The Film (4/5)

    I'm going to come right out and admit, until watching this Blu-ray I've never sat down and fully watched Orca all the way through before, as such I had no idea entirely what to expect. Orca, has had a reputation since its release 40 years ago as a sub par Jaws knock-off made by Dino De Laurentiis. However, that comparison is only partially true in the sense they are both films with wild creatures who end up killing people. Aside from that the intent of both films is largely different (though it should be said the opening sequence of Orca actually forces one to compare the film to Jaws).

   Orca stars Richard Harris as the Ahab-esque Captain Nolan. Nolan has been offered a large sum to bring in a giant whale for research purposes. Unfortunately, he fails in his task when he kills a pregnant whale, and causes her mate to see revenge on him and the community in which he lives. In order for the whale to back away from the community, he must take a team out and face the whale one last time.

    Orca is actually quite the interesting film, it opens with an awesomely entertaining scene, that doesn't really set the tone for what is to come, but is still pretty cool to watch. We then have a more straight forward man vs. nature adventure that has a serious tone for most of the film until we reach about the half way point, and then things begin to ramp up in the action department.  On top of that the film is anchored by leads Richard Harris and Charlotte Rampling who add an air of class, and just sheer acting prowess to what could have been a very silly film both in concept and execution.

Audio/Video (4/5)

    Orca is presented by Umbrella in a 2:35:1 1080p AVC encoded transfer that preserves the OAR of the film. The source is from a dated master, but honestly, Orca has never looked this good, the colors look warm and natural, detail is excellent, and skin tones are accurate. There is some minor softness.

    Audio is handled by DTS-HD MA 2.0 and 5.1 tracks in English.  Audio was clear and concise with no issues that I could pick up on.

Extras (2.5/5)

    There is an audio commentary with film historian Lee Gambin in regards to the film, an interview with the widow of Dino De Laurentiis and a trailer for the film.

Overall

    Orca is a an excellent man Vs. nature film, and looks and sounds excellent on this Umbrella Blu-ray release. RECOMMENDED.