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Category:    Home > Reviews > Documentary > Nature > Water > Oceans > Ecosystem > Sea LIfe > Environment > Science > Geology > Large Frame > Volcanoes Of The Deep (2003) + Wild Ocean (2008) (IMAX/Image Entertainment Blu-rays)

Volcanoes Of The Deep (2003) + Wild Ocean (2008) (IMAX/Image Entertainment Blu-rays)

 

Picture: B     Sound: B     Extras: C+     Films: B-

 

 

Originally issued in IMAX 3-D, Image Entertainment has issued the pretty impressive IMAX releases Volcanoes Of The Deep (2003) and Wild Ocean (2008), both of which show nature in ways never seen before by any kind of camera.  As 2-D only Blu-ray editions, there are hardly any shots that look phony or forced as if to test and show-off 3-D, but the 70mm IMAX frame has so much depth and detail, they do not have to.

 

Volcanoes Of The Deep joins Ghosts Of The Abyss and Aliens Of The Deep as the kind of underwater exploration documentary James Cameron was producing between Titanic (1997) and Avatar (2009).  Delving into the deep sea with the latest technology and robotics, it is a great trip into the discovery of life rarely seen and is as strong as the other programs, even though Stephen Low directed this one and Cameron did the other two.  They know what they are doing and what to look for, bringing you in on everything and it works.  Ed Harris (who starred in Cameron’s The Abyss) narrates this strong 40-minutes long presentation.  It is sadly reported that this advanced, thorough science piece was banned for political reasons in the South.

 

Wild Ocean was made five years later, but is just as strong and even manages to have two directors (Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas) who manage to mesh their work (the opposite happens in 99% of such cases).  Shot off of the coast in Africa, this is one of the richest of many great IMAX films featuring sea life and though many such shows have popped up on TV lately shot in the latest High Definition video, nothing can beat the best shots form the original 70mm IMAX film frame.  This runs a healthy 45 minutes and is another great piece of work.

 

The 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image on both have a mix of softer than expected images, some solid images and some truly great demonstration-quality images that would look good in any home theater.  The best shots you could never get from any HD today and proves once again 70mm film and other large frame formats are the way to go.  Deep has many shots that are almost all black, which will test any serious system, while Ocean has even more shots that test depth reproduction.  The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 mix on both is pretty good, but voice over narration can be too much towards the center channel in both cases at times and sound boxed in.  However there are more than enough surround moments in both to make up for that and challenge your system, with Deep originally issued in the fine Sonix sound format.  Extra on both include interviews segments, trailers, quizzes, behind the scenes featurettes and educational video.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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