Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.5

Flight of the Butterflies 4K + 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 2, 2016

Early in my reviewing career here at Blu-ray.com, I was assigned to a couple of niche labels that released what I termed “ambient television” product, offerings like HD Moods Aquarium which, as I overtly discuss in that linked review, were kind of a challenge to discuss in any overly incisive way. “Then there was a red fish,” I remember joking with my wife as I lamented over the difficulties of writing a decent review of the Aquarium Blu-ray, and coming to the conclusion that the quoted phrase would suffice as well as any for my next attempt at insightful commentary. I was therefore just a bit hesitant when I saw Shout! Factory was releasing what looked like two more offerings in this kind of odd subgenre, Flight of the Butterflies and Rocky Mountain Express , and in multiple formats that include (in the case of Flight of the Butterflies) 3D and 2D Blu-ray as well as 4K UHD, and (in the case of Rocky Mountain Express) 2D Blu-ray and 4K UHD. I needn’t have worried, at least in the case of this particular film (I haven’t yet watched Rocky Mountain Express, but after an extremely enjoyable, even moving, experience viewing Flight of the Butterflies, many of my fears have been allayed). In a world that seems virtually overrun with technology and scientific study nowadays, it may come as something of a shock to realize that very little was known about the migratory habits of Monarch butterflies until at least relatively recently. That’s the “hook” of Flight of the Butterflies, a really appealing IMAX offering that ping pongs between the adventures of Fred Urquhart, a guy you’ve probably never heard of unless you have an interest in entomology, and a more generalist view of the lifespans of several generations of one “family” of Monarchs as they complete a migratory cycle (the annual migrations cover such a huge span of space and time that it actually takes several generations to complete).

Some online sources state that Urquhart’s research into the migratory habits of Monarch butterflies began in 1937, when Urquhart would have been 25 or 26 or so, but Flight of the Butterflies avers that his fascination with the gorgeous insects and their annual “disappearances” actually began much earlier, when Fred was a little boy in Canada. As a voice over by “Fred” details, the young Urquhart couldn’t help but wonder where the scores of Monarchs he saw in Toronto went to each year. Rather unbelievably, there was no existing research into this compelling phenomenon.

Reenactments of Urquhart’s lifelong quest to document the Monarchs’ migration habits are the emotional backbone of Flight of the Butterflies, and in fact even some who consider themselves hard hearted may get a bit choked up as the story progresses to Urquhart’s old age. From his childhood wonderings to his college studies, realization about the need for tagging and reporting, inspiring a gaggle of acolyte “citizen scientists” to get involved (on an international scale) to document the butterflies’ travels, to a final stunning denouement (which won’t be spoiled here), Urquhart’s tale is like something out of a storybook, and Flight of the Butterflies stages it with a lot of detail and scope.

Playing out interstitially with the involving drama of Urquhart and his seemingly quixotic efforts is a story involving a butterfly whimsically named Dana (after the species Danaus plexippus) and, ultimately, her daughter and granddaughter. This part of Flight of the Butterflies gets into some of the nuts and bolts of physiology, biology and the really fascinating (and almost science fiction-esque) transformation from caterpillar into winged being. There’s an interesting emphasis on milkweed, the bitter plant that most livestock avoid by intuition, but which provides a “nesting” ground for egg laying, as well as the chief source of food for the newborn caterpillars. One curious omission in the narrative takes place as Dana’s brood grows, with the sudden introduction of a so-called “super species” that will live longer and travel further than its ancestors. While this creature is introduced as part of that description, no actual definition of what the “super species” is or how it came to be is ever offered.

That and just a couple of other moments (including a silly sequence supposedly showing how Urquhart tested various tagging strategies early in his career) are about the only missteps in what is otherwise an incredibly informative, consistently compelling and almost unbelievably scenic documentary. I frankly wondered whether the swarms of butterflies depicted in some sequences of the film were “assisted” by some artful CGI, something that I’m still not completely certain didn’t happen, but one of the supplements shows a producer in a Monarch refuge where she is literally surrounded by probably thousands of the flying wonders. In a world that is sadly aware of declines in populations of species like bees, it’s at least a little reassuring to see so many Monarchs still “doing their thing” across the generations and various miles. Flight of the Butterflies therefore ends up being a uniquely inspirational piece from a number of different angles.

Update: In one of those weird synchronicities that are enticing yet inexplicable, my wife and I went to dinner the evening this review was published with an academic whom I mentioned this film to. It turns out his brother-in-law is a famous Monarch specialist and one whom he jokingly referred to as a "nemesis" of Fred Urquhart. The upshot of our conversation is that Urquhart's story may be a bit less singular than the film depicts, but also there's recent data that Monarch populations are actually declining, rather precipitously.

Flight of the Butterflies 4K + 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

This two disc version of Flight of the Butterflies contains a 4K UHD disc offering Flight of the Butterflies with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.78:1, and another standard Blu-ray disc offering AVC (2D) and MVC (3D) encoded 1080p transfers in 1.78:1. With such a glut of choices, there's quite a bit to discuss in this assessment of the release's video quality in its various versions.

Shout! is really paving the way toward interesting "hybrid" releases, and they're furthermore giving consumers interesting additional choices by having their 4K UHD releases offer either HDR or SDR viewing options. Watching the 4K UHD release of Flight of the Butterflies with HDR is an often jaw dropping experience, both in terms of detail levels like the incredible ribbed appearance of the Monarchs' wings, or in the nuance of the palette, something that's especially noticeable with regard to some of the gorgeous flowers that are often on display. The outdoor footage in Flight of the Butterflies is often incredibly scenic, and the 4K UHD disc offers superior detail levels extending well into what is frequently awesome depth of field. Similarly, almost telescopic close-ups reveal incredible levels of detail on the hatchling caterpillars (to cite just one example).

The "standard" 2D and 3D iterations of the film are similarly excellently detailed, if understandably less so than the 4K UHD disc. 3D depth is quite pronounced throughout the film, with some really fun "reach out and touch" moments with butterflies clearly flying out toward the viewer in some of the most convincing displays of visual immersion that I've personally experienced. There's an incremental but noticeable loss of detail in the 3D rendering, however, something that was even more pronounced when I watched the film upscaled to 2160p on my 4K setup. When viewed both upscaled and "traditionally" (i.e., at 1080p), wide shots like the opening scene with the young Urquhart running through cliffside fields are just slightly fuzzy looking at times, though the bulk of the 3D presentation boasts excellent detail levels overall.

Flight of the Butterflies 4K + 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio options are similarly widespread when one considers both of the discs on this release, not to mention the still perplexing inability of PS3s to handle simultaneous 3D playback with lossless Dolby audio (more about that in a moment). For the record, the 4K UHD disc contains an English Dolby Atmos track (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core), as well as French and Spanish tracks in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The standard 1080p Blu-ray disc repeats the English Atmos track, with the same Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core, but I discovered that when I played the 3D version on my PS3, a "hidden" English Dolby Digital 5.1 track was available. The French and Spanish tracks on the standard Blu-ray are Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. So, with all of that out of the way, and assuming that most will be accessing either the Atmos or Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core track, the rest of my comments refer to that version.

This is an extremely subtle track at times, but one that is incredibly precise and immersive. Even before the first imagery is presented there's a subtle spill, but around the listener and above, of very quiet but evocative insect noises, including soft buzzing and the occasional flap of wings. Once the actual video kicks in, there are frequent if subtle uses of calming breezes wafting overhead or the sounds of the swarms of butterflies flocking through sylvan environments. Megan Follows' soft spoken narration is always presented front and center, while the enjoyable, at times rootsy, score by Leonardo Heiblum and Jacobo Lieberman regularly fills the side and rear channels. There's some other voiceover by the actor portraying Urquhart which is also presented cleanly and clearly and with excellent prioritization. This isn't an audio effects spectacular by any stretch of the imagination, but it's consistently immersive and boasts superb fidelity and clarity throughout.

Flight of the Butterflies 4K + 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Both the 4K UHD and standard Blu-ray discs contain the same supplements:

• Special Message from the President of Mexico (1080p; 1:28) features Felipe Calderon Hinojosa discussing the interconnectedness of life.


• Behind the Scenes (1080p; 28:37) is a well done piece that has some good interviews and more beautiful footage of the butterflies.


• Image Gallery (1080p; 1:11)

Additionally several trailers for other IMAX offerings are available.

Flight of the Butterflies 4K + 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Flight of the Butterflies is that rare kind of documentary that not only imparts bounteous information, but which also speaks directly to the heart—repeatedly. Urquhart's story is mind boggling, with an especially meaningful denouement, and the actual scientific data doled out in this film is just as mind boggling in a completely different way. Technical merits are first rate, and Flight of the Butterflies comes Highly recommended.