Sharks 3D Blu-ray offers solid video and great audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
Jean-Michel Cousteau invites you to embark on a breathtaking underwater voyage to discover the ultimate predator: the shark. Experience an astonishing up-close encounter in 3D with the lions and tigers of the ocean.
As many fellow conservationists have stated before, we protect only what we love. Therefore, we first need to understand what sharks are really like before there can be a change in public perception. Then perhaps we will begin to protect them.
Unlike Ocean Wonderland 3D, director Jean-Jacques Mantello's second IMAX documentary short, Sharks 3D, at least lives up to its name. No, it doesn't delve into fascinating waters, and no, it doesn't provide anything more than a barebones overview of the kings of the sea and the dangers they face at the hands of mankind. But it certainly stays true to its title -- sharks, sharks and more sharks abound -- and even offers younger viewers a more delightful tour of the ocean floor than Ocean Wonderland. That said, it still underwhelms and under-delivers. Its script is spotty, Mantello's underwater footage is rather run-of-the-mill, the locales aren't exotic or extraordinary, what little information it dispenses is of the early grade-school variety, and the film itself seems more interested in pacifying aquarium guests for forty-two minutes than in educating, entertaining or engaging discriminating nature documentary buffs of all ages. It isn't a bad IMAX film, per se. After all, IMAX production tend to be fairly generic. It just isn't a remarkable one either.
Deep Blue Sea...
Mantello's ever-faithful, ever-friendly Ocean Wonderland guide, Aris Turtle (voiced by Geoffrey Bateman), returns in Sharks to introduce viewers to his natural predators. (It's a strange choice, I'll admit -- the proverbial prey narrating a documentary about the ocean's most famous predator -- but the sea turtle schtick seemed to work for my young son, so I suppose I'll let it pass.) Aris provides a nice, succinct history of sharks and their origins and, after a brief but unnecessary visit with some sea lions, introduces us to a variety of species, among them gray reef sharks, scalloped hammerheads, whale sharks, great whites and sand tiger sharks. Mantello seems unfocused throughout, though. Other creatures distract him throughout, his camerawork lingers and lulls, his pacing falls somewhere between sleepy and apathetic, and his script could have used another few passes. (After Aris made a joke about tucking his head in when a shark drew near, my son, now six, informed me that sea turtles can't pull their heads or fins into their shells. Let's just say he was not amused.)
But Sharks 3D at least entertained he and his dear ol' dad a bit more than Ocean Wonderland. Whereas the latter bored us early and often, Sharks at least bared some teeth and kept us reasonably involved. IMAX documentary shorts are, for better or worse, synonymous with bite-sized, family-friendly grub, and Mantello's second film doesn't buck that trend. Were he and I watching it at an aquarium, or a massive IMAX screen, it might have even packed a bit more punch. Thankfully, Aris is as kiddie-kitsch as talking animal hosts come, and will certainly appeal to many a knee-high rug-rat. Humor is often more a priority than it should be, and long gaps of silence still populate the film, but its fairly forgivable considering the film's target demographic -- young children on field trips and family vacations -- aren't going to mind that most of the shark tidbits and factoids amount to 40-minutes of basic elementary-school marine biology.
Humans are left off camera, but the very one-sided battle between man and shark for dominance of the seas is covered at length; far more than any other topic. Sharks 3D is a conservationalist vehicle first and foremost (not that there's anything wrong with that), and its examination of how the oceanic ecosystem would fare without sharks is some of the most well-crafted stretches the film has to offer. That said, even its best sequences fall short, tainted by familiarity, hyperbole, turtle jokes, tangential distractions and ineffective writing. Bateman does a fine job, even if the older British gent's voice never quite sounds as if it should be swimming 'round the mind of a sea turtle, but he lends the documentary character; something that can't be said of Mantello's direction and photography. It doesn't actually feel as if Mantello ventured very far into the ocean. Exotic locations are few and far between, and the creatures he films are the sort you'd find if you cracked open any first-grader's learning-to-read book. With little surprise comes little immersion, leaving Sharks 3D treading water.
Sharks 3D arrives with a hit-or-miss, largely unimpressive 1080p/MVC-encoded video transfer that can be viewed in 2D and 3D. Ghosting is quite severe at times, especially when small fish dart in front of the camera, and other anomalies appear throughout the presentation, among them artifacting, banding, mosquito noise and more. The 3D image features a number of fairly convincing three-dimensional shots, most of which are bolstered by a decent sense of depth. But too many scenes are flat, murky or downright disorienting. (I could feel eye strain setting in around the twenty-minute mark.) While much of that traces back to the film's original photography -- crystal clear shots are few and far between -- it undermines the experience nonetheless and leads to a less-than-thrilling 3D presentation. The 2D experience is better, but only marginally so. Colors are rather lifelike (albeit dull and diluted at times), contrast is serviceable (just not striking or consistent), and black levels are reasonably deep. Detail is a bit disappointing as well, although it seems in keeping with all of the sand and grime that seems to be perpetually floating in the water. All in all, Universal's presentation isn't going to wow many people, in 2D or 3D, but it isn't going to leave anyone shaking their fist at the heavens and cursing the 3D gods either.
The unequivocal high point of the release is Universal's 2.0 Mbps DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 surround track (not to be confused with a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio mix). Like Ocean Wonderland, music is at the forefront of Sharks 3D, washing over the listener as readily the seas surging from every channel. Directionality is quite good, as is rear speaker support. The LFE channel is relatively restrained throughout, but even it has its moments when the film's synthesized score swells. Bateman's narration is also crisp, clear and nicely centered, and sound effects, limited as they are, are just as commendable. If anything, the narration and music occasionally overwhelm the rest of the soundscape, not that I'm complaining considering the nature of the documentary short. Ultimately, Universal's DTS-HD HR mix is more immersive than the 3D video presentation. I doubt anyone will be disappointed.
Sharks 3D is a better film than Ocean Wonderland 3D, but not by much. Its Blu-ray release, though, is quite similar. Its transfer is teeming with issues, its 3D presentation is decent but unremarkable, and the disc doesn't feature any extras. In fact, its lone saving grace is its excellent DTS-HD High Resolution mix. Were Sharks 3D a bargain-priced release, it may be worth the cost of admission. But at its current price point, I would suggest spending your hard-earned cash on more worthwhile 3D releases.
