Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Fascinating visuals and feats of great human endurance in 3D.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 10, 2011

And so began my journey.

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D may not be what might immediately spring to mind when thinking of a traditional "circus" act, but this is nevertheless a sometimes spellbinding and fully entertaining metaphorical story of man as told through the grace and strength of some of the world's greatest physical performers. Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D guides viewers through various landscapes and introduces them to several unique and gifted individuals as they gracefully strain and fly and lift and spin their way into the hearts of audiences. Most viewers will leave the film breathlessly satisfied with the visual wonder that's played out but perhaps not quite certain what, exactly, it is that the film tries to accomplish. The underlying story is simple but sometimes a bit hard to fully grasp through the many superficial splendors that surround and sometimes define it; at its core it's very simple, but the front-and-center visual elements that often seem to defy all of man's natural capabilities of strength, flexibility, endurance, movement, and physical conditioning blur the film's true purpose and keep it from coming fully into focus. In that case, better see it twice just to be sure.

Behold! Cool human feats in 3D!

This is the journey of a human being from birth to adulthood as he sees the world both as it is and as it might be. Born to the waters and ejected onto land, the boy is accompanied by two adult guardians with whom he sees the wonders the world has to offer. As his heart is filled with joy, he quickly learns that in the world there exists great evils that threaten to lessen and destroy his happiness. His journey teaches him to defeat evils through strength of courage and a sense of wonderment in the world around him. As he matures, he leaves behind his guardians and ventures forth alone, soaking in more of what the world has to offer but, without the security and knowledge of his guardians, he comes face-to-face with temptations and learns about the pleasures of love. As his years mount and his knowledge increases, he's further tempted to circumvent all he's learned for the rapid acquisition of possessions, power, and love. Can he hang onto his principles and form his own approach to life to ensure a quality existence for himself and all those who surround him?

"Interesting, unique, bizarre, fascinating, incredible." Such is a sampling of the wide range of adjectives that could rightly describe any part or, indeed, the whole of Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D. This isn't something that most viewers see everyday, certainly not live and rarely on television or in 3D for that matter. This is bold if nothing else, a condensed tale of man's journey through life as he discovers who he is, where he lives, and what he may become as told in several different environments and with the assistance of various performers whose routines are some of the most intense, well-chorpegraphed, and physics- and humanity-defying ever captured on film. Performers perfectly synchronize various underwater configurations with no tanks and no trouble; a man spins a hollow cube above and around his body as if he were born with it in his hands; and a pair of gymnasts painted as stone statues slowly and gracefully and with every well-trained muscle fiber in their bodies maneuver above and below one another with an exactness and strength that seems impossible. Such is just a sampling of what awaits in Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D, and no matter how outwardly peculiar it all might appear, there's no denying the raw skill and God-given gifts that are at work in nearly every frame.

There are times -- most of the film, really -- where audiences will likely think that Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D looks like something out of Alice in Wonderland. Visually, the two share many traits, and thematically, they share in common a simple story disguised in rather heavy visual metaphor. As it is, however, with both productions, the visual pizzazz usurps much of the meaning that's to be found at film's center. With Journey of Man, one won't walk away disappointed by focusing solely on the film's dazzling feats of human movement and strength, but the audiences that choose to see beyond the superficial and find the deeper meaning will be rewarded with a memorable tale of what it means to be human. The film doesn't make it easy, though. Told strictly through basic narration and the characters speaking only in gesture and gibberish, there's no denying that Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D is a visuals-first experience as the story of a boy who sees the world with his "guardians" by his side and transitions to discovering its other secrets on his own as he literally and metaphorically makes the transition to adulthood unfolds. Still, considering its short runtime and many dazzling things to see, the film is, as noted above, worth more than one viewing to really soak in all it has to offer at every level.

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D arrives on Blu-ray 3D with a fair and even but not exactly perfect 1080p Blu-ray 3D transfer. The film begins with a dazzling three-dimmensional star field that takes a great natural shape to it and almost fools the viewer to believing he or she is floating in space. The credits push out of the screen and crumble as they retract back in, a wondrous 3D effect and, sadly, maybe the best the movie has to offer. While the remainder of the film sees fair natural depth, nothing else proves all that remarkably impressive. The various stunts never seem to leap out of the screen, even if that seemed to be the intent with the way the film was shot. While trees and rocks and even a thick layer of fog prove, for the most part, naturally shapely, the image never really achieves a high level of total three-dimensional immersion. A touch of "ghosting" hinders a few odd corners around the frame, neither helping nor really hindering what is a fairly plain 3D image. On the other side of the ledger, the more traditional image attributes fail to greatly impress. The image takes on a glossy, somewhat textureless façade. General details, such as rock faces and clothing, fare well enough, but as a whole there's a feeling of lifelessness and softness that runs through much of the film. Colors are surprisingly dim and the image on the whole is not particularly vibrant. While colors abound, they seem somehow and disappointingly reserved, not leaping off the screen as they should. While blacks and flesh tones are not areas of concern, they're not areas of strength, either. All in all, it would be a stretch to label this transfer as a "disappointment," but the material both suggests and demands more.

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Fortunately, Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D's 5.1 lossless DTS soundtrack fares a bit better. This is a flowing, pronounced, and fully engaged presentation that makes fine use of every channel around the soundstage in bringing the film's locales to life. Music enjoys first-rate clarity and wonderfully natural spacing. The low end is strong and well-defined but not exaggerated. The subwoofer belts out a few drumbeat lows with authority at the beginning of the film and helps create a more realistic atmosphere for the duration. The surrounds are used extensively and naturally to carry both ambience -- particularly in the early jungle segment -- and supportive musical elements. Narration is focused and effective, the perfect compliment to a soundtrack that's a fine audible support for the many amazing things there are to see in Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D.

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D's Blu-ray release contains no special features.

Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Remember "Interesting, unique, bizarre, fascinating, incredible?" That range of adjectives really does define Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D. It's a tough picture to classify, it's not for all tastes, and it engenders a wide range of emotions even within its condensed runtime. Chances are it'll strike the fancy of most viewers if only for its ability to draw in and dazzle with its many wonderfully-realized superficialities, but pay closer attention -- or watch it a second time -- and find a whole new level on which to appreciate it. Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D isn't perfect entertainment, but if nothing else, there's one more adjective that just might be enough to pull in most audiences, and that is "different." After all, isn't "different" something of a premium in this day and age of filmed entertainment? Sony's Blu-ray 3D release of Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man 3D offers a quality technical presentation but no extras. Fortunately, the studio is selling the disc at a relatively low price, which makes a recommendation all the easier to offer despite the lackluster transfer and absence of extras.