Rhino Rescue Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

Rhino Rescue Blu-ray Movie Review

Strong photography and an intriguing subject save this flaccid bore from itself...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 1, 2009

Solitary and temperamental, the black rhinoceros isn't the sort of marketable, kid-friendly animal that will ever be a poster child for endangered species protection. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a "save the black rhinos" bumper sticker? An "I ♥ BRs" t-shirt? A cute-n-cuddly black-plush beanie baby at Toys R' Us? Unfortunately, every animal can't be as memorable or appealing as elephants, whales, and tigers, leaving many to simply disappear from the face of the planet before anyone notices. It's this fact of life and death that makes a television special like the National Geographic's Rhino Rescue such a fascinating prospect. Before today, I had no idea there were various species of rhinoceroses, much less one that had edged so close to extinction. I didn't know fewer than 4,000 black rhinos remained, or that one Cameroonian subspecies had already been declared extinct.

Sadly, Rhino Rescue didn't connect with me at all. Its veteran filmmakers, Emmy Award-winning documentarians Dereck and Beverly Joubert, squander precious screentime with pretentious prose, rarely bother to explain the reasons black rhinos are worth so much effort, and fail to extract a lasting emotional reaction from their audience.

Both white and black rhinos are gray. It's the shape of their mouths that distinguish the two species...

After waxing poetic for what seems like an eternity, the Jouberts get down to some semblance of business, introducing the black rhinoceros, explaining what separates its species from the more common white rhino, and providing an overview of its most dangerous enemy: man. From there, Dereck and Beverly tag along with the Botswana Defense Force, documenting one group's valiant attempts to protect the remaining black rhinos from poachers and relocate the animals to a safer region. Along the way, the chatty twosome tirelessly repeat information they've already covered from the outset, offering their overbearing opinions far more often than objective observations or legitimate science. Rhino Rescue amounts to little more than a syrupy love letter; an embarrassing ode to the horned beasts and their plight. I'd love to see the species survive as much as the next guy, but I can only take so many heartstrings and so much idealism. Romanticized verse, sugary prose, and lyrical declarations of mankind's responsibility to the natural world aren't indicative of an inspiring documentary, they're indicative of a broad-stroke platform, one that elicits apathy rather than genuine sympathy. Don't get me wrong, the Jouberts seem like fine, well-intentioned folks... but their approach just doesn't work for me.

Is Rhino Rescue a complete waste of time? Absolutely not. Between writing a letter to black rhinoceroses (which is read aloud while sepia-toned footage lingers on the screen) and fawning over the admittedly noble fighters working to save the animals, the Jouberts manage to compile an informative overview of the rhinos and their habitat, explore the reasons their horns are such high-demand commodities, and discuss why the extinction of any species is a frightening development. I do wish the Jouberts had found a way to articulate why the black rhinoceros is invaluable to the natural world -- they inadvertently make the species sound like a non-essential component of its own ecosystem -- but I suppose their argument, that life in any form is worth preserving, has enough merit to excuse them from laying out a more persuasive case. Thankfully, some stunning photography keeps the documentary afloat even when the narration becomes unbearable. The Jouberts may not effectively convey why the black rhinos are worth saving, but their images make the points their chatter cannot.

I'm sure there are documentary junkies out there who will eat up every over-written minute of Rhino Rescue's narration. Me? I had my fill after three minutes. It's certainly worth renting -- if for no other reason than to learn about the near-extinction of an ancient species -- but I would have preferred a more objective, less fanciful documentary rather than the Jouberts' sticky love letter.

Rhino Rescue Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Rhino Rescue features yet another lackluster 1080i/VC-1 National Geographic transfer that has some trouble distinguishing itself from its DVD counterpart. While several shots -- specifically, the film's opening sequence, a small portion of the interviews, and a few closeups of meandering white rhinos -- represent the sort of presentation videophiles have become accustomed to, the remainder of the Jouberts' documentary is burdened with an abundance of standard definition video footage, poor detail, and muddy colors. Worst still, a slew of technical issues hamper the integrity of the transfer at every turn. Frequent artifacting, heavy banding, persistent noise, rampant aliasing, pesky motion blur, and obvious edge enhancement not only disrupt the image, they undermine the impact of several scenes. The Blu-ray edition offers enough of a visual upgrade to warrant its slightly higher cost, but anyone approaching Rhino Rescue should definitely adjust their expectations.

Rhino Rescue Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

National Geographic's middling Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track offers a similar experience, underwhelming far more often than it impresses. A lossless mix would have helped matters a bit, but with little to offer listeners aside from the Jouberts' hushed, at-times pretentious narration, a series of shoddy field recordings, and a decidedly two-dimensional, front-heavy soundfield. While truck engines, creaking cages, and rhino snorts are solid, they lack proper LFE support. Likewise, prowling lions can be heard stepping through the grass, but never sound as if they're stepping into your home theater. As it stands, the track is too close to the standard DVD Dolby mix to satisfy Blu-ray enthusiasts or documentary fans. At its best, it's average... at its worst, it's entirely forgettable.

Rhino Rescue Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Aside from an extremely limited photo gallery and a small sampling of National Geographic promos, Rhino Rescue doesn't include any supplemental content.

Rhino Rescue Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rhino Rescue is overcooked and over-seasoned for my tastes, but it does offer a solid introduction to a struggling species. Alas, the Blu-ray edition is a wash. Its mediocre video transfer, passable Dolby Digital audio track, and minuscule supplemental package are hardly going to earn it a sizable audience, and its relatively high price point will relegate it to Netflix queues rather than shopping carts. My advice? Give it a rent and see if it appeals to your sensibilities.