IMAX: Extreme Adventure Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

IMAX: Extreme Adventure Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 20, 2016

Universal's UHD three-film collection places a trio of documentaries onto one disc, covering The Grand Canyon, the universe, and tornadoes. Of these, only Grand Canyon Adventure has been previously released to Blu-ray, making 2/3 of this an early UHD format exclusive. Note that, while presented in 2160p resolution, none of the films feature HDR color enhancement. Also of note are 5.1 lossless audio tracks for each film and no object-based sound option. No extras are included. Read on for summaries of each film and picture and sound overviews.

The following films comprise Extreme Adventure Collection:

• Grand Canyon Adventure (44:59): Director Greg MacGillivray's (Coral Reef Adventure) Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk brings attention to the dwindling water supplies around the world; the film highlights shrinking glaciers, the diminishing Lake Chad, and most central to the film's message, the disappearance of water from the Colorado River. Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk follows Author Wade Davis and a group of fellow conservationists -- Tara Davis, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Kick Kennedy -- as they traverse the river with guide Shana Watahomigie and explore the many ways in which it's changed over the years, and mostly for the worse. Though 75% of the river's water is derived from Rocky Mountain snow, the river's long, windy trek through dry desert lands -- not to mention the impact of the Hoover Dam; vanishing rainwaters and missed rainfall projections; global warming; and the need to supply human population centers with water, with emphasis on the consumption requirements of Las Vegas -- have impacted its volume and drastically lessened its water levels to the point that its Mexican delta, a once thriving haven for fisherman, has vanished. The film also examines what a lesser Colorado River will mean to future generations, the impact of wild and foreign vegetation along its banks, and the vanishing species that once lived in and around the Colorado. The film concludes with several tips that everyday viewers can integrate into their lives to help in the battle to conserve water. Score: 4.0/5.0
• Hidden Universe (36:02): The universe is a really big place. And it's really old. In Hidden Universe, Earth-based space exploration is described as one part archeology and another part time travel. The film follows a gifted musician named Jonathan who, despite his talents at the piano, set aside his love for music to follow his passion for astronomy. For the film, he's traveled to Atacama, an advanced space research station nestled in Chile's Antofagasta Region. There, he's able to study the cosmos using the "VLT," or "Very Large Telescope." The film examines how the telescope operates and, even more impressive, what it can see: a universe that's unfathomably big and unfathomably old. It pokes around the surface of astronomy, discussing some of the interesting spots and fascinating how's and why's of the cosmos. The film also spends some time on ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array), including a fascinating look at how it's made, assembled, and operated at the high altitude it requires. Space buffs are going to love this film. Score: 5.0/5.0
• Tornado Alley (43:26): Bill Paxton (Twister) narrates the story of storm chasers hoping to get in the middle of, and learn more about, the deadly tornadoes that devastate the American midwest, known as "Tornado Alley." The film begins with amazing imagery of gathering storms -- dark and swirling clouds, increasingly violent winds -- and contrasts them against the aftermath, the very real toll on people and property the storms leave in their wake. While the film delves into the science of tornadoes and why the vast majority of them plague the central swath of the United States, it's more about the chase and the people who risk it all in the name of science. Paxton's narration often vanishes in favor of the drama of the incoming storm and the race to predict its path and reach it before it's either too dangerous to go further (i.e. from flooded roadways) or the storm dissipates. Radio chatter, perilous winds, booming thunder, driving rain, and flashing lightning tell much of the story as the storm chasers gather as the sky does the same, one with the intent of learning, the other with the intent of destroying. Score: 4.5/5.0

IMAX: Extreme Adventure Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Extreme Adventure Collection is an odd duck UHD release in that it lacks HDR coloring. Users who pop in the disc after watching, say, Everest or Ghostbusters will be shocked to find an image that pushes drastically red. At least on the TV used for this review, that means going into settings and switching to a different picture mode that doesn't utilize HDR. There. Much better. With that in mind, all that really makes this disc special is the uptick in raw resolution to 4K/2160p. Below is a brief review of each film's video presentation.

• Grand Canyon Adventure: Crystal-clear, amazing imagery. That's the crude takeaway from Grand Canyon Adventure, a film that sparkles in 2160p ultra high definition. Every cliffside, stone, pebble, and bit of vegetation are remarkably clear and lifelike, detailed to the finest point. Colors are resplendent. Even simple things like bright blue water contrasting with earthy rock formations dotted by natural greens look magnificent. A red train car, multicolored luggage, yellow rafts, and other bits of color pop with incredible clarity and lifelike presentation, even without the added oomph of HDR color support. Some pullback shots are a little jittery, but that's likely the TV's processing, not the transfer itself. Beyond that minor nitpick, this is a positively gorgeous presentation. Score: 5.0/5.0
• Hidden Universe: Another dazzling UHD presentation from Universal. Even without the support of HDR enhancement, the image presents colors with a resplendent richness and balance, whether breathtaking images of the cosmos or, more appreciably accurate, orange safety vests at the ALAM construction site. Clarity is positively striking (so much so that, during the space field opening titles, one can see some strange movement on the top-left corner of the screen...UFOs?), and the 2160p image never fails to deliver breathtaking detail. Pebbly terrain, worn and rough building façades, and people moving about a small town outside of Atacama are amongst the highlights, but so too are detailed shots of the martian surface, the mechanical ins-and-outs of the VLT, and some of the heavy duty vehicles that position ALMA to its proper place. The image's big drawback is that a small screen doesn't do it justice; it screams to be viewed on the largest canvas possible, and even as it looks marvelous at 65", it wants for more surface area (something like this movie would be great in virtual reality). Technical drawbacks are few. Black levels occasionally look splotchy pale in places, a couple of speckles pop up around the 29 minute mark, and massive compression artifacts invade the screen around the 23 minute mark. Otherwise, this one looks magnificent. Score: 4.5/5.0
• Tornado Alley: This 2160p, again non-HDR UHD presentation mimics all of the great qualities of the other films in this, and its companion, release. Clarity is amazingly crisp and detail strikingly accurate. Vast shots of big storm clouds impress with tangible density up in the sky, but it's down on land where the image dazzles. Pebbly dirt roads, trees, welded steel plates, accumulated dirt and grime on trucks, just about everything in frame is always razor-sharp and practically tangibly defined down to the absolute finest nitty-gritty surface detail. Colors are strong, with some of the brighter daytime and a few interior shots faring best. The gray and bleak storm segments tend to leave the palette naturally drained, but there's no shortage of popping natural greens and pleasingly colored attire throughout. Black levels have a tendency to push far too bright in places. Noise spikes severely in a darker scene near the end. Another problem that cropped up was a digital break-up of what remains of a house's siding at the 32:40 mark. Overall, however, this is a fantastic presentation that, like Hidden Universe, really demands to be seen on a much larger screen than is average for home viewing. Score: 4.5/5.0

IMAX: Extreme Adventure Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

If the video is an odd duck for a UHD release, then Extreme Adventure Collection's lack of Atmos or DTS:X sound makes it...a bit more of an odd duck, though certainly not as immediately obvious as the absence of HDR color enhancement. Even with each film's dynamic sound needs, the 5.1 tracks prove up to the challenge, and then some. Below is a brief review of each film's audio presentation.

• Grand Canyon Adventure: The film opens with a blaring Dave Matthews song that's very loud at reference volume, but it yields superb instrumental and vocal clarity. One might argue the back channel push is too drastic, and combined with big, aggressive support elements, the entire presentation over the opening titles can feel like a bit too much of an assault. Things clear up when music tones down. Surround usage remains prominent, but it's never quite so abundantly aggressive as it is over the title sequence. Light environmental ambience is well integrated throughout the film, while more prominent effects, like rushing and splashing water, power through with nary a hiccup in delivery or a drop in strength. Narration is clear, but some dialogue underneath -- an archeologist speaking early in the movie -- sounds garbled to the point that it's unintelligible, and sounds like it's underwater, too. Score: 4.5/5.0
• Hidden Universe: No Atmos? No problem. Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is up to the challenge of delivering the film's sonic needs to impressive result. The opening title letters rush back to front with a commendable sense of seamless movement and positioning, followed by an accenting highlight that sweeps left to right. An asteroid hurtles front to back as the film introduces a brief study of Mars. A mosquito buzzes around the listening area partway through, moving from one speaker to the next with effortless zip. Work din at ALMA nicely saturates the listening area moments later. Music is aggressive, big and widely spaced with a good balance between front side priority and rear side compliment. Bass is strong and deep while maintaining its form factor. Narration is crystal clear and perfectly prioritized in the front center channel. Score: 4.5/5.0
• Tornado Alley: One of the most dynamic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtracks on the market. Even without expanded rear or overhead channels in its arsenal, this is a fluid, sturdily built, and amazingly reproduced bit of surround sound excellence. Distant thunder eerily booms and looms around the stage. Hail punishingly pelts the listening area from all sides. Heavy wind blends with cracking thunder and terrifying chaos as storms power through the stage with unforgiving ferocity. Bass and surround usage pile up quickly, and the track is up to the challenge of fully absorbing the listener in the chaos. Music is big and detailed, again featuring prominent yet balanced bass and surround information that's anything but timid yet still more complimentary than anything else. Narration and dialogue are smooth, perfectly prioritized, and clear. It's a shame this isn't on 1080p Blu-ray so more audiences could experience this amazing presentation. Score: 5.0/5.0

IMAX: Extreme Adventure Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplemental content is included. The main menu begins with three tiles to select any of the films in the set, which then transfers to a new, movie specific page that offers only options for basic selections: Chapters, Audio, Subtitles, and a Select Movie tab.

IMAX: Extreme Adventure Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is a terrific collection. The films are fantastic -- particularly Hidden Universe -- and the UHD presentations are amazing. Even as they're lacking some key features -- namely HDR color enhancement and Atmos/DTS:X sound -- they never seem to want for more clarity, sharpness, and tactile detailing on the video side or more potent and widely dispersed elements on the audio end. Grand Canyon Adventure's soundtrack is arguably over engineered in places, but it's certainly a fun listen nevertheless. No extras are included, but the films and their technical presentations speak for themselves. Highly recommended.