Sunrise Earth: Seaside Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Sunrise Earth: Seaside Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

When you can't be bothered to get up early...

Cynicism warning: when I first picked up Sunrise Earth I was expecting an involving documentary along the lines of Planet Earth or, at the very least, Earth: The Biography. What I didn't expect was a meandering screensaver boasting little variety and even less context. Sunrise Earth is not a compelling look at the wee hours of the morn, nor is it a thoughtful investigation of exotic locales and wildlife... in fact, it doesn't feature any narration or educational value whatsoever beyond a few brief chunks of limited on-screen text. Instead, it's the sort of background drivel travel agencies toss on their lobby LCDs; a series brimming with pretty pictures and not much else. Are there people out there who will enjoy it? Sure. Will my cynicism and disappointment dominate this review? Undoubtedly.

Sweet, sweet virtual nature...

Sunrise Earth: Seaside Collection features eight semi-distinct episodes that follow the yawn-inducing activities of the people, places, and things being bathed in early-morning sunshine across the globe. "Island's First Light" visits Maine's Cadillac Mountain and Acadia National Park, the first point at which sunlight hits the continental US. "The Great Barrier Reef" follows that rousing opener with one of the only fluid entries in the lot. Diving beneath the Australian waves, it includes some remarkable underwater photography and is easily the best episode in the bunch. Things unfortunately return to normal with "Society Island Sunrise," a French Polynesian bore that offers several fleeting glimpses of rainbows. "Sunrise Seal Colony" transports viewers to Port Reyes National Park to witness the majesty of... well, seals lounging near the shore. Considering the series is about waking up, I was surprised to find each episode was putting me to sleep.

The series continues to peddle its mid-morning wares with "Mediterranean Port," a human-centric episode that lumbers after a group of Turkish fisherman preparing for a hard day's work. After that Sunrise Earth's cameras head to Alaska's "Ninagiak Island" for a dull look at the birds fluttering in the clouds above Katmai National Park. Up next is the most dramatic entry of the series, "Playa Grande Moonset," an episode that begins at night and watches the sun overtake the moon. Things finally draw to a somewhat playful close with "Argentinian Seal Pups," a South American companion piece of sorts that inexplicably goes through the same motions as "Sunrise Seal Colony." In all, it's the kind of visual tour that works best when you're not staring at every frame. It's not hard either: without any narration, music, or quick cuts, there isn't much to miss. You could walk away for minutes at a time and return without feeling as if you'd skipped a beat.

If you're looking for something to play on your TV while attending to other activities, Sunrise Earth: Seaside Collection is a solid choice. However, I couldn't get over the missed opportunities at each locale. I know the point of the series is to collect near-static shots of nature's morning routine, but I was completely turned off by the repetition of each episode. While I'll admit that every minute of the series delivers some truly beautiful scenery and photography, I'd rather get up early, walk outside, and watch the sun rise over my own backyard.

Sunrise Earth: Seaside Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

I might be more forgiving if Sunrise Earth's 1080i/VC-1 transfer offered a more awe-inspiring technical presentation. Soft scenery, smeared detailing, and macroblocking galore shortchange each locale and leave the entire series looking unnervingly mediocre. Granted, colors and contrast are spot on, but the image was often so cluttered with noise and riddled with muddled textures that I couldn't concentrate on its positive qualities. Likewise, black levels are deep and several shots have convincing dimensionality, but the discs' standout sequences only serve to highlight the scenes that aren't nearly as impressive. Leaves are rendered as blurry masses, sand stones merge into a muddy patch of earth, and individual feathers are indistinct and poorly defined. In all, it's an underwhelming visual experience that doesn't do its gorgeous photography justice. If the technical transfer was as striking as the series' imagery, I might have found something to get excited about. Sadly, Sunrise Earth is nothing special.

Sunrise Earth: Seaside Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The discs' Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track improves the AV presentation, but without narration or music to bolster the proceedings, the mix has little to offer resident audiophiles other than environmental ambience. Thankfully, lapping waves, cawing birds, and whooshing winds are nicely represented across the soundfield and lend decent presence to the soundscape. While rear speaker aggression and LFE support are a bit lacking for my tastes, the overall sonic experience is still immersive enough to warrant some praise. Of course without sitting down to listen to each minute of the mix in the surround sound sweetspot, the effects will be less than eventful. However, the track nevertheless serves the purpose of the series well. Like each episode, there isn't much about the track to comment on, but fans of Sunrise Earth will be more than satisfied with what they hear.

Sunrise Earth: Seaside Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unlike the Blu-ray edition of Sunrise Earth: American Sunrises, Sunrise Earth: Seaside Collection doesn't include any supplemental material.

Sunrise Earth: Seaside Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As I plowed through this review, my cynicism subsided and left me cold. Sunrise Earth: Seaside Collection is the sort of screensaver-esque documentary that will appeal to those who need something to play in the background while attending their day-to-day activities. It's not absorbing, it's not interesting... it's not much of anything. The Blu-ray edition is a technical bust as well. Its problematic 1080i video transfer, uninvolving audio track, and non-existent supplemental package are as boring and uneventful as the series itself. Give it a try if you must, but consider yourself warned.