrapping Up
Tom Hanks is always great playing an ordinary guy in extraordinary circumstances. Sully is no exception. This movie goes through the crash but examines what happened afterwards as public adulation and doubt from the National Transportation and Safety Board, really upset and tested a seasoned pilot. It’s exciting and then interesting. Not for younger kids but good for teens through adults.
An exhausted Sully is questioned by pressCourtesy of Warner Bros.
Extras are really interesting and detailed. Good choice for collecting and gifting this holiday season. We go four stars.
Sully Blu-ray Rating:
Sully Blu-ray CoverCourtesy of Warner Bros.
You can get Sully on Bley-ray & DVD Tuesday, December 20th!
Have Your Say
Are you into Tom Hanks movies? Do you want to be a pilot when you grow up? Do you think Sully is a hero? Leave a comment.
