While the video presentation is far from perfect, the booming DTS mix and two discs worth of fantastic extras in this DVD set make it a thoroughly worthwhile purchase.

The video presentation is quite decent but has its fair share of problems. First off, the video is rather soft, with an image looking more like it was shot on HD than film, but otherwise the MPEG-2 compression is quite good. Many scenes in the film, especially the scenes set inside of the I-507, have kind of an orange hue as well, but that is obviously an artistic decision on behalf of the filmmakers and not a flaw in the transfer. Overall not bad at all, but I expected better quality from a film made just last year, especially from a DVD with the THX mark stamped on it.

The film is presented in it's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and is anamorphically enhanced for 16:9 TVs.

The audio quality is absolutely fantastic. The Dolby Digital EX track is great, but the DTS ES track is an absolute joy to listen to. This track will really make your living room shake with its explosive sound effects. Not only is it a whole lot louder, but it is considerably clearer and sharper as well. The audio presentation is certainly deserving of something marked with the THX logo.

The DVD has two subtitle tracks, one in Japanese for the hearing impaired and a very well translated English subtitle track.

The extras are impeccable. The DVD set comes with the UMD version of the film for starters, but since I don't own a PSP I can't review that. It also comes with a book of storyboards, an insert showing the military rank of the characters and coolest of all, a real photograph of the submarine crew, just like in the movie. On the first disc is an audio commentary track that includes director Shinji Higuchi and writer Harutoshi Fukui. My understanding of the Japanese language is limited and there's no subtitle track for it so I can't review it. The first feature on disc two is a 36 minute making of special detailing much of the film's principal photography. It may be of interest to anime fans as it features appearances by anime directors Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) who visits the set and Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) who appears in a cameo in Lorelei as a member of the submarine crew. Also included on disc two are some scenes from the film's rough cut, a set of outtakes from the film, a documentary on the construction of the giantic 1-507 miniature and an interview with director Shinji Higuchi. Disc three contains an interview with Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno on what appears to be a TV show, various interviews with Higuchi and other crew members, a featurette showing Hideaki Anno touring the Das Boot-like interior of the 1-507 and some CGI test footage. In terms of extras, this is one of the finest DVDs of a Toho film around, easily on par with such American DVDs as The Lord of the Rings extended editions.

This film is definitely of interest to anybody who is a fan of anime such as Captain Harlock and Blue Submarine No. 6, submarine or military-themed tokusatsu films like Atragon (1963) and Latitude Zero (1969) or even non-Japanese submarine or WWII films like Das Boot and with the multitude of extras found on the disc as well as a good English subtitle track, it is very much worth shelling out the $70.