Finding Life Beyond Earth Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Finding Life Beyond Earth Blu-ray Movie Review

Earth, Too

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 21, 2012

The mysteries of the Earth are enormous, even after centuries of study and theory, yet questions about life cannot be answered on this planet. With an entire universe begging for exploration, the quest for knowledge has reached for the stars, with science making great strides in meticulous space inspection, opening up fresh realms of opportunity when it comes to locating signs of life and hospitable environments. The two-part “Nova” program, “Finding Life Beyond Earth,” looks to uncover the potential of the galaxy, venturing to make connections between volatile locations on other moons and planets and our experience on Earth. It’s a story of hope and science sold in a traditional PBS manner that merges facts with fantasy, endeavoring to shed light on a lofty ambition to understand how life, even in its most microscopic form, could be found in the great unknown.

Divided into two episodes, “Finding Life Beyond Earth” is a complex study of science and astronomy, using a fast-paced structure of example to help the viewer at home digest a galactic complexity that normally requires an expansive education to even begin to understand. This is dense material, covering the path to infinity and beyond, posing quite a challenge to the production, which must continuously find a way to break down the discussion into bite-sized bits of euphoric discovery and exciting possibility. It’s a slickly assembled program utilizing bursts of CGI and genuine exploration evidence from NASA to help reinforce the enormity of thought, while making sure to throttle the discussion, maintaining focus on the questions at hand. That’s not to suggest “Finding Life Beyond Earth” is dumbed-down in any fashion. It’s simply sugared to help those who haven’t spent their life starting at stars approach a planetary challenge that could carry on for eternity if the professionals were allowed to converse in full.

The primary concept of the program is the three basic elements of life: organic molecules, water, and sun. This trio supports the enigmas put forth by the show, with scientists racing to understand how such common elements found on Earth are now being discovered on a range of galactic locations. Heading back 4.6 billion years to the creation of the solar system, “Finding Life Beyond Earth” tracks the developments of the planets, exploring the volatility of asteroid collisions that helped to form a number of moons while scarring the rest of the area. It’s a peculiar line-up of atmospheres and distances leading into today’s study, with the show focusing on the launches of famous probes and rovers, including Cassini, which studied a wide range of surfaces, including the puzzle of Titan. There’s also a segment devoted to an incredible Japanese probe intended to land on moving asteroid, suck up samples, and return home to share its treasure.

While reaching these distances is wholly impressive on its own, the focus here is on scientific research, with soil samples, photographs, and assorted readings generating a comprehension of life on other planets. Not little green men with ray guns waiting for their chance to fry Los Angeles, but microorganisms -- ephemeral signs of existence that could unlock a larger appreciation for planets and moons. To assist in the comprehension of planetary life, “Finding Life Beyond Earth” hauls in a host of leading minds on the subject, bringing them to environments on Earth that best simulate the experience of being on Mercury, Enceladus, and Io, goosing the sequences with modest visual effects, placing the interviewee in the middle of their area of expertise. It’s visceral way to comprehend the similarities and differences between Earth and the stars, also adding a sense of adventure to a dry but determined program. Watching the professionals trudge through snow or stride over sand helps to process theories, while providing some visual stimulation beyond planetary fly-bys and NASA files.

Also of note, “Finding Life Beyond Earth” pronounces the infamous planet Uranus as “Urine-us.” I’m not sure if that’s an improvement, but it certainly closes the book on all of those amazingly scatological jokes I’ve heard since childhood.

“Finding Life Beyond Earth” explores Europa and Saturn’s rings to spotlight signs of elements not previously detected; investigates the appearance of water on Mars, which is a vital discovery, furthering hope that the Red Planet might be the key to extraordinary universal discoveries that will help to expand Earthly knowledge; we visit a facility that’s simulates the violent collision of rocks and debris that assisted in the formation of the planets, studying shockwaves for clues; there’s also time spent in Antarctica and Mojave Desert to achieve a greater simulation of planetary visitation; and there’s the story of the probe Stardust, which managed to capture the image of a comet nucleus, leading to the discovery of glycine, a powerful amino acid that suggests life was probably slammed into planets at impact. There are numerous theories, interviews, and examples covered during the two episodes, with a unified feeling of excitement about these possibilities, with every discovery a new step toward a comprehension of the cosmos most of these professionals would love to see in their lifetime. A few seem sure of it.

Finding Life Beyond Earth Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation on "Finding Life Beyond Earth" is a mixed affair, blending file footage and newly photographed interview segments together to form only a reasonably successful HD release. The discussions and field trips with the experts offer an acceptable clarity, with a good sense of detail emerging from environmental extremes and the personal grooming habits of the interviewees (nose hairs!). Color is also in healthy shape, feeling out the universe with attention to bright and varied hues, mapping out planetary uniqueness to assist in comprehension. Exaggerated Earthly matters provide more of a colorful snap, digitally sweetening surroundings. Skintones are accurate, while shadow detail is satisfactory but never ideal, solidifying a few distances. Banding is a problem over the two episodes, while a few scenes reveal some minor macroblocking issues.

Finding Life Beyond Earth Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix carries a hearty, balanced weight that sustains a comfortable frontal force to make up for any lack of dimensionality. Narration leads the listening experience, providing a heavy sense of pronunciation and agreeable clarity, slowly working through the complex concepts of the program. Music successfully supports the educational mood, supplying strong accompaniment without stepping on the verbal information. CGI interludes maintain a pronounced and communicative range of sound effects, and the more volatile sojourns of the show encourage a moderate bass response, expressing the rumble of planetary birth and destruction. The track manages to provide a feel of movement without distortion or multi-channel submersion.

Finding Life Beyond Earth Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Finding Life Beyond Earth Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tearing off into space, "Finding Life Beyond Earth" captures the excitement of scientific potential and interstellar travel, always speeding along with graphics and interviews to help grease the education. There are moments of repetition and the final act, slipping into a chemistry lesson, is a bit of a drag, yet the topic remains engorged and supported throughout, providing viewers with a greater command of planetary nuance and the various opportunities awaiting humans as they study the potential of the cosmos.