Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		1.5
Audio		2.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		1.5

Ocean Predators 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

Throw this one back...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown January 3, 2014

Universal is doing the 3D market a disservice. Not in terms of the recent theatrical releases the studio issues on 3D Blu-ray, which are uniformly excellent when it comes to AV quality, but with the growing number of bargain bin natural history 3D documentaries Universal is casually tossing into the market. Every few months it's a new batch of lesser titles, the most recent being Fascination Coral Reef: Hunters and the Hunted and Ocean Predators 3D; bland, undersea rehashes in every sense of the word. Both are of such low quality that it's a wonder they aren't bundled together with a $9.99 price tag, Echo Bridge style. (Although even that might be a bit too generous.) Each doc's video transfer is an upscaled mess. Each 3D presentation a misfire. Each lossless audio track merely serviceable. And each release is as barebones as they come. There's a place for 3D natural history productions, and I'd even wager a decent market. But titles like these -- not to mention those that have preceded them and those that will inevitably arrive in the future -- only disappoint consumers with discs that may as well be DVDs.

On the prowl...

Immerse yourself deep into the ocean in search of the most dangerous predators in our seas. Unveil the mysteries of these fascinating and skilled hunters. Razor-sharp teeth and lightning-fast reactions rule in this unforgiving environment. Discover the facts behind the myths and legends about sharks, barracudas and moray eels. Shot in real stereoscopic 3D, this documentary introduces you to the Kings of the Sea in an unprecedented way.

There's little to Ocean Predators you haven't learned and re-learned a hundred times before, and the fresh details that are offered are akin to scanning a textbook of shark stats and factoids. (Shark lengths, number of teeth, level of aggression and other potentially pertinent information delivered with the passion of a monotone books-on-tape lecturer.) The photography is rather generic too, paling in comparison to the BBC Natural History Unit daring and production values it so tries to emulate. It's essentially the sort of movie you'd expect to stumble across in a museum or aquarium, looping ad nauseum in the hopes of piquing the interest of patrons and passersby. Add to that narration that grows irritating fast, a general sense of docu-disorganization, never-ending elevator music, canned "bubbling water" sound effects, cheaply produced graphics overlays straight out of a 1987 slide show, and other cardinal documentary sins and you have a bargain bin reject with a steep price of admission. You can find better shark specials on TV. For free.

Ocean Predators 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Like Fascination Coral Reef: Hunters and the Hunted, Predators' 1080p/MVC-encoded 3D video presentation is an open wound, regardless of whether you select 2D or 3D. Colors are bright and vibrant, but most everything else is incredibly disheveled. Severe macroblocking, unsightly banding, frequent aliasing, almost non-existent fine detail, noise, crush, compression artifacts, ringing, edge halos, pulldown anomalies and... really, every other debilitating issue that comes to mind. The whole thing frankly stops just short of being unwatchable. In 3D, the presentation improves marginally I suppose, despite the fact that each eyesore is that much more in-your-face. Depth and dimensionality are laughably flat, the image lacks any measure of pop, and crosstalk is apparent to varying degrees no matter the display. (Yes, even those displays that aren't prone to ghosting, meaning some of the crosstalk is a product of the encode. A rarity and an irritation.) It doesn't get much worse than this. Key word: much. I've watched a few 3D releases that sink a bit deeper.

Ocean Predators 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track is flat and rather grating, with narration that's much too loud and a soundscape that's much too timid. The documentary's score, meanwhile, is poorly prioritized, adding to its elevator-music qualities and making it even more of a non-essential element than it already is. And without LFE output or rear speaker activity to speak of, this one is decidedly underwhelming.

Ocean Predators 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray release of Ocean Predators 3D doesn't include any special features.

Ocean Predators 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ocean Predators 3D joins a growing list of on-the-cheap educational documentaries being released on Blu-ray, the difference here being the disc's pricepoint, which is much too high. With barrel-scraping production values, robotic narration, elevator music and very little in the way of actual educational content (other than reams of quick-hit factoids), this one sinks fast. Universal's Blu-ray release isn't much better, with a mediocre video presentation, equally unimpressive 3D experience, problematic DTS-HD Master Audio stereo mix, and zero special features. There are faster, lovelier, more engaging fish in the sea.