Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

HD Moods Aquarium Blu-ray Movie Review

Call me Ishmael. Sorry, wrong fish story.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 13, 2009

I have never had a pet fish, and in fact fail to see how these creatures can qualify as pets to begin with. I did have a pet miniature turtle named Elmer when I was a child, but he developed soft shell and my father, manager of the local Sears store where he had gotten the little guy, told me he had taken Elmer back to the store to get better. It was only years later my parents divulged to me Elmer met a more ignominious fate, having been flushed down our family toilet. I was devastated. So perhaps you will understand why I have always been a “dog person.” That said, I doubt HD Moods: Dog Kennel would provide the sort of soothing ambience HD Moods: Aquarium does, at least if it featured my hyperactive pooches. Of course, I jest in this opening, but it is challenging, to say the least, to provide an incisive critical assessment of a Blu-ray which features a few fish swimming around rock formations. But the critic’s life is never an easy one, and so I will wade into Aquarium’s waters and attempt to give you an overview of what’s in store. I will tell you we thankfully have no three act format (though we do get three distinct “tank” scenes), no character arcs (unless you count the timid fish that routinely pops out around a coral cropping), and, perhaps best of all, no star turns by any of the featured Osteichthyes and/or Chondrichthyes (I include these two types to prove that like any responsible reviewer, I do my requisite research).

With tongue obviously only slightly less in cheek, HD Moods: Aquarium does in fact more or less live up to its PR hype which states, “Imagine aquarium scenes so lifelike and captivating, it’s as if the fish are actually swimming in your television set! With soothing scenery and calming music, HD Moods: Aquarium will help you relax and unwind from a hectic day.” Put aside for a moment the fact that your blood pressure would probably be exploding should you think fish really were swimming in your massively expensive new flat screen unit, the fact is this Blu-ray, filmed as most other HD Moods titles with a Digital Red Camera providing 4,000 lines of resolution, is ideally suited to transforming a horizontal “opening” into a virtual aquarium. I personally don’t have either of my largest screens wall mounted but I would assume that the effect could be quite captivating, though on larger screens some of these putatively smaller fishies are going to look like Moby Dick’s cousins.

The coral is as colorful as many of the fish.

Probably because nothing much happens in Aquarium, it is by its very nature soothing. HD Moods to its credit tries to up the visual ante by providing more than one underwater scene, much as it provided several fireplaces in its fireplace offering which I reviewed here some time ago. All of these scenes were evidently filmed in salt water undersea environments, so these are not "real" aquaria. There is a coral laden setting which is the main feature, as well as a somewhat drabber setting and a close up offering from the first tank (see screencaptures). Helping these scenes of calm natural beauty are soundtracks offering both ambient bubble noises, a la a real aquarium, or somewhat less effective, spacey New Age synth driven scores which, depending on your personal likes, you’ll either find at least acceptable or perhaps a bit on the annoying side. Unlike some of the other HD Moods titles, there’s no camera movement in any of the three scenes available. There are typically three camera set ups within each scene, each of which last a few minutes. This provides an obviously static view that makes this offering more of a virtual wallpaper than a lot of the titles I have termed “ambient television.”

One of our site moderators has a running gag he shares with us reviewers about upcoming titles in his own personal series akin to HD Moods. These have included such wonderfully wacky ideas as Front Loading Washing Machine and, in his latest brilliant offering, Paint Peeling. While I completely understand that one really must approach offerings like this with a sense of humor (hence my opening paragraph above), there’s also a place for these, shall we say, anti-blockbuster titles. I personally have found a lot of the Living Landscapes titles quite beautiful to watch and enjoy. HD Moods: Trains was certainly evocative in parts if not quite up to the level of the best of the Landscapes series. HD Moods: Aquarium is the least visually arresting of any of these offerings, in that very little happens in any of the scenes. That said, that makes this perhaps the paradigm of video wallpaper, something to have on in the background to keep the liquid crystal or plasma warm and active when you don’t have time to actually sit and watch your television.

HD Moods Aquarium Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

One thing that can't be argued with is the image quality of all of the HD Moods series. These really are gorgeous offerings in terms of clarity and color. I know I personally loved the underwater scenes of Planet Earth best, and Aquarium, while obviously not providing the breadth and depth of that epochal series, approaches the image quality of Earth in its more subdued ambitions. Fish are scene so clearly that their translucence is amazing at times. While none of these fish is eye poppingly colorful, the coral and surrounding undersea environments really do make up for it, with luscious oranges and blues populating the screen. The subtly shifting light is also a delight to watch, giving a really nicely gradated palette as shafts of luminescence waft through the water. Yes, nothing much happens in Aquarium, but, boy, is it pretty to watch!

HD Moods Aquarium Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Once again there will be audiophiles who will probably complain that, like other HD Moods offerings, we're not treated to lossless audio here. But is it really necessary in an offering like this? After all, chances are this title is going to be used for background filler, not something to show off your 7.1 surround system. HD Moods does provide Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 offerings with three soundtracks, a natural gurgling, bubbling mix, plus, as noted above, two New Age synth driven scores. I personally much preferred the natural ambient soundtrack, which calmly filled the surround channels with soothing water noises providing a literally immersive experience. I was less impressed by either of the music offerings, which, despite their "wallpaper" ethos, called too much attention to themselves and thereby distracted from the hypnotic nature of the imagery. Fidelity is excellent on all of these tracks, with no distortion or drop outs. It's not lossless, but only the most finicky is going to complain.

HD Moods Aquarium Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No extras are offered on this budget priced Blu-ray.

HD Moods Aquarium Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

HD Moods: Aquarium must indeed have an audience, for it routinely shows up on my list of better selling titles in my review queue. That speaks to the growing niche market for "ambient television." This is certainly gorgeously shot, if there's not much there to shoot, and the basic natural soundtrack is very appealing. It all boils down to whether you only see your television as an entertainment portal. If you're one of the growing number of people who are finding "alternative" uses for their flatscreens, Aquarium is certainly a safe choice in ambient television programming.