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DVD Review: DINOSAURS ALIVE! (BLU-RAY)

Studio: Image Entertainment
Year: 2007
Cast: Michael Douglas
Director: Bayley Silleck, David Clark
Release Date: October 06, 2009
Rating: Not Rated for (nothing objectionable)
Run Time: 39m:54s
Genre(s): documentary

"For more than 150 million years, dinosaurs roamed every corner of the planet." - narrator (Michael Douglas)

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Dinosaurs in Blu-Ray equals edu-tainment.

Movie Grade: C+

DVD Grade: B+

Originally presented in 3-D during its IMAX run, this 40-minute doc about dinos arrives on Blu-Ray in a slightly less interactive 2-D blend.

Narrated effectively by Michael Douglas, the emphasis here is largely on paleontology, augmented by the obligatory CG display of dinosaurs in action. As most of these IMAX titles are inclined to do, the information moves safely down the middle of the road, offering an even mixture of general education and dazzling visuals that while impressive on that REALLY BIG commercial screen, still carry a degree of "wow" when issued for home use.

Globetrotting from the Gobi Desert to New Mexico, filmmakers Bayley Silleck and David Clark follow a small group of paleontologists as they dig and dust long-buried fossils. As they chat up a particular dino, CG animation provides an interpretation of the discussion, making this perfect fodder for those youngsters who have an unquenchable hunger for all things dinosaur-ish.

And if you happen to be overly sensitive to what your kids see, please note that the CG bits feature tooth-and-claw battles between assorted creatures, most of which end with a fatality or two. Though not on Jurassic Park levels, the animation is generally good looking, though elements such as running water comes off not as well.

The presentation of information doesn't talk down to audiences, so adults and children should be on fairly equal footing in that department. There was actually much less dinosaur animation than I was expecting, but I've yet to meet a child with a T-Rex fascination that typically was just as intrigued by the fossils themselves.

Plus, what kid isn't going to love seeing a CG dinosaur poop.

IMAGE/AUDIO
The 1080p VC-1 encode is delivered in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, which is altered slightly from the original IMAX presentation parameters. As with nearly all of the other titles in Image's IMAX series, the transfer is damn near immaculate, sporting an exceptional degree of detail. High marks also for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (available in English, French or Spanish), which delivers some deep, sonorous dino roars with authority.

EXTRAS
Supplements include the HD presentation of The Making of Dinosaurs Alive! (26m:41s), a fairly comprehensive look at everything from CG effects, location shooting and even scoring, as well as a nod to the 300+ people involved in this production. A dino-themed trivia quiz, a dozen or so text screens highlighting specific dinosaurs and a quartet of trailers (including one for the feature).

Content under the BD-Live banner is limited to a short doc about the production company, some additional trailers and a Dinosaurs Alive "community" that didn't seem to offer much.

Posted by: Rich Rosell - October 10, 2009, 9:38 am - DVD Review
Keywords: documentary, imax, dinosaurs, michael douglas