7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
An underwater voyage to Indonesia to learn about its inhabitants such as giant rays and whale sharks as well as efforts being made in the region for ocean conservation.
Narrator: Cate BlanchettDocumentary | 100% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS:X
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: DTS:X
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The more you understand a reef, the better you can protect it.
Greg MacGillivray has made some of the finest large-format Documentaries in the world: Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk, Coral Reef Adventure, National Parks Adventure. His films often preach conservation without
being preachy while framing the plea within a grand view of the world, with endlessly beautiful shots of the world at its most magnificent, fragile, and,
for
many eyes, unseen and unknown. Journey to the South Pacific focuses on the threats on and the preservation of coral reefs around West
Papua, an Indonesian province.
It's a beautiful world.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.
Note: 'Journey to the South Pacific' has released to the UHD format with the HDR10+ color encoding. Unfortunately Blu-ray.com reviewers are
currently not equipped with a playback device capable of decoding it, so this review pertains to the standard HDR10 color only.
Generally speaking, Mill Creek has delivered a striking, beautiful image. The HDR-enhanced colors are bold and vibrant from the beginning. Blue
waters are strikingly rich and incredibly well saturated, a deep, intense blue that is the unequivocal highlight the release. The colors around the
Kalabia are likewise intense and leap off the screen. Natural vegetation is terrific and character skin tones appear true to life. Underwater,
colors find prominence with intense shades on various sea creatures, with barrages of reds, oranges, and ocean blue amongst the many finely
saturated standouts. The image is fairly sharp, perhaps a bit unnaturally so. Edge enhancement is visible in places throughout, such as at the 1:01
mark around distant terrain on the left-hand side of the screen. The following shot appears a little jerky and the swimming fish seem to bring globs of
water alongside them; the flow appears very unnatural. A few shots look artificial; look at a school of fish at the 22:05 mark. At the 19:42 mark, and
again at the 32:13 mark, some compression artifacts are visible. Despite these caveats, the image does impress a good deal. It's big, bold, and very
clear. The movie looks terrific on UHD. While there remains some room for improvement there's no mistaking the image's high end qualities,
particularly its colors.
Despite a few reservations about the UHD presentation, there's absolutely no questioning its vast superiority over the Blu-ray. The increases to both
sharpness sand detail are amazing. The adds to color richness, boldness, and nuance are the most obvious upgrades but not to be dismissed is the
vastly superior clarity and definition on display. Note that because each video section received the same score does not mean the images are
comparable. The scores are based on how they look independently and against other titles on their respective formats.
Journey to the South Pacific features a DTS:X soundtrack. There are some fun overhead components, such as when children dive into the
water near film's start; it practically feels as if they're leaping in from above the stage. Immersive underwater sounds fully envelop the listener, and
that
extra top end layer contributes a good bit to the sense of fullness and pressure below the surface. Music is very aggressive, offering intense surround
usage and total listener envelopment. Environmental effects, such as playing children, are nicely integrated, and ambient effects, such as falling rain in
the six-minute mark, offer impressive full stage saturation. Narration is clear and center focused.
Note: The bundled Blu-ray contains the same audio and subtitle options as the UHD.
Journey to the South Pacific includes three supplements on the UHD disc. A Blu-ray copy of the program (with the same special features)
and a Mill Creek digital copy code are included with purchase. The release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.
Journey to the South Pacific is a fairly standard MacGillivray documentary which means it's well put together, informative, entertaining, and the message is folded into he narrative structure rather than forced into the conversation. Mill Creek's UHD is very good. It's problematic here and there but big and bold and a large step forward from the included Blu-ray. Audio is great and the few included supplements are fine. Recommended.
IMAX Enhanced
2016
2014
2019
IMAX
2015
2017
2012
2016
2017
IMAX
1999
2013
The Complete Series
2006
BBC / Narrated by David Attenborough
2009
IMAX
2012
IMAX
1994
2016
2015
IMAX
2012
2003
2004
2018