Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking Blu-ray Movie Review

Hawking's intriguing Discovery Channel series investigates the unsolved mysteries of the universe...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown February 10, 2012

Almost as fascinating as the existence of aliens, the possibility of time travel and the vastness of the universe? The life of theoretical physicist, cosmologist, best-selling author, professor, and Presidential Medal of Freedom-winner Stephen Hawking, whose decades-long battle with an atypical form of ALS (more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease) would have crippled any other man, physically and mentally. But not Hawking. Though bound to a wheelchair, the distinguished mathematician and theorist hasn't allowed his condition to dictate his place in the world, nor has he allowed it to prevent his mind from actively roaming the cosmos. Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking doesn't prop up the man behind the theorems, examine his contributions to science or celebrate his academic celebrity. Instead, its three episodes focus on the very things that continue to drive Hawking to explore the universe and unravel its mysteries; to boldly go where our legs, technology and greatest advances simply aren't capable of taking us. Yet...

Where do we come from? How did the universe begin? Why is the universe the way it is? How will it end? All my life, I have been fascinated by the big questions that face us, and have tried to find scientific answers to them. If, like me, you have looked at the stars, and tried to make sense of what you see, you too have started to wonder what makes the universe exist. The questions are clear, and deceptively simple. But the answers have always seemed well beyond our reach. Until now. The ideas which had grown over two thousand years of observation have had to be radically revised. In less than a hundred years, we have found a new way to think of ourselves. From sitting at the center of the universe, we now find ourselves orbiting an average-sized sun, which is just one of millions of stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. And our galaxy itself is just one of billions of galaxies, in a universe that is infinite and expanding. But this is far from the end of a long history of inquiry. Huge questions remain to be answered, before we can hope to have a complete picture of the universe we live in. I want you to share my excitement at the discoveries, past and present, which have revolutionized the way we think. From the Big Bang to black holes, from dark matter to a possible Big Crunch, our image of the universe today is full of strange sounding ideas, and remarkable truths. The story of how we arrived at this picture is the story of learning to understand what we see.

"Aliens," Into the Universe's first and broadest episode, begins in the Milky Way Galaxy as Hawking, his words and thoughts relayed by narrator Benedict Cumberbatch, theorizes about what alien life might look like if it were found next door. He doesn't stick close to Earth for too long, though. What sort of alien life might exist beyond the boundaries of our galaxy? Are there creatures who aren't dependent on water? Lifeforms that require liquid nitrogen to live, dwell in gaseous space clouds, or have somehow evolved to survive in the vacuum of space? And what of alien civilizations? Should we broadcast our location without knowing who might be receiving the signal? What might these travelers be? And how do they move through the universe? Hawking poses dozens of questions and offers a number of interesting ideas; some of which Hollywood would do well to hear when dreaming up its next batch of summer blockbusters. But therein lies the chief problem with the series: Hawking covers so much ground that, with just 44-minutes on the clock, he doesn't have the time to really expound upon any one theory or idea. He tosses a handful of rocks into a vast pond and tries to describe the numerous ripples in as concise and compelling a way as he can. It's certainly a more accessible approach than you might expect from a brilliant mind such as his, but it also leaves you hungry. Hungry for more of everything.

"Time Travel," the series' second episode, is more centered and cohesive, if only because it orbits a single question: "is time travel possible?" Delving into the fourth dimension, Hawking manages to explain incredibly complex mathematics and theories in easily understood layman's terms. No doctorate degree required. "I like simple experiments," Hawking says. "So I'm throwing a party for future time travelers. Here is the invitation." Cue a countdown to the party and the disappointing realization that no guests are coming. (In case you haven't gathered as much already, Hawking and Into the Universe have a welcome and disarming sense of humor.) But it isn't a joke. Hawking uses this little illustration to investigate the problems with time travel as we've come to see it, and introduce time travel as it could actually be. Mass, energy, black holes and other forces of nature are explored via relatively impressive (and imaginative) CG as the famed mathematician poses mesmerizing questions with mind-bending possibilities.

"The Story of Everything," as you can tell from the title, suffers from the same issue as "Aliens." And yet, to its credit, it captivates with the same blend of dream-big theories and never-say-never ideas offered by"Aliens" and "Time Travel." Beginning with the vastness of space, Hawking tackles the very fabric of the universe, its beautifully volatile evolution, the driving force of gravity, and the origin and destination of everything in existence. Everything. Though a roomier episode at 87-minutes, "The Story of Everything" pulls Hawking's mind in too many directions. Not that the catchall quality of his study derails the series. For all its hop-scotching, I can't think of a better way to spend an hour and a half in front of the television than pondering the creation of a star, the genesis of all life, the material of space itself, the destructive power that fuels the universe, and the serenity and explosiveness that co-exist in every corner of the cosmos. Into the Universe isn't meant to be as extensive as some of us would like, but rather a carefully devised spark of concrete fact and daunting possibilities meant to send viewers scrambling for a book, a computer, or anything that might allow them to further explore the universe on their own terms. In that regard, Into the Universe succeeds, flaws and all, while Hawking, ever the dreamer, proves to be as ideal a host as any I could imagine.

Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

There isn't anything necessarily wrong with Into the Universe's 1080i/AVC-encoded presentation; for better or worse, it's fairly faithful to its source. But that doesn't mean it isn't without its share of issues. Black levels are weak on the whole, as is contrast. Minor banding and faint macroblocking are common problems, although not quite as debilitating or distracting a problem as each one has been on previous Discovery Channel Blu-ray releases. Moreover, many of the CG sequences show their seams, be it by way of pixelation, artifacting, aliasing or other shortcomings (presumably but not definitely) present in the sequences themselves. That being said, Into the Universe still holds its own to a degree with vibrant, eye-popping colors, relatively revealing detail, decent clarity and, for the most part, a consistency that ties the episodes together neatly. It isn't perfect -- far from it -- but it also won't leave homegrown theorists and star gazers bemoaning the price of admission.

Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Much to my pleasant surprise, Into the Universe features an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track; one that doesn't disappoint. Yes, the nature of the series results in a front-heavy experience, but between composer Sheridan Tongue's enveloping score and the rushing winds, billowing gases, and immersive vastness of the show's soundscape, it isn't a flat experience by any means. Cumberbatch and Hawking's voices are clean, clear and engaging as well; Cumberbatch's in particular, which is grounded nicely in the mix. The rear speakers and LFE channel offer their full support as well, even if it amounts to atmospheric effects and the low rumble one associates with something as powerful as the forces that fuel the universe.

Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only extra included is a a wry greeting and introduction to the series from Stephen Hawking: "Hawking 101" (HD, 5 minutes).

Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking isn't everything it could be, but it left my brain buzzing, my preconceived views of the universe challenged, and my imagination running wild. I couldn't ask for much more... except maybe for more episodes, more theories, and more time to explore every inch of time and space. Hawking is the real draw, though, and his knowledge, wit and extraordinary visions are on full display for all to see. The series' Blu-ray release is more of a mixed bag, with a decent but problematic video presentation, a strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and an absence of substantial extras. Still, it's hard to complain too much when staring at such a low pricepoint. Amatuer theorists, scientists and dreamers would do well to add Into the Universe to their shopping cart.