Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away Blu-ray Movie Review

Cirque du Wow.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 13, 2013

Get ready for circus marvelous!

With the barrage of 3D -- and high end 3D at that -- films dominating the visual entertainment landscape these past few years, it's a wonder it took even this long to bring to full, vivid, extra-dimensional life the acclaimed Cirque Du Soleil, and who better than the father of modern 3D, legendary filmmaker James Cameron (Avatar, Titanic 3D), to do it. Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away isn't the show shot in 3D but rather a filmed fantasy centered on the world of the circus, a dreamlike, colorful, fluid, and oftentimes exhilarating performance art set that captures the extraordinary talents of some of the most gifted physical performers the world has ever known. Directed by Andrew Adamson (Shrek) and aided by Cameron's eye for 3D and innovations in the medium, the film tells a simple story of love at first sight and the fantastical happenings on the way to happily ever after. Yet the story is really little more than a necessary addition, a reason to show off some of the most amazing feats of human agility via the most cutting-edge technological marvels currently available.

Persuaded.

Mia (Erica Linz) wanders into a small-town circus and is approached by a clown who gently nudges her towards the acrobatics tent. Inside, she finds a room full of wondrous performers, but none of them can match the grace, skill, and good looks of the show's aerialist (Igor Zaripov). When the two share a brief moment from afar -- she in the stands and he high above the ground -- he misses his mark and tumbles to the earth. The ground gives way and pulls him into another world. Mia follows and finds herself in a fantastical world of the exhilarating and the bizarre both, a world populated by the greatest performers of Cirque du Soleil. As she travels through this new, magical, and mysterious world, she encounters new friends -- and a few enemies -- during her search for both the aerialist and her own destiny.

This is the circus like it's never been seen before on home video, a real spectacle of both cutting edge technology and finely-honed human skill. But no matter about the former. For as marvelous as Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away looks both in 2D and in 3D, the experience is far less about the technical merits and styles of the visuals but rather more about the human performances. To be sure, the added dimension of the 3D photography and the skill with which the material is captured serves to enhance the senses of movement, strength, agility, balance, daring, scope, and all of the other attributes required to perform on a level of this magnitude. Nevertheless, the human factor supersedes the technological elements in each and every scene -- these performers are really something to see -- and that's the way it should be. That these are flesh-and-blood people who have dedicated their lives to a dangerous and unique performance art and not digital renderings that can do anything and everything with a click of the mouse is what makes this experience so remarkable, so exhilarating, so unforgettable. But even the world's top performers and the planet's finest in 3D can't quite equal the sense of awe that comes from watching these sorts of performances in person. Technology has yet to reach the point that a screen can replace the authentic atmosphere of a live circus -- even the traveling circuses that pass through town every now and then -- but that's not to diminish anything in the film. Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away is a real eye-opening experience; it might get a little slow, at times, considering there's a minimal story and practically no dialogue, but the fun comes from watching the best humanity has to offer in terms of physical prowess, people who, in essence, are doing what seems like the impossible.

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away emits something of an IMAX feel; it takes on a very big, very detailed sort of grandiose presence in every scene. The acting is a bit forced, but the emphasis is on the physical rather than the emotional. And with next-to-no dialogue, a bit of exaggeration is exactly what the story needs, less dramatic nuance and emotional subtleties and more overreaching external constructs meant only to move the film along towards the next spectacle. The film is built around some larger-than-life and very highly stylized elements; it takes on the feel of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus in terms of scope and scale and visual cues. It captures a range of emotions, from the breathtaking to the bizarre, from the wondrous to the weird, from the adventurous to the artistic, but no matter who or what is on the screen, Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away engenders a real sense of the amazing in the fluidity of it all, the attention to detail -- no matter how abstract -- and the often hypnotic blend of adventure, simple storytelling, and physical wonderment, all playing out within the latest in digital technology that, even if it can't replace the authentic sights and smells of the real deal, brings audiences closer than ever before to the action.

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away was made for 3D viewing, but for those who want to soak in the sights on a 2D television, Paramount has released a non-3D transfer and the results are technically marvelous. It does take on a very smooth digital sheen -- more so than most other high-end digital productions -- but the result is nevertheless a striking display of color and detail that's hard to match. The image captures all the dazzling textures of the circus, whether above ground or in the mystical world below. From worn-down tents and sandy floors above to the shiny and surreal objects below, every item appears razor-sharp and perfectly clear. Fine detailing is so strong that even the smallest little makeup lines -- whether on Mia's face or on heavily painted characters -- are clearly visible. Colors are vibrant and exciting; the palette is perfectly balanced with every shade appearing as realistically as the format allows. Much of the pizzazz is set against a darkened backdrop that only accentuates the colors. Those dark backgrounds are deep and accurate, and flesh tones natural. This is an excellent transfer that should dazzle even the most demanding Blu-ray viewers.

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away features a dazzling DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It's smooth but also aggressive, making extensive and natural use of the surround channels in every scene. Musical delivery is precise, showing great clarity and seamless flow around the stage. The track makes use of a positive, balanced low end, whether a rumbling train -- which displays great sound imaging as it moves from one side to the other -- or in support of music. Some big, heavy sound effects also produce deep and exciting bass. All of the attributes mesh seamlessly together in the "world away" for a pleasurable and perfectly engineered sound experience that's as grandiose as the visuals and as captivating as the performances. The film is littered with all sorts of distinct, well-placed, and demo-worthy moments that bring the world to life and are guaranteed to put even the best sound system through its paces. This is a marvelous listening experience that alone is worth the price of the disc.

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away contains three very brief supplements. Also included in the package is a DVD and UV and iTunes digital copies.

• Making Worlds Away (HD, 2:26): A short piece with James Cameron, Andrew Adamson, and additional crew and cast that's about the story and shooting the film.
• A Day in the Life with Erica Linz (HD, 13:24): The actress, alongside three of her fellow performers, takes viewers into her world of preparation and performance with stories of working on the film and with both Cameron and Adamson.
• Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas Commercial (HD, 1:02).

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away doesn't have much of a heart -- the story is as paper-thin as could be -- but it does have a soul, a very human soul that surpasses in spirit and accomplishment even the cutting-edge technology used to bring it the screen. For all the marvels behind the scenes, Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away truly dazzles through the skill of its performers. It's an amazing spectacle of human agility that's been seen before but perhaps not quite at this level of perfect execution. It makes for a nice escape from the phoniness of Hollywood -- even as the world of Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away is itself incredibly stylized -- and offers a glimpse into something uniquely human and very much real, even under makeup, costumes, and through the prism of the latest in technology. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away delivers excellent video and audio. Supplements are few, but this release nevertheless comes recommended.