Based on George Jonas' 1984 book Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team (much like the 1986 made-for-TV movie Sword of Gideon), Steven Spielberg's Munich (2005) is a fictional account of the 1972 Summer Olympic massacre in which 11 Israeli coaches and athletes were brutally murdered. This wasn't the first time Spielberg translated delicate non-fiction into dramatic entertainment: earlier efforts like Schindler's List and Amistad were "based on true events"...but should not, for completely obvious reasons, be mistaken for documentaries.

Most fans that have a problem with Munich base their complaints on the film's unavoidable habit of "filling in the blanks". It's impossible to get an accurate, first-hand account of this densely layered European tragedy for good reason: even the source material has been called into question numerous times. Vengeance itself was almost entirely based on the testimony of Israeli-American security consultant Juval Aviv (renamed "Avner Kaufman" in Munich, and portrayed by Eric Bana), though Aviv's credentials as a Mossad agent and leader of Operation "Wrath of God"---the counter-strike approved by Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir---were even denied by the Israeli government in 1990. So if Vengeance itself is possibly a work of fiction, in whole or in part, where else can Munich go but sideways?

Either way, it shouldn't matter, because---with a few mild reservations----Munich works fine as a politically-charged thriller. To its credit, the film's truth-bending accusations may be partially due to its visual pedigree: it not only looks like a documentary about a 1970s event, it actually looks as if it were filmed during that era. Long shots slow down the action, quick zooms on the street emphasize important background details, and a rugged appearance almost tricks us into thinking about films like The French Connection. Despite the considerable length and complex subject matter, it's important to note that Munich was not a drawn-out production: filming began immediately after Spielberg's War of the Worlds in June of 2005, and the finished product was in theaters by December. Overall, though, Munich doesn't feel like a "quick and dirty" production: it's definitely a little flabby at times and the "violence is cyclical" message is beaten into the ground...but as a whole, Munich has aged well during the last decade.

Universal's new Blu-ray package looks to replace its 2005 DVD release, which was available as a movie-only disc and a somewhat rare Collector's Edition. Not surprisingly, it has no trouble matching or exceeding expectations in most every department: the A/V presentation has been awarded a suitable bump in quality, while the bonus features directly mirror the deluxe package from nine years ago. With that said, a film like this really demands some sort of retrospective follow-up, so the lack of new extras is somewhat disappointing. At least the movie holds up, right?

Universal doesn't have the greatest track record for catalog titles on Blu-ray, but this 1080p transfer of Munich (framed at 2.39:1) looks mighty good. The film has no consistent palette, bouncing freely between brightly-lit, slightly over-saturated outdoor sequences to moody interior shots, some as a result of using special Fuji film stocks. This Blu-ray handles the film's almost improvised appearance quite nicely, leaving in a natural layer of film grain without digital imperfections like over-sharpening, edge enhancement, or compression artifacts. Black levels are deep and rich at times, while shadow detail and textures are frequently strong. Overall, the film's distinctive 1970s appearance handles the transition to high definition extremely well and its benefits will please fans eager to retire their DVDs.

Naturally, the default DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track also improves on the DVD's capable efforts by a modest but noticeable margin. Munich is not a consistently aggressive film and the audio follows suit, offering a careful mixture of quiet moments and sudden, jarring outbursts of chaos. Dialogue is clean and crisp; some foreign exchanges also include burned-in English subtitles, while some do not. The rear channels are generally reserved for John Williams' score, bustling urban activity, explosions, and gunfire, while plenty of moments offer strong channel separation and panning. The film's most intense sequences aren't always as overpowering as expected; instead, the subtle audio effects and their placement get the job done with minimal presence. A DTS 5.1 French dub is also included during the main feature, as well as optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles during the film and extras.

Aside from a Steven Spielberg Introduction included with the common "standard" DVD, we also get a relatively short six-part Behind-the-Scenes Documentary assembled by Laurent Bouzereau, which includes "The Men: The Mission" (casting and development), "Memories of the Event" (historical comments), "Portrait of an Era" (production design), "On-Set Experience" (shooting), ""The International Cast", and "Editing, Sound and Music". Together, these cast/crew interview clips and montages run just over an hour...and while they're certainly nice to have (especially if they're new to you), they don't dig very deep. Bottom line: supplements have evolved a great deal in the last decade, and these were already kind of average the first time around. They're presented in 480i with optional subtitles.

This year marks Munich's 10th anniversary and, for die-hard fans, its long-awaited Blu-ray debut. Shot and edited at a breakneck pace and released less than six months after his own War of the Worlds, Spielberg's historical drama is equal parts messy, expressive, affecting, and extremely calculated. Its largest handicaps are a padded running time and, of course, the unfortunate task of turning a non-fictional tragedy into a production where the cast, crew, and audience members are forced to fill in the blanks. In both cases, Munich can't help but tread water at times: its "violence is cyclical" message is evident almost immediately and exhausted by the end credits. Universal's Blu-ray thankfully doesn't mirror its 2006 single-disc release; instead, it ports over supplements from the slightly more comprehensive (and harder to find) Collector's Edition DVD, along with the expected boost in A/V quality. This disc remains a Best Buy exclusive until May 5th, but it's worth picking up early if you're a die-hard fan. Recommended.