Visually stunning and undeniably entertaining, The Walk tells the true story of Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a French street performer who, in 1973, saw a newspaper article about the building of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and vowed to walk between the towers on a high wire. Planning what he called “the artistic coup of the century” was no small feat; done with the help of a group of misfits anxious to help Petit achieve his dream.

Petit’s backstory is covered during the first hour of the film. When we met him, Petit is working as a street performer, where he falls for street busker Annie Allix (Charlotte Le Bon). As he prepares for his trip to New York City, Petit engages the help of experienced circus performance Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley). Though he’s prone to mugging, Kingsley also gives Rudy a rough edge that’s a nice contrast to the suave ego of Gordon-Levitt and blandness of Charlotte Le Bon’s Annie.

The Walk takes flight when Petit, Annie and his band of misfits arrive in New York. As they a World Trade Center office worker prepare for the “coup,” a World Trade Center office worker and a guy from whom Petit buys a pair of radios, are added to the team.

While Zemeckis focuses too much on Petit’s backstory, Joseph Gordon-Levitt clearly enjoyed playing the role and enjoyed every arrogant, over-the-top moment. His is a fittingly energetic performance that works for the story.

The best part of the film, is its last act, when the Big Day arrives and Philippe and his team put their plan into action. Though you likely know how things turned out, the tension is palpable. However, it’s the views from the roof of the Twin Towers that absolutely blew me away. It felt so real at times, I had to remind myself it was a movie. Utilizing 3D to its max, co-writer/director Robert Zemeckis puts you right up there with Petit as he walks on a wire between the towers.

Wow. This might be this best 3D Blu-ray disc I’ve seen yet. A thoroughly involving visual experience, detail and clarity are superb. I was amazed by the depth and realism of the three dimensional imagery. The cinematography takes 3D to its limits, creating camera perspectives that appear to go beyond the screen. Contrast is excellent, as is dynamic range and colors are perfectly reproduced. The aspect ratio is 2.40:1.

I didn’t notice any ghosting or other digital anomalies.

The lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio soundtrack males ample use of the entire soundstage, featuring excellent clarity and dynamic range. Dialogue, easily understandable, is placed in the center channel and Alan Silversti’s engaging score is well spread throughout all channels. Sound effects and atmospherics are well placed and appropriate throughout. There are no anomalies to speak of.

English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Cantonese, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), and Thai subtitles are included.

The following extras are available:

  • Deleted Scenes (1080p): Original Opening (1:59), Philippe Carries Annie (1:05), Wire Rigging Lesson (1:01), JP and Annie See David (0:34), JP Finds Annie (0:36), Philippe Signs Off (0:35) and Central Park Walk (0:27).
  • First Steps – Learning to Walk the Wire (HD, 9:11) A look at the art of wire walking; Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s learning from, the real Philippe Petit; Gordon-Levitt’s physical and emotional preparations for the role and more.
  • Pillars of Support (1080p, 8:27) A look at the supporting characters and the cast that portrays them.
  • The Amazing Walk (1080p, 10:48): A look at the magic—real and movie—that made The Walk a success, converting the film to 3D, digital effects, recreating the towers and more.
  • Blu-ray
  • UltraViolet