Bears Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

Bears Blu-ray Movie Review

This could have been much better if the filmmakers didn't go the lazy route.

Reviewed by Dustin Somner July 17, 2009

I recently had the opportunity to backpack through a beautiful section of the Olympic National Park in Washington, which also happens to be a haven for Black Bears. This was my first trek into heavily populated bear country, so I approached the trip with a certain degree of apprehension. Fortunately, the park rangers of Olympic are extremely knowledgeable and the park has implemented a mandatory requirement that backpackers carry bear canisters for any food or essentials that possess a scent bears might be attracted to. The only reason I’m mentioning this story, is because I happened onto some information regarding the intelligence of bears while I was shopping for my bear canister. One of the more popular canisters on the market includes a warning about a brown bear in the Adirondack area of New York that has figured out how to open a bear canister. One of my friends bought that particular canister (which includes a lock as well as a screw-off top), and after using it over the course of three nights I’m astonished by how clever some bears can be. I’d like to think I’m at least halfway intelligent, but those darn canisters can be difficult to open even if you have instructions and the luxury of fingers.

Not so tough when they're babies...

The film Bears was originally produced in 1999 for release in IMAX theaters, which accounts for the relatively short runtime of the feature. Focusing mainly on the Grizzly, Black, and Polar species, it offers a brief historical context for each animal (from information recorded by Native Indians) and an abundance of footage showing the bears in their natural habitat. Along the way, we’re introduced to an Alaskan resident named Chris Day, as she takes a group of tourists on a bear-watching expedition to the feeding grounds of the Alaskan Grizzly. The narration provided during the feature is far from cerebral, but there are still some interesting facts divulged about the lives of the three bear species, which made the production worthwhile for those seeking an education in addition to their entertainment. It may not be the best I’ve seen in the way of IMAX filmmaking, but it’s also not the worst.

Without a doubt, the best aspect of the film is the journey to adulthood by two young bear cubs. These little guys are shown wrestling with each other, knocking one another down, unsuccessfully climbing a tree (or even falling out of one at a later point in the film), and swimming for their lives against a strong current. Children will especially gravitate toward these segments, but I’d wager most adults will be equally impressed by the candid shots of these two little pals.

I wish I could say everything about the release is positive, but there are some unfortunate drawbacks to the release as well. First up, the “bear” songs used in the film are cringe-inducing and can only be appreciated by fans of themed music that rarely makes sense. In all seriousness, the singer actually presents a song at the end of the film that begs the viewer to take a bear out to lunch. That bear might want YOU for lunch, but I guarantee your local burger hang-out won’t appreciate you marching in with a Grizzly trailing behind. The second monumental failure in the film (yes, I do consider the bear songs a monumental failure), is the attempted portrayal of bears as undeserving of their dangerous reputation. I couldn’t find any information on whether or not Chris Day is still alive, but the bear-watching expeditions she takes tourist out on are entirely too reminiscent of the tragedy portrayed in the documentary Grizzly Man. Why anyone would think it’s a wise move to take children out to a well-known Grizzly-feasting stream and stand within feet of a hungry creature that could outrun you in under 10 strides is beyond me. For an educational nature documentary, this misrepresentation should be perceived as an epic failure on the part of the filmmakers and seems to send an inappropriate message to younger viewers yearning for information to digest. As adults, we’re aware of the danger bears pose and most of us possess a healthy respect for their habitat, but the film doesn’t send the right signal to the younger members of the audience. If you choose to watch the film with your children, don’t be surprised if you need to have a little chat afterwards about not running up and hugging a bear in the wilderness.

Bears Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in 1080p utilizing the MPEG-2 codec (at an average bitrate of 38Mbps), Bears offers an impressive visual experience. Detail is sharp as a tack in both close-up and distance shots, bringing out the highly-defined textures of the Alaskan wilderness or Arctic tundra. Colors maintain a balance that's not overly saturated, possessing a natural spectrum that never ventures into artificial or drab territory. Continuing with the positives, black levels are inky deep and contrast offers sufficient differentiation across a wide variety of locations (including the bright, colorless landscape of Antarctica). Considering my prior experience with MPEG-2 transfers on lower-budget Blu-ray releases, I kept a watchful eye on the usual suspects (edge-enhancement, artifacting, aliasing, and banding), but am pleased to report there was a complete lack of any digital anomalies. However, there are two items worth mentioning that appear to be related to the source material. First, there were some shots early in the film where I had a feeling the aspect ratio was stretched vertically (ever so slightly). This could have been my mind playing tricks on me, but the bears within the scene looked unnaturally tall and slender. Second, I detected an occasional effect that looked as though the lens on the IMAX camera was flimsy, exhibiting bowing that led to a slight warping of the sequence in question. It only happened in a handful of scenes, but may be noticeable to viewers who are sensitive to visual distractions.

Bears Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Although we're not given a lossless soundtrack for this release, Razor Digital has included a total of 7 language tracks, all presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. Naturally, I chose to view the film with the English track playing, though I still gave each track a brief listen to confirm the volume levels are comparable. As you can imagine, this isn't a very active track and the narration seems to dominate the mix throughout the majority of the runtime. There's occasional music, but it's only readily noticeable when the awful bear songs play at the beginning and end of the film. In between the narration and the sparse music, you'll be treated to a variety of sound effects, from the bears roaring in warning to one another, to the sounds of rushing water as fish bob and weave between the paws of the hungry beasts. Unfortunately, if you're looking for a comprehensive use of your rear speakers or subwoofer, this film won't meet your demands. The majority of the elements in the track are firmly planted in the front soundstage, leaving us to question what could have been. In the end, the track isn't a bad complement to the visuals, but it never rises to levels that demonstrate what Blu-ray has to offer.

Bears Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bear Wars (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 44:44 min): Make sure you have a strong stomach if you choose to watch this supplement. Narrated by Pam Houston (writer and river guide), the featurette focuses on the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness of Idaho, and a public battle that took place over whether or not the Grizzly bear should be reintroduced to that location. Right at the beginning, you'll be treated to some archival footage of a bear used as a crash test dummy (sad), and other improper treatment of the animals, which is really a tough way to start the feature (and should not be shown to young children). Town hall discussions with enraged locals are addressed, but the Ms. Houston eventually makes her case in the documentary for the benefits of bringing the Grizzly back. Of note, there are no chapter stops throughout this lengthy documentary

Making of Bears (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 19:17 min): It's somewhat comical that the making-of special runs almost half the length of the main feature on the disc. As you'd expect, the filmmakers explain their intentions in creating the film (geared toward children and families), the organizations that were collectively involved in the production and the the actual on-location work of the crew. While not entirely interesting, the inclusion of the featurette will be appreciated by avid fans of the film.

Bears Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you're an IMAX completist, or you love footage of bears, this release will be a great addition to your collection. For anyone else, a one-time viewing will be plenty for a lifetime, so a rental is a more logical option. I certainly wouldn't describe the film as bad (aside from the bear songs), but I was left with an impression that the production was a bit on the lazy side, with basic facts presented in the narration, contrived Indian folklore, and a careless attitude toward the nature of wild animals. Frankly, I expect better from releases on the IMAX format and would rather watch something that's a bit more polished. Perhaps the superior documentary Grizzly Man will make its way to Blu-ray in the near future.