12 Mighty Orphans (Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Sony Pictures
Release Date: August 31, 2021
Rating: PG-13
Film: 4/5
 
Plot
12 MIGHTY ORPHANS tells the true story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who, during the Great Depression, went from playing without shoes—or even a football—to playing for the Texas state championships. Over the course of their winning season these underdogs and their resilient spirit became an inspiration to their city, state, and an entire nation in need of a rebound, even catching the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The architect of their success was Rusty Russell, a legendary high school coach who shocked his colleagues by giving up a privileged position so he could teach and coach at an orphanage. Few knew Rusty's secret: that he himself was an orphan. Recognizing that his scrawny players couldn't beat the other teams with brawn, Rusty developed innovative strategies that would come to define modern football.
 
My Thoughts
This film checks two boxes of films I love to watch. First, it’s based on the true story and second, it’s a sports film. Needless to say, I was very interested in reviewing it and had high expectations going in. For the most part, it met all of them and exceeded in others. First off, the story itself is very intriguing and through my research I’ve found that they stick to the facts in regard to the football aspect of the story. Some of the other dramatic elements are probably exaggerated a bit for entertainment value, but even with that the film has a lot of heart.
 
Luke Wilson and Martin Sheen excel in their roles and while the young football players do a competent job in their roles, I can’t say that any were a standout. Wayne Knight does a good job playing the villain—similar to his role in Jurassic Park of so many years ago. My one surprise was Robert Duvall, who was seen for one scene and is never heard from again. Very strange.
 
The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track does its job and conveys the story, but there are a few sequences that are a bit hot, and I had to play the “volume up / volume down” game in these types of scenes. The video encode is very good, as expected from Sony.
 
 
Video 4.5/5
 
Audio 4/5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
 
Special Features:
 

• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

 

 
Conclusion
This is a film that I will definitely watch again and recommend to friends and family. It’s based on true events and is very inspiring to watch and its easy to see how the nation became captivated with this underdog team. If you enjoy this genre of film, definitely pick this up.
 
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
JL Audio Dominion F110 Subwoofer x 2
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[bmoney]

Love me some true sport stories. Will have to check it out