Water Life: The Big Blue Blu-ray delivers great video and decent audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
The Big Blue contains these five programs: The Big Blue, Under the Sea, The Underwater City, The Frontier of the Sea, and On the Seaside. Oceans cover 70% of the Earth's surface, but there is still much we do not know about them. Immerse yourself in this mysterious and miraculous world. From sea-beds and magnificent coral reefs to rocky cliffs and coastlines pounded by the sea, witness the ingenious ways in which a multitude of species adapt to their environments and fend off predators.
Spanning five continents and running 26 episodes in length, "Water Life" is the latest nature series to bring viewers a first-hand look at the beauty that's evident in the world around us. The footage on display throughout the series was captured over a 16-month period by three separate teams consisting of the world's top nature cinematographers, naturalists, and divers, who's goal was to capture various aquatic ecosystems using innovative camera techniques to create a fascinating perspective. After filming ended, the 100+ hours of footage was edited into a thirteen hour runtime and divided up to meet the individual theme of each episode. Broadcast internationally on Discovery HD, "Water Life" was originally produced by Spain's CIN. TV in conjunction with the World Wildlife Federation and the United Nations Water for Life Decade of Action Committee, which explains the conservationist theme that underlies part of the production.
Schools of fish swim through the coral-covered remains of a ship.
Broken down into five episodes on each disc, The Big Blue uses an ocean setting to introduce viewers to a wide variety of unique wildlife and habitats that exist within or around the large bodies of water. I'll break down each episode individually in the next few paragraphs and then summarize the overall experience afterwards.
The Big Blue: The first episode on the disc provides a general overview of oceanic life. The migratory patterns of whales and turtles are given an in-depth analysis, and we're shown some of the odd looking creatures that populate the area of Earth that remains virtually unexplored by humans. Additionally, the hunting practices of several ocean inhabitants are revealed, as they lay traps for unsuspecting visitors.
Under the Sea: Continuing with the ocean theme, this episode moves one step closer to land, presenting viewers with a glimpse of the ecosystem in various smaller bodies of water (when I say small, I'm merely referring to a comparison with the wide expanse of the ocean). These creatures largely hide in the graveyard of the sea bed, which consists of decaying shells, bones and organic material. During this episode, we're shown a school of hunting sharks, and introduced to various creatures that blend into their surroundings.
The Underwater City: Taking one step further inland, episode three provides an analysis of the symbiotic link between algae and coral. The complex formation of coral reefs help nurture, protect and shelter the various creatures that hide in the crevices of the beautiful reefs. In total, over a half million different species make their home in cities of coral (based on scientific estimates).
The Frontier of the Sea: As much as humans love to go tanning at the beach, the wildlife living along the ocean coastline rely on beaches for their survival. Plants have adapted over the years to live within sandy dunes (storing water for use during low tide), elephant seals and penguins use the beach for mating (not with each other of course), and turtles emerge from their ocean home to lay eggs in the soft sand of the beach. In a disgusting turn, we're shown extensive footage of birds and insects feasting on the rotting corpse of a turtle that washed ashore.
On the Seaside: Closing out the disc, the fifth episode focuses on the cliffs and rocky habitats that exist along the ocean coast. Animals living within this ecosystem are separated into zones according to how close they stay to the level of the water. For instance, periwinkles, acorn barnacles, and crustaceans all live in the high water zone, since they only need the occasional gush of water to fill their tide pool. In contrast, the low water zone would remain close to water level, since the wildlife within that zone can't afford to run the risk of being without water.
As much as I enjoyed the informative narration and beautiful underwater photography on this release, it doesn't compare with the entertainment value of the other discs in the series. The variety of land-dwelling wildlife was something I really enjoyed in the Water's Journey collection, so I was hoping for a similar variety in the collection of episodes on The Big Blue. As interesting as underwater life can be, it all begins to look the same after the first couple episodes, and almost became a bit of a chore to sit through. I was happy when the attention turned back to the land, but the focus still didn't shift away from marine animals. I can definitely appreciate the logic in putting similar episodes on the same disc, but this is one case where I'd have switched it up a bit and split the underwater episodes more evenly across the three discs in the series.
From a visual standpoint, this is another excellent presentation. The variety of locations in the underwater setting, coupled with the professionalism shown in the cinematography is a recipe for jaw-dropping visuals, and that's exactly the area where "Water Life" never disappoints. If you go into a viewing of the series simply looking for amazing high-definition shots, I doubt you'll leave feeling unsatisfied.
Presented in 1080i utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 28Mbps) Water Life: The Big Blue suffers from a less pronounced version of the same problem that plagued the first and second discs in the series. The problem I'm referring to is some readily apparent ringing around edges, which don't maintain the stability we've come to expect on Blu-ray. For an example, look for the rock-covered beaches in episode four, paying close attention to movement within the static image (I guarantee those rocks aren't moving by themselves). Rather than a consistent picture, you'll notice some light shimmering as if the transfer is incapable of clearly identifying the dormant pebbles. The other minor problem that crept up from time to time, is a slight haziness caused by a handful of underwater shots. Close up views of the underwater life remain clearly defined, but the distant shots are occasionally hit and miss. Despite the handful of shots just mentioned, the level of detail on the disc is very impressive, with crisp textures and well-defined inner edges. The color spectrum is equally proficient, with bright, naturalistic tones creating a lovely 3-dimensional pop that will make you feel as if you're right there swimming with the camera crew. Likewise, black levels offer excellent depth, and contrast never demonstrated a shred of wavering differentiation.
Aside from the disappointing byproduct (ringing) of choosing 1080i for the transfer, I was still quite pleased with the visuals on the disc and firmly believe most viewers will be happy with the quality on display.
My expectations were already tempered going into this release, since I was aware from the first Water Life discs that all we'd receive is a Dolby Digital 2.0 track with English narration. Similar to the first disc, the clarity, volume balance, and incorporation of environmental audio effects are all excellent for a front-heavy lossy mix, but I still feel a lossless mix could have sounded a bit more robust. The one thing I did notice this time around, is the incorporation of a select number of musical choices that appear time and time again throughout the episodes. It probably isn't noticeable if you choose to watch the series one episode at a time, but since I'm rolling through them in a relatively brief period of time, it became slightly tedious hearing the same music repeatedly (the best example would be watching the intro to a television episode fifteen times during a twenty-four hour period). As it stands, the audio track is serviceable (or even a little above average) for a television documentary, but could have been better with a lossless mix.
In an odd move, there are zero subtitles included on the disc, and English is the only language choice for the narration. I'd assume there's adequate space on the disc to include additional Dolby Digital audio tracks or subtitles for non-English speaking viewers, so it's a bit puzzling to have such a lack of options. Especially when you consider the production is aimed at international distribution and carries a message that should be relevant globally.
Water Life: The Big Blue offers an interesting conclusion to an entertaining series. I wish the disc possessed more variation in the locations on display, but those with a profound interest in ocean wildlife will find plenty to enjoy over the course of the five episodes. Most of you are likely curious how this compares with "Planet Earth" (which currently holds the gold medal for high-definition nature series), and I have to admit that "Water Life" still registers a little lower in the quality scale. However, if you possess an appreciation for the wonders of nature and an interest in educating yourself on Earth's most abundant resource, this series should fit the bill nicely. From a technical standpoint, I wish the disc utilized full-resolution 1080p rather than 1080i, since we need the visuals to look as pristine as possible to enhance the entertainment value of the production. The noticeable ringing around edges mars an otherwise beautiful presentation, causing a degree of lost integrity in the source material. Having said that, I'm still of the opinion that "Water Life" would make for a worthy addition to the collection of any nature lover.
Blu-ray bundles with Water Life: The Big Blue (1 bundle)
