Video
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audio
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1... (more)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 German: Dolby Digital 5.1 French: Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 Chinese: Dolby Digital 5.1 Korean: Dolby Digital 5.1 English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (less)
Subtitles
English, French, Japanese, German, Dutch, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Swedish
English, French, Japanese, German, Dutch, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Swedish (less)
I'm never quite sure what to expect from an IMAX production. For every fascinating 40-minute spectacle released to the unique format, there seems to be an equally lousy offering as well. Those of you with extensive exposure to IMAX films know they're largely focused on providing an educational experience, with the added benefit of delivering a visual feast. Despite my continued enjoyment of the IMAX catalogue, I've learned to approach each film with the underlying expectation that the production I'm about to watch could offer as much entertainment as a 1980's high school biology film. After all, isn't it better to set your expectations within attainable limits, rather than consistently expressing disappointment when the final product doesn't live up to the potential I'd hoped for?
Fortunately, my reservations were quickly dismissed with the latest IMAX release from Razor Digital. Despite several nature-related production issues that threatened to dismantle the filmmaker's intentions, Amazing Journeys delivers a visual and educational experience that proudly earns a spot in the "worthwhile" category of the nature-documentary genre.
Those strange leaves are actually thousands of butterflies.
Running just under forty minutes in length, Amazing Journeys invites the viewer to experience the migratory patterns of five unique species across the globe. Initially, we're introduced to the monarch butterfly, as it makes the 100 mile per day flight from the Northeast region of the United States to the warm winter climate of Mexico. Coinciding with the "Day of the Dead" festival, the native residents of Mexico hold the butterfly in great esteem, believing their dead relatives are making a homecoming trip on the wings of the beautiful insect.
The second segment will seem obvious to most nature-enthusiasts, since it focuses on the migratory patterns of birds. In particular, we're introduced to a flock of Canadian Geese, who pack on a tremendous storage of fat in preparation for the long southern flight. Oddly enough, the birds seem to have knowledge of flight patterns ingrained into them from the day they're born, which allows them to successfully complete the journey year after year. Immediately following the segment on bird migration, we have a brief sequence focused on the treacherous path taken by whales as they leave their hunting grounds in the Antarctic for the warm waters of the South Pacific coast. The journey is necessary for the pregnant mothers to give birth in a safe environment.
Without a doubt, the highlight of the film is the fourth segment, which provides a first-hand look at everyday life on Christmas Island (a territory of Australia), during the annual migration of forest dwelling crabs. Initially, I thought I was watching something straight out of a low-budget horror film, but you soon realize the presence of crabs within homes, littering the golf course, or flooding the road is simply a normal occurrence for the folks that reside on the island. I can't imagine ever getting comfortable with crabs crawling around my house (especially if I had young children), but I suppose it would make for an easy solution if you're in need of some last minute dinner ideas (just kidding).
Rounding out the exotic locations in the film, the fifth segment transports viewers to the plains of East Africa, where seasonal periods of drought force wildlife species to constantly move across the ever-shifting landscape. In an interesting twist, we also have the opportunity to learn about a human tribe known as the Hadza, who closely follow the migrating animals they hunt for food. In this day and age, many of the ancient tribes in Africa have abandoned the hunting lifestyle in favor of domesticating animals, but it's fascinating to learn about humans that remain unspoiled by the luxuries of modern man.
Now that you know what to expect from the brief runtime of the film, you're probably wondering how the filmmakers managed to offer anything more than a superficial glance at each species (considering the overall runtime is broken down into five, eight-minute segments). As most of you can imagine, my answer isn't entirely positive. In short, the film manages to cram a reasonable amount of cerebral information into the narration, but we never come away with a solid understanding of each creature. That shouldn't be seen as a failure on the part of the filmmakers, since they set out to merely describe the migratory patterns of the various species (as the title implies). That doesn't mean you won't be begging for more by the time the film reaches its conclusion, but anytime an educational film adequately conveys the message it's trying to get across, I'd consider it a success.
Regarding the production values of the feature, I was extremely impressed with the competency of the film crew, the amazing attention to detail in capturing the wildlife within their own habitat, and the research involved in the narrative dialogue throughout the film. Most nature documentaries seem intent on keeping the production firmly grounded in showing a natural habitat without human interaction, or showing the dark side of human encroachment on the animal world. Amazing Journeys takes a bold approach by mixing the two formulas to deliver a viewpoint centered on mankind's ability to co-exist with nature in a beneficial manner. Christmas Island is a perfect example of a community surrounded by wildlife we've been trained to fear. Instead of witnessing children running around screaming in terror, they lay down and let the red shelled creatures climb over and around them (seemingly without fear). Likewise, the story of a stranded grey whale named JJ, presents the audience with a heart-warming look at humanity's ability to accept and welcome the importance of species other than our own. It's impossible to sugarcoat the damage we do to the environment, but Amazing Journeys paints a "cup half full" picture that remains appropriate for any audience.
Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 29Mbps), Amazing Journeys is a captivating visual experience from start to finish. If you're like me, you probably browse through the screenshots before taking the time to actually read the review (not unlike my similar tendency to try and build something before reading the instructions). Needless to say, if you've seen the quality of the screenshots, you already have some idea how gorgeous this production looks on Blu-ray. Fine object detail is outstanding, revealing every intricacy of the monarch butterflies as they flutter across a wide shot of the forest. Not to be outdone, the color spectrum of the production is both vibrant and natural, allowing the bold red hues of the mountain crabs to stand out against the lush green backdrop of the grassy fields. Contrast and black levels are almost as strong as the clarity and coloring on the feature, but you'll notice a small handful of scenes that don't offer quite as much depth as the rest of the film. Taken as a whole, this is exactly how a nature documentary should look in high-definition, allowing the viewer to feel the full effect of the amazing photography.
I hope we're eventually given a lossless English track on some of these IMAX productions from Razor Digital, but as long as they continue to include Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in seven different languages (on a single-layer disc), the current trend will likely continue. On the positive side, at least the lossy English track offers a competent audio experience that accurately conveys the three primary elements in the overall mix. Beginning with the dialogue, you'll immediately appreciate the crisp delivery of the cerebral presentation, which remains firmly grounded in the center channel of the surround field. The musical score fills the gaps between narrative segments, and acts as the backdrop for the environmental effects that occasionally permeate your surround speakers. I wish the sounds of nature were used to a greater extent through the course of the film, but shortcomings in the sound design don't necessarily reflect a deficiency in the audio on the disc (unless the track doesn't afford appropriate weight to the effects in the source material). In the end, I was slightly less enthused with the audio presentation in comparison with the quality of the video, but this is still an enjoyable audio experience that rarely disappoints.
Making of Featurette (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 32:06 min): Running almost as long as the film itself, this supplement contains interviews with the film crew and production team, who describe the difficulties and nuances of completing an IMAX film. Taken as a whole, there simply isn't much entertainment value in this extra, since most of the interviews are a bit too dry.
Interview with Director (480p, Dolby Digital 2.0, 7:23 min): director George Casey is interviewed regarding the background of the Amazing Journeys production and his involvement with prior IMAX films. The most interesting aspect of the interview is when Casey presents us with a look at one frame of an IMAX print, which equals the size of ten frames in 35mm.
Last up, we have an audio commentary with director George Casey, who describes the complexity of filming Amazing Journeys immediately following El Nino and La Nina (causing a huge divergence in the migratory patterns of the species they intended capture on film), and provides a wealth of technical information regarding the many techniques the film crew employed throughout the production of the film.
While I can't say Amazing Journeys is the best IMAX film I've seen to date, it certainly ranks toward the top. The variety in locations coupled with the unique qualities of each species creates a consistently entertaining experience that should please fans of all ages. Add in a strong technical presentation, and I'd conclude this is well worth a purchase for fans of nature documentaries.
All countries
