Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.
Adapted from the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Lawrence Wright, the series reveals the untold story of the September 11 attacks, and how the secret rivalry between the FBI and the CIA may have inadvertently set a path for the tragedy to take place.
The Looming Tower traces the rising threat of Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda in the late 1990s and how at the time, the FBI and the CIA may have inadvertently set the path for the tragedy of 9/11. The series follows members of the I-49 Squad in New York and Alec Station in Washington D.C., the counter terrorism divisions of the FBI and CIA, respectively, as they travel the world fighting for ownership of information while seemingly working toward the same goal - trying to prevent an imminent terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Jeff Daniels stars as I-49 Squad chief John O'Neill, who faces a deliberate lack of cooperation from other intelligence organizations within the federal government, after he's convinced the United States has been targeted for an attack by Al-Qaeda. His counterpart within the CIA, the frequently antagonistic Martin Schmidt (Peter Sarsgaard), assumes the CIA is the only government agency equipped to battle potential terror threats from abroad. He disobeys presidential orders and purposely keeps information from the FBI. Although the goal of both organizations is the same - preventing a terrorist attack from happening in the U.S. - the competitive nature between the two agencies, and their inability to work with one another, may have given Al-Qaeda operatives in the U.S. the opportunity to put their devastating plan in motion.
The series also stars Louis Cancelmi (Billions), Virginia Kull (Sneaky Pete), Ella Rae Peck (Feed the Beast), and Sullivan Jones. Alec Baldwin guest stars.
Produced by Legendary Television, The Looming Tower is executive produced by Oscar-nominated writer Dan Futterman (In Treatment, A Mighty Heart, Capote), Oscar and Emmy-award-winning documentary filmmaker, and director Alex Gibney (Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief, Taxi to the Dark Side), Lawrence Wright (Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief, The Siege), Craig Zisk (Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine Nine) and Adam Rapp (Vinyl, Flesh and Bone). The 10-episode limited drama series originally premiered on Hulu February 28, 2018.
"The Looming Tower powerfully reenacts the extraordinary events leading into the devastating 9/11 terrorist attacks. Viewers will be gripped from the very start," said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, TV Marketing. She added, "Based on the best-selling and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and shot in multiple locations around the world, The Looming Tower is a political thriller consumers won't want to miss. We are excited to offer this remarkable series on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital with exclusive bonus content to take consumers deeper into this true story and the making of the series."
The Looming Tower arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1 - Visually the show is a mixed bag of vintage footage and crisp new images. Colors have a natural palette with a more grey and cool look in the government office settings. Black levels have a nice amount of depth. The overall image is clear and full of detail. There were a few artifacts noticed by the trained eye. 8/10
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. - Dialogue reproduction was crisp and clear throughout the 10 episode run. LFE performance was quite effective when the show is deep in conflicted zones of the Middle East with deep, thumping bass. The powerful score never overshadows rest of the mix. Surround channel activity really comes alive during action scenes but is no slouch in quieter moments with great use of subtle surround channel effects. 9/10
* Audio Commentaries - The Creators take the audience inside the creative process of creating the Pilot and Finale episodes.
* Across Three Continents: Creating The Looming Tower (HD, 10:34) - From New York to Morocco to Johannesburg, THE LOOMING TOWER production team went to great lengths to recreate and film the series as accurately as possible.
* Ali Soufan: In His Own Words (HD, 10:05)- Former FBI Special Agent Ali Soufan reveals his personal American story and shares memories of his mentor John O'Neill.
* The Looming Tower: Divided We Fail (HD, 07:13) - THE LOOMING TOWER author Lawrence Wright, former FBI Special Agent Ali Soufan, Executive Producers Dan Futterman and Alex Gibney, and the cast explore the complicated relationship between the FBI and CIA in the years leading up to 9/11.
* The Complexities of Character (HD, 11:28) - The cast of THE LOOMING TOWER reveal their motivations and approach to playing their complicated roles.