7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Travel through the galaxies and explore extraterrestrial phenomenon with this sweeping examination of the universe from The History Channel, which uses state-of-the-art computer technology to take viewers up close to distant planets and stars. Topics include black holes, comets, alien galaxies, star deaths, the moon, the interior of the sun and much more. All 13 episodes from the first season are included, plus the bonus episode "Beyond the Big Bang."
Narrator: Erik ThompsonDocumentary | 100% |
Nature | 80% |
History | 42% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Is it the end of the world? History’s The Universe, a series which has repeatedly poked and prodded every apocalyptic thesis ever imagined (and probably even a few never imagined), positing death, destruction, and depression from everything from invading aliens to asteroids to black holes to our sun going ballistic and exploding, has suddenly gone all kinder and gentler in its seventh season (the way Lionsgate and A&E have been releasing the series doesn’t tally with how some outlets have delineated seasons, and some may feel this is actually the complete eighth season). Branding the four episodes with the soubriquet Ancient Mysteries Solved, The Universe attempts to provide cosmological answers to questions surrounding such structures as Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza, while also looking at the physics of the Star of Bethlehem. Because no season of The Universe would be complete without at least a passing reference or two to doomsday, though in this case it’s with regard to that long ago nastiness at Sodom and Gomorrah, not anything imminent facing us on our morning commutes. As a result, this is actually one of the more interesting and non-sensationalized groupings of episodes from The Universe in several years. It may not have the cosmic sweep of some space faring episodes from past seasons, but it has a focus and general level of detail that makes it informative if never especially surprising.
The Universe: The Complete Season Seven is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films and A&E Networks Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is an interesting set of episodes from a visual standpoint, for compared to some other episodes, these four aren't especially overrun with CGI and instead tend to use lots of stock footage interspersed with occasional graphical elements and talking head sequences. The stock footage varies in quality, though all looks relatively contemporary. In the Pyramids episode, for example, there are some shots that flutter and roll, while other shots look nicely sharp and stable. There are of course still some CGI elements in all four episodes, and those usually boast incredibly vivid color in the interstellar recreations and an overall very sharp appearance. Talking heads segments feature accurate looking color and good contrast.
The Universe: The Complete Season Seven features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix which is a model of restraint for the usually overly noisy and boisterous History mixes. That doesn't mean there isn't surround activity here, for there is in any number of sequences, many of which use things like panning effects as perspective changes in some views of outer space. Both narration and the talking heads sequences sound just fine, with no problems of any kind to report.
The only so-called "supplements" here are trailers for other Lionsgate releases and bookmarks.
I'd like to take credit for this sudden change in History's use of its Universe franchise, for those of you who have read my reviews of previous seasons of the show may recall I have repeatedly harangued the series for too often going to the "apocalypse now" well. Since chances are I had absolutely nothing to do with this new approach The Universe takes in its seventh season, I will still politely tip my hat to whoever made the decision to get away from the constant fear mongering, death and destruction tack the show has taken too often for my personal taste. And these four episodes prove that The Universe is perfectly capable of addressing historical phenomena from an astronomical perspective with great facility and interest. The fact that they snuck in a little doom and gloom courtesy of Sodom and Gomorrah may be a necessary evil at this point. Recommended.
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