Customer Reviews

Antarctica: An Adventure of a Different Nature (IMAX) [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This 1991 documentary was created for an IMAX presentation so I seriously wondered how this video would look on my little TV scene. Of course it could never be the same, but I had nothing to worry about because this 38-minute Australian documentary definitely captures the wonder and majesty of Antarctica. I learned something too and held my breathe in awe when the camera showed how the crevices in the glaciers are sometimes covered with such a thin sheet of ice that it will not sustain the weight of a person. However, they did bring a camera down there and it was a treat to see something that had never been filmed before. Another great shot was a timed exposure of the sun as it travels around the pole. There was also excellent cinematography of seals and of penguins although I wish they had skipped the silly background music, which tried to be humorous while showing the penguins diving. There were also a few film clips from the 1948 British film "Scott of Antarctica".

I understand that the film cost $3.5 million to produce and that the film crew had to drag 2300 pounds of Imax equipment around, including one camera that never worked in the frigid temperatures. It took two Antarctic summers to film and the crew stayed at the American, French, Russian and Chinese scientific camps, getting some interesting footage of the scientists themselves and their experiments. The inevitable conclusion is that global warming is a serious threat that we cannot ignore. This is a great video for those of us who will likely never visit this coldest, driest, windiest and last unexplored place on earth. Recommended.

The footage looks great on a big screen, but unfortunetly the documentary lacks content. There are long sections where the only audio is sound effects and music. I was expecting something more on par with a National Geographic special where I would learn more about Antarctica, penguins, glaciers, etc.

The film quality is superb, and IMAX fans will not be disappointed in the cinematography. Overall, however, the film is unfocused and lacks direction. In addition, the music soundtrack and narration is surprisingly annoying and overdramatic. If you are interested in Antarctica, I recommend this film, but you might want to turn the sound off.

As with Africa: Serengeti, this is a must have IMAX Documentary.

Blu-ray transfer is very good.

A nice mix of history, wildlife, terrain and science.

Narrated by Alex Scott.

The film quality is superb, and IMAX fans will not be disappointed in the cinematography. Overall, however, the film is unfocused and lacks purpose and direction. In addition, the music soundtrack and narration is surprisingly annoying. If you are interested in Antarctica, I recommend this film, but you might want to turn the sound off.

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"It is summer [in Antarctica]. It is midnight [even though there is full sunlight]. We are headed south. As they travel in this ship [an icebreaker], the men and women in this ship will be bitterly cold. Sun will burn their faces. Wind will sear them but they will feel fortunate to have become part of a great adventure."

The above is spoken by narrator Alex Scott at the beginning of this revealing documentary of Antarctica. This film was first shown in IMAX theatres.

This documentary has it all:

(1) spectacular cinematography
(2) good, informative narration
(3) interesting background music

What I especially liked was that the narrator did not attempt to overwhelm me with too many details. I got the impression that only the most important and interesting information was carefully selected and presented.

Support for the making of this film was provided by the Antarctic divisions of Austraila, U.S., Italy, New Zealand, U.S.S.R, and China. Data and science support was provided by fourteen organizations including NASA.

Finally, the DVD itself (the one released on Blu-ray in 2007) is perfect in picture and sound quality. It has no extras.

In conclusion, this is a fascinating documentary of Antarctica. Watch it to find out why the narrator said the following:

"Antarctica reminds us again. We have scarcely begun to understand our planet."

(1991; 37 min, 30 sec; wide screen; 7 scenes)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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The strength of the program is in the underwater shots and the look deep inside the crevice. This is where the program shines and the Imax we all know is evident.

I was a little disappointed in the wild life shots, particularly because a Killer Whale is never shown (I don't think even mentioned) and which is a major component of that ecosystem. The shots of seals and penguins on the surface seemed a little distant and didn't have that usual Imax touch to it.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there just seems to be something missing. I watched Imax's Everest title back to back with this one. The Everest one is so much tighter. I think because you get a better feel for the people you're watching on screen, whereas with the Antarctica program, there really isn't a tour guide. It's more disjointed and it plays very choppy. When it's good, it's very good, but there's some lapses there in between the underwater scenes where it just looks like they're at the local ski resort. I never felt like I was shown the expanse, danger, history, complete beauty of Antarctica.

It is still a wonderful program, although I think I would have been just as happy renting it. I don't think it will get dozens of plays like the Everest title will.

If Imax is now the best quality available on dvd and Anctartica one of the unexplored wonders of our world, you could expect a visual masterpiece. This isn't. Nevertheless, it's not terrible either. The problem here is the lack of empathy that this documentary brings. Yes, penguins look stunning and glaciers also do the trick, but if you're going to go to a place so hostile, yet so diverse, as Anctartica you should expect more information, more soul put into it and, of course, the magic that other documentaries such as Africa-The Serengeti, Imax-Alaska or The Living Seas display. Buy it only if you want to complete your Imax collection.

Article as advertised, delivered as promised. Continued and consistent results following our numerous items ordered from Amazon.

For anyone who has an interest in Antarctica, this is a documentary that you DO NOT want to miss.

It takes you under icebergs, along the shoreline of penquins and seals, and offers you a birds-eye view of the icescape.

The music works well with the master film (especially with the penquin sequence) and the photography is top notch.

One problem : It's too short (40 min)

Excellent DVD transfer & audio.