The Wonder of It All Blu-ray

The Wonder of It All

 (2007)

Documentary



Documentary about the experience of the astronauts that went to the Moon.

For more details about The Wonder of It All on Blu-ray, see The Wonder of It All Blu-ray Review

The Wonder of It All Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in 1080i utilizing the MPEG-2 codec (at an average bitrate of 16Mbps), The Wonder of it All offers a weak visual presentation that doesn’t really do the film justice. Consisting solely of archival footage interspersed with present-day interviews featuring the seven astronauts, the film was likely never intended to be a glossy production, but the lack of fine object detail coupled with several transfer-specific deficiencies collectively downgrade the visual experience into below-average territory. I’d suspect part of the problem should be blamed on the use of a low bitrate MPEG-2 codec, and the decision to go with 1080i resolution, which collectively creates a noticeable number of artifacts in quick moving shots, and aliasing around lines that appear close together. A perfect example occurs around the 43:20 mark, where the camera pans down across a black and white photo of the moon’s rocky surface. During that scene, the rocks in the background struggle to maintain consistency and quickly lose the battle. Getting back to the level of clarity, I found it somewhat frustrating that even the recent interview segments lacked detail in the aging faces of the American heroes. Some interviews fare better than others, but the overall level of detail rarely exhibits the level of proficiency we’d expect on a Blu-ray release.

Although I was disappointed in the quality of the transfer, the nature of the subject matter never demands the same level of precision as a blockbuster action film, and shouldn’t cause viewers to dismiss the film altogether.

The Wonder of It All Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


My opinion of the audio presentation mirrors the video portion of this review. Switching back and forth between the 5.1 and 2.0 options, I rarely noticed a profound difference. This isn’t terribly surprising since the majority of the audio experience consists of interview clips with the various astronauts, and a background musical score. On the positive side, the dialogue from the astronauts is crisp and clear, with volume levels that never dip below ideal levels. The musical arrangements are light and airy; adding a subtle dimension to what is otherwise a fairly generic audio track. I wish I had more to add regarding the audio experience, but there’s simply not much to say about this standard, front-heavy mix.