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Category:    Home > Reviews > Documentary > Fighter Planes > Military > School > Fighter Pilot – Operation Red Flag (2004/IMAX Blu-ray/Image Entertainment)

Fighter Pilot – Operation Red Flag (2004/IMAX Blu-ray/Image Entertainment)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B     Extras: C+     Film: B-

 

 

Fighter Pilot – Operation Red Flag (2004) is one of a cycle of IMAX productions that show a true love of airplanes and when they can revel in showing off aircraft that are not available to the public and even classified for only an elite group to use, all the better.  This one takes us to one of the top places in the world where all the top pilots in the world converge and even practice with each other to get even better at what they do.

 

Director Stephen Low has directed some of the best IMAX films (like Super Speedway and Titanica) and this is no exception, always taking on can’t-miss, interesting material and mining it to maximum effect.  It is what makes stand-alone IMAX films (versus feature films being blown up to this size) still as exciting as it was when the format first arrived.  This only runs 40 minutes, but it is engaging and makes Tony Scott’s Top Gun (reviewed on Blu-ray elsewhere on this site) more of an antique than ever before.

 

This follows the lives of several real-life pilots and tells their stories of becoming some of the best fliers alive, which then shifts into a tale about the rare kind of excellence that combines the natural talent of the pilots with the advanced technology of the planes they operate.  It also becomes a metaphor for those talented filmmakers making this film with one of the most advanced film systems ever made.  This is a key IMAX film to see.

 

The 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image is a little softer than it should be, especially for a recent IMAX production or HD transfer, with close shots looking better than the big shots that should look nothing short of amazing.  This deserves a new transfer, but in the meantime, this is still better than a DVD or download could deliver. 

 

The DTS HD Master Audio (MA) lossless 5.1 mix is also a little underwhelming and a bit compressed, suggesting this master is second-generation when it should not be. 

 

Extras include a quiz, text about the director, text links for more information, trailers for more Image IMAX Blu-rays and behind the scenes items.  For more of our IMAX Blu-ray coverage, try this link:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/7886/IMAX+Blu-ray:+Coral+Reef+Adv

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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