7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.7 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
A reasoned defense of sharks' place in our ecosystem and a horrifying illustration of what is befalling them around the world. It is revealed that shark attacks are few and far between. And even when they do occur, wounds tend to be superficial. As it turns out, sharks happen to be the ocean's most important predator, the top of the food chain; their presence is ecologically vital to maintaining the sea's balance. And on this level, sharks — and humans as well — are facing environmental catastrophe.
Starring: Rob Stewart (IX)Documentary | 100% |
Nature | 82% |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, English SDH, French
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Sharkwater is that type of documentary that demands a much greater awareness than what it has managed to command. A longing for less ignorance of the film's subject matter is felt upon finishing, and on a personal level, leads to further pensive moments about the current condition of life on our planet as a whole, and what potential the future may still hold.
The film begins with amateur filmmaker Rob Stewart's thoughts on sharks, the much maligned and commonly feared marine predator. A biologist and underwater photographer, Stewart has a bit of a Keanu Reeves vibe about him, though his extensive knowledge and passion for sharks is clear from the outset. "You're told your whole life, since you're a kid – sharks are dangerous. You're warned about venturing too far into the ocean. But then, finally, you're underwater, and you see the thing you're taught to fear, and it's perfect. And it doesn't want to hurt you, and it's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. And your whole world changes."
Biologist and photographer Rob Stewart embraces a Blacktip Shark as it swims by.
Presented with 1080p/60Hz MPEG-2 video, Sharkwater contains some great underwater footage, filmed as it was with HD cameras. The very nature of marine filming does not allow for sharp-as-a-tack high definition picture because - well - it's under water. Subjects naturally have a soft look to them, but they are nonetheless visually striking on this title. The surreal, vivid colors of tropical reefs pop off the screen, and details like the sheen of scales are well-preserved. Macroblocking and color banding are in thankfully short supply here, and given the monochromatic blue scenery of most open ocean shots, this is a good thing indeed.
The documentary is also interspersed with low resolution footage from undercover cameras, news outlets, and the like. Though frustrating when such footage appears onscreen, the subject matter of the film makes the use of it tolerable; after all, filming illegal activity would be rather difficult to come across with current HD technology! The balance of high definition camerawork with standard definition footage to illustrate a point is entirely understandable on Sharkwater.
Again serving a more functional purpose than an entertaining one, Sharkwater comes in English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0, as well as French Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0. The lack of lossless audio on a title like this is not much of a loss, as its primary purpose is to inform the viewer. Even unlike BBC productions as Planet Earth or Galápagos, the amount of candy for the senses in this film is limited. Though the visuals are pleasing, aural attributes of underwater films are none too thrilling. A long-running joke about films taking place in space is that, due to its cold vacuum of a void, sound waves cannot travel, and ergo - no sound can actually be heard in space. A similar effect happens with action under water - aside from the constant muted roar of the surf overhead, human ears cannot pick up a large range of sound when submerged. Camera footage is subsequently augmented with foleyed sound effects, and Stewart touches on this issue briefly in The Making of Sharkwater. As such, no interesting ambiance could really be achieved through a lossless codec, so the Dolby Digital options more than suffice.
Sharkwater comes with the standard handful of supplements - behind-the-scenes, promotional material, and a novelty or two. For successfully stirring viewers into action over the widespread problem of shark finning, the extra features prove to be a disappointment. No real follow-ups or extensive detailing of how to address the issue on an individual and national scale are offered on the disc, short of a passive "go to this website" listed at the end of the feature.
The most substantial piece in the extras is the Making of Sharkwater featurette, in which Stewart gives a bit of insight to task of getting the film underway. No one wanted to take a chance on an amateur filmmaker who wanted to make yet another documentary on sharks. Beginning in 2002, the project finally came back to Stewart after several years on secondary assignments. Other crew members reflect a bit on the filming experience, although there tends to be a portion of repeated material here from the film itself, so it gets rather tedious to watch after a while. The Naval training film Shark Defense, seen in snippets during the documentary, is available in its entirety here, as well. An archive piece from the 60s, the film paints sharks as bloodthirsty killers, and then illustrates several defensive tactics to take should one find themselves stranded in the open ocean. The reasoning behind some of the more bizarre methods is not even explained, and the film overall is somewhat amusing for its dated and sensational depiction of sharks. The Virtual Ocean is a 20-minute, 1080i loop of footage used in the documentary, with nothing but a soothing score running over it. It is indeed rather peaceful, though again, it is merely a novelty. Lastly, the theatrical trailer for the film, as well as three TV spots running consecutively, are provided.
I cannot help but worry that Sharkwater will be yet another documentary that raises critical awareness of universally important issues, only to be shunted aside with little to no results to show from it. Such is the fickle consumer nature of the Average Joe, I suppose. Regardless, I highly recommend this title for its subject matter alone. The Blu-ray itself is a great presentation of magnificent underwater imagery, but it certainly is not a home theatre reference title by any means. Then again, documentaries almost never are. Sharkwater merits a rental at the very least - it is truly engrossing.
2009
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The Complete Series
2006