The Movie
The premiere theatrical release on the DisneyNature label, Earth is a sweeping documentary that repurposes both familiar and heretofore unused footage from the magnificent BBC mini-series Planet Earth. In so doing, and by adding a charming voiceover from the always-endearing James Earl Jones, they have made a must-see story--namely the current state and possible future of this globe we call home--even more accessible to more people. And if watching it on the big screen was too much of a hassle (and too costly), here it is on home video.
Compared to the somewhat compartmentalized, arguably random format of Planet, this more focused Earth interweaves the lives of three "families" in different environments: polar bears desperate for food after a long winter's nap; exhausted, hunted elephants looking for water; and a couple of whales migrating hundreds of miles to fill their bellies with krill. Preview: It's an easier journey for some than for others. Like nature itself, the movie can be a little frightening for the young ones here and there, despite its "G" rating, but all in all Earth is required viewing for the eco-curious in a hurry.
The Picture
The 1.78:1 aspect ratio and occasional streaking remind us of Earth's high-definition video origins, but the results are mostly first-rate. The subtle transition of the blues in the sky or the mauve in a sand dune are testament to the quality of the image, and could the colorific brilliance of a time-lapse transition on the trees from spring to autumn in a single shot be properly conveyed in any other medium? Inspired cinematography also gives us a pull-back that reduces a flock of birds to mere white specks above the expanse of the Earth below, all precisely rendered. Often we are simply awed by the beauty of a given landscape, we want so badly for it all to be "perfect," but shadowy areas, or the plumage of a bird of paradise, or a dust storm can be noisy, too much even for Blu-ray. But these flaws are surely the exception and not the rule here.
The Sound
I was a little surprised how front-heavy the music mix of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack can be at times, but fine resonance radiates from behind us, and at other points the score bursts forth in full surround. The sound of breaking ice phases chillingly between the rears in one sequence, and a myriad of forest and jungle noises really make the home theater come alive, the rain forest in particular. A few bass beats bring the low end, another flock of birds is a 360-degree rush, and the back-and-forth roaring of communicating lions makes for outstanding movie audio. I have to wonder though how people can possibly design the sound for a documentary, being as much (most?) of it is surely added in post-production.
The Extras
While not voluminous, the bonus materials are quite excellent. "Earth Diaries: The Making of Earth the Movie" mostly explores the extraordinary challenges and risks of capturing on-camera the many never-before-seen spectacles in remote corners of our planet. It runs 42-and-a-half minutes, in HD, but even the footage from the final movie is of lesser quality here. Filmmaker Annotations is a video commentary combined with behind-the-scenes footage, from both the directors/crew themselves and animal experts. These are some very smart, philosophical dudes. Text pop-ups are incorporated into this feature as well. Disc Two is a DVD of the movie, in standard definition, with "Earth Diaries" included.
Final Thoughts
If you really want to see in an hour-and-a-half how beautiful our world is, you'll want to see Earth, and you'll want to watch it in the high-definition of Blu-ray.
Product Details
- Narrator: James Earl Jones
- Directors: Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield
- Audio Format/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French, Portuguese, Spanish, Mexican Spanish, Argentine Spanish), DTS 5.1 (Italian)
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Number of discs: 2
- Rating: G
- Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- Release Date: September 1, 2009
- Run Time: 90 minutes
- List Price: $39.99
- Extras:
- Filmmaker Annotations (Picture-in-Picture)
- "Earth Diaries: The Making of Earth the Movie"
- DVD Copy
