The story of how America put the first men into space is a remarkable one that "The Right Stuff" captures perfectly. Released on a double disc DVD set, you get the chance to appreciate both the efforts of the filmmakers and the real astronauts and test pilots behind the Mercury Space Program.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Picture Surprisingly sharp, you may have to remind yourself at times that you're watching a 20-year-old film. The effects look terrific and the flying sequences are clear and fresh.

Sound Upon release the film won an Oscar for best sound for the work done on the stereo surround track. Now mixed into 5.1, the already impressive sound really engages during the flying sequences with effects comparable to the fantastic "Top Gun" DVD.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Disc One Special Features

The only special feature on disc one is a list of awards the movie received.

Disc Two Special Features

Selected Cast Commentary Jeff Goldblum, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Veronica Cartwright, and Barbara Hershey contribute their thoughts separately over 24 minutes of footage from the film. One of the most interesting facts we learn is that the X1 was only ever flown in clear skies, so the famous cloud-filled flying sequences wouldn't have happened as they do in the movie. The clouds were needed for the film to give the impression of speed.

Selected Filmmaker Commentary Director Philip Kaufman, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel chat over the same section of film. Kaufman talks about the editing of the movie and the kinetic quality it lends to the action sequences, while Deschanel explains how the effects were achieved.

Realizing the Right Stuff In this 20-minute featurette, the making of the film is looked at in some detail - from the development of the script through to comments from the cast on the experience of shooting the film. For Quaid, it was with some notable heights in queasiness thanks to the high speed flying sequences.

T-20 Years and Counting The problem with making the film was how to create the special effects. As Chartoff explains, the technology needed then was pure conjecture and a whole batch of effects were scrapped for not fitting the ideals of Kaufman.

The Real Men with the Right Stuff The writer of the original book, Tom Wolfe, talks us through this 15-minute look at the heroes of the actual space program, and on the unsung men who died during the test flights to break the sound barrier.

Additional Scenes There are 13 short scenes running no more than 11 minutes in this section. It's surprising that there isn't more, given that the first cut of the movie ran at five hours long. The material here is good, though, and includes an eerily beautiful pilot ejection sequence.

John Glenn: American Hero Running at 86 minutes, this tribute to John Glenn is a comprehensive look at a career so long he managed a whole political career in between being an astronaut as a young man before then returning to space at the age of 77. There is a lot of great space footage to see here, and some amusing stories of Glenn's persistence that got him back into space as a pensioner.

Interactive Timeline to Space Follow this timeline and with each major date presented you can, in most cases, watch footage of the missions mentioned. Both glories and disasters are represented here, including the tragic Columbia shuttle disaster in February 2003.

Additional Extra Features Also on disc two is a trailer.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Chapters: 46
Ratio: 1.78:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Audio Tracks: English and French
Subtitles: English and multiple languages
Captions: English
Menus: Static, with music
Special Features Subtitles All of the special features come with subtitles, apart from the commentaries and the trailer.

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-N5 DVD player.