Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Scenic National Parks: Yellowstone Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Lindsay Mayer September 20, 2008

There is probably no other U.S. national park more iconic and universally recognized than Yellowstone. Sprawling across the state of Wyoming and into Montana and Idaho, the park attracts millions of tourists a year. Its many geologic phenomena, variety of wildlife, and barely-tamed territory prove to be a huge draw for young and old alike.

Yellowstone enjoys the honor of being the first established national park in the United States. State parks like Yosemite came before it, but problems with management of the latter contributed to Yellowstone's elevated stature. It also solved the problem of the park being located in not one, but three separate states. Though the bulk of the area is found in Wyoming, the territory spills over past the boundaries of Montana and Idaho. To preempt any squabbling that could occur from a Wyoming state park not being completely within Wyoming, Yellowstone was instead deemed national - a United States park under federal direction.

The park derives its name from the Hidatsa term mi tsi a-da-zi, or "rock yellow river." The golden bluffs along the banks are usually attributed as the inspiration for the park's modern name. Aside from a handful of trappers, European exploration of the area did not occur until the 1860s, and from there it was a short trip to park status, which Yellowstone gained in 1872. Thereafter, construction on extensive roads and trails, the main artery of which is known as the Grand Loop, began in earnest in 1883.

Yellowstone is a geothermal hot spot, and a good portion of the park is actually a giant caldera - a volcanic bowl measuring some 30 miles across and 50 miles wide. The hot spot provides for some of Yellowstone's most well-known features. Geysers like the famous Old Faithful are steaming vents that release pressure regularly, resulting in the impressive plumes with which most are familiar. Hot springs are surprisingly colorful with their combination of mineral hues and brilliant bacterial colonies. Mud pots simmer and bubble ceaselessly, and the less exciting steam vents - fumaroles - hiss and pour out steady columns of water vapor, creating an eerie ambiance when in large numbers.

The novelty of these sites are shown as a highlight for tourists, in addition to the myriad other outdoor activities guests can indulge in. Campgrounds are found throughout the park, naturally, and rangers patrol the area diligently to prevent vandalism and the wrong sorts of wildlife encounters. Yellowstone's black bears are notorious opportunists, and their relatively small and fuzzy appearance has proven them endearing to guests. In the past, unchecked feeding of the bears from car windows and campsites resulted in powerful predators that were simply far too comfortable with their human food vendors. Nowadays hand handouts are prohibited, and park rangers have an endless job mediating between ignorant urban tourists and potentially dangerous wildlife.

Surprisingly little of the park is seen by most tourists; many opt simply to drive the grand loop to see the park's sights. A whole Yellowstone back country is accessible for the more adventurous visitors, and the resulting tranquility is indeed most rewarding. Still, the modern conveniences and amenities can be found at places like the Old Faithful Inn, with its rustic "parkitecture," and Lake Yellowstone Hotel, renovated in 1903 and still as grand as ever. The latter is a grand destination for water sports enthusiasts and fishermen; canoes and kayaks are a favorite on the massive "inland sea," and fishers are allowed to keep non-native lake trout. The indigenous, endangered cutthroat trout are under a strict catch-and-release program to boost their numbers.

Yellowstone's wildlife are arguably as famous as its geothermal activity. Many highly visible large mammals call the park home, including herbivores like the wapiti, moose, bison, pronghorn, mule deer, and bighorn sheep. Hunting is prohibited within park boundaries, and so the area makes for a safe haven for the herds. Such plentiful game means predators can't be far off, and indeed - coyotes, black and grizzly bears roam the boreal forests and plains. In 1995 and 1996, gray wolves were reintroduced back into the park after being wiped out by humans for decades. The project was a huge success, and restored order to the food chain of wildlife. The wolves, for example, kept the coyote population in check, and their smaller opportunistic cousins were now less able to pick off so many vulnerable young animals, like the pronghorn fawns.

Often thought of as the quintessential park experience, Yellowstone provides a perfect springboard experience for travelers and nature lovers. The United States features a vast array of ecosystems and climates, and a choice variety of parks and preserves to go along with them. One can only hope the exposure to such beautiful locales will increase the public's appreciation of biodiversity and the beauty of wild places - enough to care for its fate in the generations to come.

Scenic National Parks: Yellowstone Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Encoded in VC-1 and averaging about 25 Mbps, Yellowstone is shown off in newly-filmed high definition footage. The overall quality can be middling at times. Slight softness is apparent throughout the programs, due to the interlaced picture rather than a progressive scan. Some artifacts such as pixelation and even the odd appearance of edge enhancement here and there can be spotted. With lots of atmospheric activity like steam and snow caught on film, the picture problems like macroblocking and a too-soft image seem relievedly absent. Still, the most impressive shots are those filmed on a clear sunny day, with lots of natural light and color. Moving water was smooth and at times with a surreal, glass-like clarity. Colors are natural and reproduced well here; even the orange flesh tones that plagued the other Scenic National Parks Blu-ray titles aren't to be seen here in such harshness. Contrast is good overall, and shadow detail is nice. Yellowstone doesn't boast the perfect picture, but it's certainly the best the parks have ever been depicted on home video!

Scenic National Parks: Yellowstone Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Featuring both a stereo and multichannel Dolby Digital 5.1 track, Yellowstone is not out to blow the viewer away with killer audio, obviously. Meant to be primarily educational, the sound retains a good amount of clarity despite the lossy mix. Narration emanates from the center channel and is understandable for the most part. The lack of subtitles can prove to be somewhat frustrating at times however - the location names are run through without much in the way of enunciation, and Yellowstone novices may be left wondering exactly what was just identified. The front channels are mostly used for the scoring, and the rears pick up slight amounts of music bleed and ambiance. A small amount of LFE is used to bolster the track - nothing too brash, but it does improve the aural presences overall. In short, the disc provides a decent, satisfactory mix, which does not give your sound system a workout simply because it was not meant to.

Scenic National Parks: Yellowstone Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Like the other Scenic Natural Wonders Blu-rays, Yellowstone comes as a double feature, paired with Inside Grand Teton National Park. Only fitting, as Grand Teton is the nearby sister park of Yellowstone. Named after the largest peak of the Teton Mountain Range, Grand Teton became a national park long after Yellowstone, in 1929. The land was under threat of becoming mere ranchland and residential plots, but a controversial move by the Rockefellers, one of the United States' most recognizable oligarch families - preserved the land for public use and enjoyment.

The valley known as Jackson Hole provides popular tourism points, such as the Jackson Hole Lodge and the luxurious Amangani Resort for the well-to-do. The sometimes unforgiving slopes of the Tetons are popular with skiers, and they are patrolled by rangers trained in cold weather survival and avalanche rescue. By far the place to be when taking a ski trip to these Wyoming mountains is the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Founded in the 1960s, the majority of the resort's hills and trails are for the downhill expert, and so draw the attendance of hardcore skiers and snowboarders looking for a challenge.

Jackson Lake and Jenny Lake are also busy tourism locales, with plenty of campgrounds, hiking trails, and water sports. Most of the program is focused less on the habitat and more on human activity, as well as the hazards that come along with it. A segment with the Jenny Lake Rangers is shown, depicting rigorous training routines to ready themselves for rescues in tough terrain. One of the few notable critter highlights was the presentation of a wapiti reserve, started in 1912. Here the herd is so used to humans that sleigh rides full of tourists and interpreters can ride right up to the animals without disturbance.

Scenic National Parks: Yellowstone Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Scenic National Parks series is a well produced look at the United States most celebrated parks and reserves. A good overview of the natural wonders and tourist attractions, these lovely vistas are all the more gorgeous in high definition. Yellowstone and its double feature prove to be no different, and are incredibly enticing to view and (vicariously) experience. They are indeed quite effective at stirring one's sense of adventure - as they well should, having a promotional feel to them throughout. Despite some flaws in the picture quality and a less than extraordinary aural experience, the series is to be commended for its well-filmed experiences and admirable content.