7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
Three years in the making, and from award-winning National Geographic cinematographers, Great Migrations takes viewers around the world on the arduous journeys millions of animals undertake to ensure the survival of their species.
Documentary | 100% |
Nature | 80% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A pretty cogent case could be made that the Blu-ray hi-def era really took off with the release of Planet Earth. That groundbreaking documentary was playing virtually nonstop on every Blu-ray player and high definition television in audio-visual emporiums around the country for months, and it wasn’t unusual to see eager consumers “ooh”-ing and “aah”-ing at the incredible visuals and then walking right up to the clerk and buying a whole home theater package. In fact, high definition has given a whole new lease on life to the sometimes disparaged form of nature documentaries, and that is most certainly a good thing. We are so inured to the rigors of everyday, often urban, existence that we are quite often numb to the visual splendor which surrounds us on this spinning globe. National Geographic has always been at the forefront of these types of programs, but they saw their brand lose a little of its luster after the immense success of the British born Planet Earth, Blue Planet and, most recently, Life. NatGeo has not thrown in the towel, however, and Great Migrations finds the publishing and media entity back with a bang, delivering one of the finest nature documentaries ever presented on television, and one which has received a truly stunning Blu-ray transfer. This new two Blu-ray set features of all of Great Migrations’ four initial episodes, plus two bonus programs which are being broadcast as supplemental parts to the initial series. If Great Migrations never really makes the case for a cogent through line with regard to either individual episodes or the series as a whole, with dribs and drabs of information that really could be interchanged throughout the series’ sections, the individual sections themselves are often breathtaking and well worth the journey. Parents are advised that many, if not most, of the episodes feature extremely graphic sequences of various animals meeting their sometimes shocking ends, so younger children, especially those easily frightened, should not watch the series without parental pre-screening.
Great Migrations migrates onto Blu-ray with an astoundingly clear and sharp AVC encoded transfer in 1080i and 1.78:1. National Geographic has always done fine Blu-ray work, but this series sets the bar considerably higher than it has ever been, especially for an interlaced source. In fact, this special is simply breathtakingly beautiful almost all of the time. Colors are ravishingly robust and stunningly saturated, depth of field seems to go on for miles and miles, and the sharpness and clarity of fine detail is nothing short of amazing. Close-ups of crab legs reveal every splotch and bump on the crustaceans' shells. A walrus' whiskers glint like fine threads against a setting sun. Underneath the water, various weird looking marine life swim right up to the camera so that you can actually see inside some of the more translucent species. Great Migrations is a panoply of beautiful images (and, truth be told, more than a few ghastly ones, especially in the death sequences), and this Blu-ray presents it all in near picture perfect detail. In fact I would say this is easily the best looking 1080i presentation I've personally ever seen on Blu-ray.
For the first time since I've been reviewing National Geographic titles (and that's been quite a while), NatGeo finally steps fully up to the hi-def sonic plate and gives the consumer a good, if sometimes subtle, lossless surround track, in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Baldwin's narration is of course anchored pretty steadily in the front channels, but both the very inviting underscore and a wealth of ambient sounds spill into the surrounds. Everything from the completely strange bleats of zebras (which I'm not sure I've ever heard before) to the plaintive wail of a wildebeest calf being pulled under the water by a crocodile is presented with absolute clarity and excellent directionality. Even the most subtle sounds, like the flapping of monarch butterfly or bat wings, are offered with incredibly excellent fidelity. This isn't a completely bombastic soundtrack, and in fact I'm actually grateful that NatGeo stayed away from the A&E penchant toward nonstop LFE, so those looking for a knock your socks off sonic experience may be a tad disappointed here. While this may be "kinder and gentler," it's no less immersive and excellently recorded, and it, like the image quality, sets the bar at a new height for NatGeo releases in particular, and nature documentaries in general.
The Science of Migrations (1080i; 50:01) is actually one of the most consistently fascinating episodes included on either disc. Narrated by Peter Coyote, this looks at several of our "featured characters" in the four main episodes, but explores the actual science of figuring out both where these animals go and, perhaps more intriguingly, why. A slew of scientists bring a battery of high and low tech devices to divine what's going on in the minds of these creatures who travel so far on a regular basis.
Behind the Scenes of 'Great Migrations' (1080i; 50:01) is another really excellent exploration of the heights, lengths and depths the NatGeo teams go to to get this extraordinary footage. This episode juggles backstage views of segments being filmed with snippets of the actual finished product. As you watch the main series, you're sure to wonder more than once "How did they get that shot?", and this fascinating extra shows just how difficult some of these shots were to get. Great Migrations took over two and a half years to film, the makers traveled more than 420,000 miles and visited 20 countries to get these often unbelievable shots, and this Behind the Scenes extra is a fitting tribute to their fortitude and professionalism.
If you're a fan of Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Life and the like, I can almost guarantee you're going to love Great Migrations. While it may not be as all encompassing as some of its BBC progenitors, this series is so full of stunning imagery and excellent audio that I doubt very many people are going to complain about much, if anything. This is easily one of the sharpest 1080i presentations I've ever seen, and NatGeo has also done an exemplary job with its lossless surround track. This would make an ideal stocking stuffer for any nature lover on your holiday shopping list, and it comes Very Highly Recommended.
2009
BBC
2011
2009
The Original UK Series
2011
BBC / Narrated by David Attenborough
2009
2013
2006
2009
IMAX
2008
BBC
2011
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2008
2013
2001
2013
2012
2008
2011
2013
2015