Iraq – Battle Plan Under Fire (NOVA/WGBH
DVD Box Set)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C- Episodes: B+
As the
battle over what is going wrong in Iraq wages on as we continue to be lied to
in just about every aspect possible of what has occurred, WGBH has issued a DVD
box of three programs on the subject that are as relevant as ever. The three included are:
Battle Plan Under Fire is rightly listed as the title of
the whole box, where we see the most thoroughly laid-out explanation of former
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s crackpot experimentations with untested
technology and limited troop use. No
matter what he said/says, it was an only half-interesting idea at the worst
possible time and the costs in money, lives (soldiers and civilians) and
winning (if there ever was such a thing) anything in Iraq is exposed as the
insane project it was. Remarkably, the
NOVA team show amazing journalistic integrity by not being outraged and only
dubbing it “controversial” when this episode turns out to be an indictment of
the whole Bush Administration.
Life & Death In The War Zone shows the innovate new CaSH
medical units that have been created and deployed to save the lives of more
soldiers than was ever possible before.
Thanks to the likes of the major catastrophic errors of Rumsfeld and
careless lack of leadership of the Bush II group, you can imagine how busy
these people are.
and Spies That Fly show the growth of spy
planes in the last half-century form the full sized beginning drones to micro-technology
that could create spies the size of insects that are consistent. We see their use in Iraq and otherwise, but
the program is broader in its approach.
Can’t wait for the sequel.
The letterboxed
1.78 X 1 image is consistently good, but not great, in all three cases with
limited detail and depth. Bet these will
look good in HD. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
in all three cases has hardly any surrounds, but all are nicely recorded and
smoothly edited just the same. Extras
only include weblinks and DVD-ROM printable materials on all but the title
program.
- Nicholas Sheffo
