The Blue Planet: Special Edition (2001) |
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The Blue Planet: Special Edition (2001) |
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| BUY IT |
| General | Extras | ||
| Category | Documentary |
Menu Animation & Audio Featurette-Making Of-Making Waves Featurette-Deep Trouble Trailer-Blue Interviews-Cast & Crew Gallery-Photo Featurette-The Abyss Featurette-Amazon Abyss Featurette-Dive to Shark Volcano |
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| Rating |
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| Year Of Production | 2001 | ||
| Running Time | 668:06 (Case: 690) | ||
| RSDL / Flipper |
RSDL (97:14) Multi Disc Set (4) |
Cast & Crew | |
| Start Up | Menu | ||
| Region Coding | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | Directed By | None Given |
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Studio
Distributor |
 Roadshow Home Entertainment |
Starring | David Attenborough |
| Case | Gatefold | ||
| RPI | $89.95 | Music | George Fenton |
| Video | Audio | ||
| Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None | English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) | |
| Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 1.75:1 | ||
| 16x9 Enhancement |
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| Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
| Original Aspect Ratio | 1.78:1 | Miscellaneous | |
| Jacket Pictures | No | ||
| Subtitles | English for the Hearing Impaired | Smoking | No |
| Annoying Product Placement | No | ||
| Action In or After Credits | No | ||
The Blue Planet is a magnificent BBC series that has now been re-released as a four disc Special Edition. While the content of the first three discs remains exactly the same as the previous release, a forth disc containing three additional documentaries has been added. They are The Abyss, Amazon Abyss and Dive To Shark Volcano. AnthonyK's review of the previous release of The Blue Planet can be found here.
For anyone unfamiliar with The Blue Planet, it is without a doubt the most comprehensive natural history documentary series ever to look at the world's oceans. Narrated by David Attenborough, each of the eight episodes examines a different aspect of the world's oceans and the life they support. The Blue Planet is renowned for its splendid photography that simply must be seen to be believed.
The four discs are beautifully packaged with marine life printed on the foldout case and the discs themselves. The packaging alone is enough to justify ownership of this sensational series.
Episode 1 introduces the series and outlines the importance of the oceans to all life on Earth. It looks at the big picture and covers topics such as the role played by ocean currents in carrying nutrients, the cycles of the sun and the moon, and the tides.
Episode 2 examines the weird world of the deep, taking a close look at how some of the many bizarre creatures that dwell there overcome the difficult task of finding food and mates in a sparsely populated black void. It also examines several unique life forms that don't rely on the sun for energy; instead, they rely on a bacterial process that converts the sulphides released from deep-sea vents into energy.
Episode 3 takes a look at the open oceans. They are virtual deserts, free of plankton and therefore life. It is, however, inhabited by large pelagic fish like marlin, tuna and sharks.
Episode 4 examines life in the frozen seas that surround the North and South Poles. These seemingly inhospitable locations are teeming with all forms of life - mammals, birds and fish.
Episode 5 shows how the coastal fringes and the oceans are affected by the changing seasons. Among the many ecosystems explored are the giant kelp forests of California.
Episode 6 looks at coral reefs, immensely diverse ecosystems that are founded on the tiny coral polyp. All plants and animals living on the world's coral reefs are in a constant struggle for food and a space in which to live. This episode uses CGI effects to portray the structure found inside sponges.
Episode 7 follows the influence of the sun and the moon over the planet's oceans. The resulting tidal shift temporarily exposes vast expanses of previously submerged land. It is here that we find the myriad of creatures that rely on the inter-tidal zone for food and shelter - invertebrates, fish and birds.
Episode 8 is the final episode in the series. It examines the "most dynamic of all the ocean's habitats", the coastal regions where sea mammals, turtles, fish and birds come to breed.
The transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and it is 16x9 enhanced.
The image is sharp and contains good shadow detail. There is no low level noise.
As you might expect, blues and greys dominate the colour spectrum, though a rich variety of vividly coloured fish will be seen throughout the series.
In addition to the posterization mentioned above, several scenes are quite grainy, though this can be attributed to the source material in many instances. Examples can be found in Episode 1 at 8:30, Episode 2 at 2:55 and 35:14, Episode 6 at 15:19, and Episode 8 at 29:11. At times the blacks appear less than black, particularly during Episode 2. Aliasing is also evident during the closing credits of all episodes and when the camera pans across the corals in Episode 6.
Other examples of video imperfections in the source material are vertical white lines on either edge of the image in Episode 1 at 24:39, and Episode 8 at 12:13. This footage of turtles laying eggs has been taken using a night vision camera. Thick black bars are also evident on either side of the image in Episode 7 at 25:54.
The only subtitle stream available is English for the Hearing Impaired. The subtitles are easy to read and they accurately reflect the spoken word.
All four discs are RSDL discs with the layer change occurring between episodes on discs 1 and 3. The layer change occurs during Tidal Seas, at 7:50, on disc 2 and Dive To Shark Volcano, at 27:34, on disc 4. Both layer changes are mildly disruptive.
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English Dolby Digital 2.0 is the only audio track available.
David Attenborough's distinctive voice comes across loud and clear at all times. There are no audio sync problems with this disc.
The musical score by George Fenton is outstanding in its orchestration of the onscreen action, adding both purpose and emphasis to the imagery.
Being a Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track the surround channels and subwoofer are not utilised.
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All extras on disc 3 are presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, 16x9 enhanced. They are accompanied by an English Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track and English Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired.
The Blue Planet took five years to make and included almost 200 locations. Making Waves takes a brief look at the difficulty in creating the series and the time invested. It is narrated by David Attenborough and includes interviews with film crews and marine biologists. The video and audio quality are very good. There is some grain at 37:29 but this is most likely due to the source material.
Deep Trouble takes a look at the depletion of the world's fish stocks through overfishing and the fishing methods employed. Techniques like drag netting indiscriminately kill unwanted species and destroy the fixed life on the sea floor, such as sponges and soft corals. Tropical fish are under threat from poaching, for the aquarium trade, and the reefs themselves are being destroyed by dynamite and cyanide poisoning. Many species have already declined by as mush as 90 percent, so action is needed now.
This theatrical short features two children talking about The Blue Planet.
Penny Allen (Researcher), Alastair Fothergill (Series Producer) and Doug Allen (Cameraman) answer questions regarding the production of The Blue Planet. The video and audio transfers are very good, apart from aliasing on Alastair Fothergill's shirt.
The photo gallery consists of 80 still images taken from the series. The only problem with these high quality images is their relatively small size.
Unless otherwise stated, all extras on Disc 4 are presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, 16x9 enhanced. They are accompanied by an English Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track and English Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired.
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, The Abyss is accompanied by an English Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track and English Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired.
The Abyss simultaneously documents three separate deep dives, alternating between locations. Using manned submersibles to descend to depths of between 300 and 2300 meters, the crews explore a canyon in Monterey Bay, California, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Cayman Wall, off Cayman Island. While slow to get started The Abyss really picks up towards the end and I was left wanting more. The highlights include a shipwreck on the Cayman Wall and the strange sea life found at depth in Monterey Bay.
The image is a little soft and there is some blooming on the submersible at 16:04.
Amazon Abyss explores life in the mighty Amazon River and its tributaries, including a channel in the river bed that is 90m deep. The huge variety of marine life is without a doubt the highlight. Any freshwater aquarium enthusiast will recognise many of the fish caught on film. Keep an eye out for giant catfish, electric eel and anaconda.
Many of the underwater scenes are marred by posterization thanks to the murky brown waters of the Amazon.
Sharks, sharks and more sharks in this documentary about diving the Cocos Island - the tip of a volcanic up welling on the sea floor. The team try to find seven species of shark in seven days. They fall short of the mark but we still manage to see white tips, black tips, silver tips, hammerhead and silky sharks. A brief explanation about dive equipment and dive techniques will be of interest to some people.
At times the image appears a little soft and there is some posterization in the blue water. There is also some grain in the archival footage at 2:20.
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
The Blue Planet provides the viewer with a window on the world's oceans like never before, offering some of the most spectacular underwater footage ever seen. Anyone who has an interest in the natural history of the oceans will find The Blue Planet utterly compelling.
Given that the first three discs are exactly the same as the earlier release, I am sure some people will accuse the BBC of double dipping, however I must disagree. The inclusion of a fourth disc, with three high quality documentaries, more than justifies the Special Edition tag.
The video transfer is very good.
The audio transfer is exceptional.
With a total running time of more than 11 hours and high quality extras spread over two discs, The Blue Planet: Special Edition represents real value for money. If you haven't seen this amazing series, or have previously held off purchasing it, rush out now and buy a copy. Highly recommended.
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| Review Equipment | |
| DVD | Pioneer DV-533K, using Component output |
| Display | InFocus Screenplay 7200 with ScreenTechnics 100" (16x9) screen. Calibrated with Digital Video Essentials (PAL). This display device is 16x9 capable. |
| Audio Decoder | Built in to Amplifier. Calibrated with Video Essentials. |
| Amplification | Denon AVC -A11SR |
| Speakers | Jamo D6PEX wall mounted Speakers and Powered Sub (7.1) |