8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Enter a world of dynastic power struggles and family treachery. This intimate landmark series – narrated by David Attenborough – immerses us in the lives of five of the most celebrated and endangered animal families. Witness their incredible determination to protect their family line in the face of challenges to their leadership or from the often harsh environment around them.
Starring: David AttenboroughDocumentary | 100% |
Nature | 84% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (4 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Much like their past explorations of our world, BBC Earth's Dynasties (2018) is a multi-part documentary that offers incredible sights, sounds, and moments from nature that most of us might never see first-hand. A different approach is used this time around, as Dynasties serves up five distinctly different character-driven episodes featuring vulnerable or endangered species -- chimpanzees, emperor penguins, lions, painted hyenas, and tigers -- as their families (or communal groups) adapt to prolong survival. Pulling double-duty as a behavioral study, these hour-long episodes also reveal interesting similarities to our own biological instincts. Dynasties was developed and shot over a four-year period on three separate continents and might continue with a second series in the years to come. Narrated by long-time BBC fixture David Attenborough, it's another revealing production that nature lovers should enjoy.
Note: Unlike most current releases, no separate Blu-ray edition -- DVD combo pack or stand-alone release -- is currently available for Dynasties. Whether or not you've moved on to 4K, this is the only high-definition version you can own domestically. Luckily, it's priced in like with most multi-disc collections of this type.
Although armed with a dramatic and compelling story that almost resembles The Revenant, its anthropomorphic "naming" of key characters -- not the mention the music cues -- makes Chimpanzee feel more overcooked and manipulative than most BBC documentaries. Still, the visuals here are undoubtedly beautiful, with interesting but unsubtle comparisons made towards humanity's own habit of using social politics for personal gain.
While this is an arresting tale told skillfully, it takes far too many cues from existing documentaries (most notably March of the Penguins) for its own good, although the scope and visuals are slightly stronger. Even so, the harsh wintry landscape stands in good contrast to other episodes, so it's at least worth a once-over.
Quite possibly the largest episode in scope and success, Lion -- similar to Chimpanzee -- almost shoots itself in the foot with continued reliance on anthropomorphic names and heavily seasoned drama, but these elements feel a bit more seamless and earned. It's also the most impressive visually, with stunning African landscapes that capture colorful sunsets, vast savannas, and creatures dangerous enough to make you glad you're just watching TV. More than any other episode, Lions also shows how the direct involvement of humans has contributed to the narrowing fate of these creatures without feeling too preachy and overbearing in the process.
Like Lion, this outing is slightly larger in scope and, due to the complexity of its story and rival factions, the naming of key characters feels earned and even necessary to keep everything straight. Overall, this might be the sleeper hit of Dynasties: much less attention has been lavished on this species in comparison to the others, which means you'll learn a lot while soaking in all the impressive sights and sounds.
Although the least eventful of these five episodes by a fairly wide margin, Tiger is beautifully shot and captures a lot of small moments that "in the wild" documentaries can't help but pass over. As Dynasties takes a decidedly more family-focused approach to its subjects, viewers may learn more than expected here. Just don't expect a nail-biting marathon of high drama and you'll enjoy what this episode brings to the table.
I was expecting a lot from Dynasties' 4K video presentation, especially after BBC's top-tier efforts on Blue Planet II and (especially) Planet Earth II; the latter received high praise for its stunning detail pushed even further by the obvious benefits of HDR encoding. Bottom line, BBC's 2160p/24 presentation delivers, and it can't be overstated just how much its subtle -- and not-so-subtle -- refinements create a more enjoyable viewing experience. Much like those previous two releases, Dynasties is a native 4K production and, as its opening narration implies, makes every effort to go into greater depth and more detail than ever before. Close-ups and mid-range shots burst with detail and clarity, with some of the strongest textures seen on any home video release. (The phrase "looking out a window" is tossed around a lot when describing high-resolution imagery, but it clearly applies here.) Wide shots also benefit greatly from the format's increased resolution, with BBC's trademark aerial footage revealing a tremendous level of tiny details and other elements hidden from even the best Blu-ray transfers. Black levels are also deep and rich, with no obvious signs of crush. But the colors are the true standout here: those equipped with HDR-supportive displays will notice a substantial increase in natural saturation and depth, especially in the African locales, while colder episodes like Emperor get an obvious boost from deep blues and the occasional pink and orange splashes of sunlight. All things considered, it's a jaw-dropping 4K presentation that stands up to the studio's best offerings every step of the way.
As for the Blu-ray discs, their 1080p transfers also run at 24fps and offer a respectable alternative for those who haven't moved on to 4K yet. Fine detail is quite impressive in close-up and mid-range shots; textures such as tree bark, sand, dirt, foliage, fur, and feathers are cleanly displayed with no obvious signs of digital noise reduction or processing. The natural color palette is very striking even without the benefits of HDR, especially during sunrise/sunset and other landscape "beauty shots". Greens are especially impressive during jungle and forest scenes, with terrific layering and shadow detail that displays an impressive amount of depth. Wide shots are where the limits of 1080p are most evident, however: there are plenty of birds-eye views and distant observational shots, both of which look fine in passing but don't hold up as strongly during closer inspection. Other busy compositions, mostly those involving dense brush and weather-related elements (rainstorms and blizzards, specifically), occasionally suffer from slight compression artifacts and banding, but I'll chalk those up to format limitations and possibly even source material issues. Overall, Dynasties looks extremely impressive even in 1080p -- it wasn't hard to pick out great-looking screenshots for this review. Since all 40 were taken directly from the Blu-ray discs, I'll let them speak for themselves.
Likewise, the audio presentation (identical on both the 4K and Blu-ray discs) is extremely impressible and, at times, ventures into "demo" territory. Although both formats default to a superfluous DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track -- a respectable effort, to be sure -- the real winner is the Dolby Atmos mix, which folds down to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 if your receiver or soundbar doesn't support it. It goes without saying that Dynasties doesn't represent what most folks might think of as an ideal candidate for Atmos, but I beg to to differ: BBC productions like this make regular use of wide and immersive sound stages, from weather-related elements (snow, rain, heavy winds) to background animal chatter, and their precise placement makes for a subtly more effective overall experience that make everything feel that much closer to realism. David Attenborough's narration also sounds crisp and clear and, despite some extremely obvious overdubbing (especially when he appears onscreen during a few brief shots), there are no apparent sync issues or other defects. Low frequency effects are used sparingly but add another layer of sonic detail, along with some rather pronounced channel separation and other not-so-subtle tricks. It's a great-sounding release, to be sure.
Optional English subtitles are included during all five episodes and bonus features, displayed in a nice white font that's perfectly legible and placed at a good height within the 1.78:1 frame.
BBC presents Dynasties as a four-disc 4K/BR combo pack; it's housed in a dual-hubbed case with stacked discs and a matching slipcover. Not the most ideal packaging solution for collectors, but the discs' protective coating should stand up to potential damage if handled carefully. Identical in total episode content on both formats, the following bonus documentary also appears on each second disc.
BBC's Dynasties continues their long tradition of quality nature documentaries with top-tier imagery from around our natural world, tied together by reliably good narration from David Attenborough. Though I'll admit that I wasn't quite as enamored with the first two episodes, there is no shortage of great moments here and, not surprisingly, the visuals remain stunning even if the story doesn't capture your interest. This 4K/Blu-ray edition is the only option available for high-definition enthusiasts, but serves up demo-worthy material on both formats -- the 4K obviously wins out, as its increased resolution and HDR encoding make the viewing experience that much more compelling. Although the bonus features leave something to be desired, this release is highly recommended to fans of all ages.
2019
2021
2022
2017
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2023
BBC / Narrated by David Attenborough
2009
The Original UK Series
2011
2018
The Complete Series
2006
IMAX
2008
2011
2013
2001
BBC
2011
2013
2008
2003