7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Nestled in the heart of America’s Great Plains are the distinct landscapes of a sacred land that beckons the visitor to enter the nation's mysterious and glorious west. A land of soaring pinnacles, deep canyons, hidden caves, national monuments and countless wildlife sanctuaries. It is also the place of the inglorious death of famed gunslinger, Wild Bill Hickok and the most sacred spot for the Lakota Sioux.
Director: Kenny JamesDocumentary | 100% |
Nature | 77% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
There is no place like it on the planet.
Pause for a moment and look back at the recently-published review of Mill Creek Home Entertainment's National Parks Exploration Series: Yosemite - The High Sierras. Take
that text, change a few key words, and insert it here. National Parks Exploration Series: The Grand Canyon - A Wonder of the Natural World is
basically the same thing, a few minutes longer and focused on a different subject, another corner of American grandeur, but at its core it is a film that
captures pretty much the same rhythm and focus as its counterparts, both the Yosemite release and other Mill Creek titles within the Exploration series. But in this case, more of the same thing isn't a bad thing. These
National Parks Exploration videos offer focused Documentaries of great educational value. While these releases may not be the kind of thing
towards which home theater gurus might gravitate, they admirably serve an equally admirable purpose of shining a high-definition light on some of
the United States' greatest natural wonders. And considering the price, general Blu-ray collectors and causal fans of Nature documentaries will find
these to be of high value given the eye-opening price-to-content ratio.
Steep.
National Parks Exploration Series: The Grand Canyon - A Wonder of the Natural World features a shaky but acceptable 1080i, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Mill Creek's video presentation won't dazzle videophiles or even causal viewers, but the transfer offers a relatively crisp, stable image that should work well in the classroom setting blessed with a Blu-ray player and high definition monitor. The image rarely captures much definition at a distance; long shots of even the grandest formations and natural wonders appear rather lifeless and flat, impressive in a very general sense but not necessarily in terms of replicated visual wonder. The HD video photography fares better in close-up shots, which reveal far more complex rock face textures and the area's scattered natural vegetation to a visually-satisfying extent. Colors are fine, whether the reddish, earthy rock formations of the Grand Canyon or various cliff dwelling sites, natural greenery, interviewee attire, and blue skies. There's some motion jitters and the occasional blocky background, but this is otherwise a fairly stable image that should work well for its intended purpose.
As with Mill Creek's other May 15, 2012 natural wonders release -- National Parks Exploration Series: Yosemite - The High Sierras -- National Parks Exploration Series: The Grand Canyon - A Wonder of the Natural World contains only a no-frills Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. Certainly, this is a Documentary not in any particular need of any sort of superior soundtrack, and the limited, fairly rough-around-the-edges source wouldn't benefit all that greatly from anything else. The feature is built largely around slightly boomy narration and author/historian commentary. Such plays at a slightly high volume in comparison to the remainder of the track, but play with sufficient balance and clarity. Of note is a chapter six tour guide commentary where lip sync is way off for the first few minutes of the presentation, but appears fixed following a short break. As with the High Sierras Blu-ray release, random wind noises occasionally gush into the listening area throughout and crumpling paper beats up against a shirt-mounted microphone in one scene, both competing with dialogue as they crunchily flow from the speakers. Music is generally smooth and adequately spaced across the front, though it occasionally rattles and rumbles with a slightly unkempt tone. Most listeners will find this to be perhaps the most basic soundtrack they've encountered on Blu-ray. Both the original source and the Blu-ray presentation are concerned with information delivery, not sonic accuracy. Home theater enthusiasts will scoff, but this is a sufficient track suitable for classroom duty.
Mill Creek Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release of National Parks Exploration Series: The Grand Canyon - A Wonder of the Natural World contains no bonus materials.
National Parks Exploration Series: The Grand Canyon - A Wonder of the Natural World satisfies as a nicely-assembled Documentary made for the classroom but passable for a cheaply-priced journey into one of the world's most spectacular locations. Audiences familiar with previous series entries know exactly what to expect, in terms of both content and Blu-ray presentation, so those who enjoyed those other releases should consider a buy, and those who felt they came up short of expectations should skip.
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2010
2001
2014
IMAX 3D
2008
2010
2013
+ Photo Booklet
2013
2008
IMAX 3D
2008
2014
2011
2015
G1
2012
1995
2012
The Original UK Series
2011
2014-2015
BBC
2011
2009