Why didn't anyone see Rescue Dawn in theaters this summer? Was it overshadowed by the summer of sequels? Even with all the bigger movies, this one featured Batman (Christian Bale) and got some of the best reviews of the year. It also featured Oscar-worthy work by Steve Zahn (I sincerely hope that MGM will really get behind both him and Bale with 'For Your Consideration' advertising this season to remind voters of their brilliant performances). But the film was basically ignored and couldn't even cross $6 million in theaters in its entire run. Quality always rises to the surface and Rescue Dawn will likely find a big audience at home, even just from fans curious about what Christian Bale did in between Batman Begins and 3:10 to Yuma. Lucky for those fans, and the few who already loved the film after seeing it in theaters, Rescue Dawn has received one of the best DVD treatments from MGM this year. With great special features and a near-perfect video and audio transfer, Rescue Dawn is one of the best new releases of the month.

Rescue Dawn tells the true story of Dieter Dangler, a man who has so become a central part of the life of legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog that he's told his story twice, first in the documentary Little Dieter Needs to Fly and now, ten years later, in the form of a dramatic reenactment and what has been called his most mainstream film. Dieter always wanted to be a pilot and, tragically, only 40 minutes into his first mission into Laos at the start of the Vietnam War, he was shot down. Abandoned behind enemy lines, Dieter was captured by Laotian soldiers and turned into a POW in a horrible camp. Living out his days in fear in a small hut with five other prisoners, including the severely traumatized Duane (Steve Zahn) and the mentally unhinged Gene (Jeremy Davies), Dieter still needs to fly. He's not going to die in a camp and he's going to do whatever it takes to escape.

Featuring some of the best performances of the year and fearless directorial work by Herzog, Rescue Dawn is made even better by the DVD treatment it's been given by MGM. The colors of the film look perfect in their widescreen transfer and the 5.1 audio track makes the horrors of what Dieter experienced that much more enveloping. The special features are where Rescue Dawn really shines. The typical "making of" featurette is expanded into a multi-part documentary with interviews by everyone involved in the making of the film. Herzog speaks eloquently about every element of the production and Bale is one of the more interesting actors alive to hear speak about his work. It's one of the better featurettes of the year and is accompanied by a great audio track, three deleted scenes (something Herzog has never included before) and a still gallery.

If you're like most people, you missed Rescue Dawn in theaters. You might have read the reviews and thought to yourself that you might catch up with it on DVD. Don't forget about. Dieter needed to fly and you really need to see Rescue Dawn.