Alaska: Spirit of the Wild Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild Blu-ray Movie Review

An Academy Award nominee with genuine heart...

More than the largest American state, more than the northernmost tip of the continent, and more than a thriving wildlife sanctuary, Alaska is, among other things, a fading global commodity: a largely untouched natural expanse that reminds us what our sprawling cityscapes have stamped out. Its rushing rivers, crumbling ice shelves, and endless forests are home to caribou, wolves, moose, bison, and polar bears, among others. Its crisp winds and swirling clouds are host to willow grouses, geese, and bald eagles. Its mountains are tamed by even more species, all of whom have settled into one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

Casey has an eye for breathtaking imagery and jaw-dropping sights...

Confidently helmed by Africa: The Serengeti director George Casey and narrated with earnest enthusiasm by the late Charlton Heston, Alaska: Spirit of the Wild is an engaging tour de force limited only by an all-too-short runtime. Undoubtedly the most extensive release in Razor Digital Entertainment's IMAX collection, the documentary navigates the wonders of the Alaskan landscape, the behaviors and habits of its diverse wildlife, and the history of the region with deft ease. Casey's cameras follow struggling salmon upstream, watches humpback whales feed in the ocean, visits a colony of bald eagles, hunts with a pack of wolves, strides about the countryside with elk, and even takes the opportunity to run with sled dogs in a renowned race. Sure, it's a lot of ground to cover in forty minutes, but Heston never sounds rushed, the film is fantastically paced, and the entire experience will leave you wanting to know more about our 49th state.

Even so, the thing that sets Alaska: Spirit of the Wild apart from other nature documentaries I've reviewed of late is that it infuses its subjects with personality. Bears simply don't wade into the cold streams of the Alaskan waters, they paw at the surface and splash themselves in the face... in short, they have a great time whirling about in the water. Sea lions aren't shown basking on slippery rocks with little to nothing to do, they engage in a playful competition to see who can remain seated atop their favorite perch. Salmon don't mindlessly push their way against the flow, they embrace their hardened determination and risk their lives to fulfill their destinies. Heston's narration and Casey's script could be criticized for infusing too much humanity into the beasts, but I found it to be a fitting way to connect to the various animals and their individual plights.

If I have any complaint, it's that Alaska: Spirit of the Wild doesn't have the opportunity to dig deeper into its locales and wildlife. I honestly could have spent another three hours in the wintery wilderness; soaking in Casey's stunning photography and Heston's grandfatherly intonations. Like Africa: The Serengeti before it, this IMAX documentary is an excellent addition to any filmfan's collection.

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild features a somewhat troubled 1080p/MPEG-2 transfer that succumbs to a variety of issues including telecine wobble, contrast wavering, and inconsistent image clarity. Persistent (albeit faint) artifacting, print damage (in the form of salt-n-pepper flecks and nicks), and intermittent edge enhancement invade the picture as well, making Razor Digital Entertainment's Blu-ray presentation look as dated as its twelve-year-old source. Thankfully, primaries remain strong, blacks are fittingly deep, and the overall transfer is much sharper and refined than its standard DVD counterpart. While animal fur and delicate underbrush aren't as lifelike as I would prefer (aggressive artificial sharpening makes everything look a bit too digitized for my tastes), texture integrity is nevertheless a high point of the presentation that leads to quite a few technically impressive sequences. All things considered, Alaska: Spirit of the Wild is in decent shape for a bargain-priced 1997 IMAX documentary, but just can't stack up against other Blu-ray showcase pieces.

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild's surprisingly involving Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track improves matters, but only by small increments. Heston's narration is nicely prioritized amidst the documentary's roaring rapids, stampeding caribou, and excitable wildlife; a subtle hint of LFE support grants his delivery even more natural presence in the mix. On a similar note, bass tones are weighty and relatively strong (for a chatty documentary), the rear speakers are tasked with plenty of light environmental ambience, and the soundfield is admirably immersive anytime Heston isn't speaking. Granted, it still amounts to a predominantly front-heavy experience, but I was pleased with its ability to make me forget I was evaluating a film's audio mix. While I found directionality to be slightly spotty in busier scenes and while I caught some brief warbling in the center speaker on several occasions, Alaska: Spirit of the Wild's audio track efficiently juggles everything it's given. A lossless option would have probably made its sonic prowess more obvious, but, for a standard Dolby mix, I was pleased with what I heard.

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Despite the film's warm critical reception and Academy Award nomination, the Blu-ray edition of Alaska: Spirit of the Wild doesn't include any special features.

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even though the Blu-ray edition of Alaska: Spirit of the Wild falters with a hit-or-miss video presentation, it offers an unexpectedly solid audio track and a stirring Oscar-nominated film that deserves some serious attention. Currently one of the most overlooked bargain Blu-rays available on Amazon, Spirit of the Wild is great for families, documentary fans, and nature nuts of all varieties. Give it a spin, ignore its uneven transfer, and see what you think.