IMAX documentary by George Butler
Studio: Disney 53531
Video: IMAX 70mm reduction to 1.78:1 widescreen, 1080p HD
Audio: English uncompressed PCM 5.1 (48K/24bit), English/French/Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: “Mars and Beyond” – 1957 Disney 50-min. film on wonders of the universe & space travel; “Mars: Past, Present & Future” – featurette with personal reflections on Mars by participants in the film and its director
Length: 40 minutes
Rating: *****
Since I don’t seem to have the proper software or players to handle the WMV hi-def discs of IMAX features I have received, I’ve been patiently waiting for a Blu-ray IMAX transfer, and here it is. It’s just as astoundingly hi-res as I had hoped, and the interesting extras – which I’d seen before – makes up for the rather steep price for only a 40-minute DVD. The details in all the people and gear at Jet Propulsion Labs in Pasadena, the close ups of the two Mars rovers, and even the computer animation of the actual expedition to Mars and its work on the surface are absolutely breathtaking. I had looked at the 3D stills of the actual Mars surface on the NASA website using red/green glasses, but it’s even better in Blu-ray on my Pioneer BDP-H1 player and Samsung DLP display.
The documentary is fashioned much like the a similar one produced for the PBS Nova series, going into the original design work and testing by NASA engineers on the two robotic Mars rovers, named Spirit and Opportunity. Some of the background on the difficult project is given, including the status of the red planet as an eater of expeditions – more have been destroyed than made it to the surface to send back signals. One simile from an engineer stuck with me: he compared the feat to remotely launching a basketball from San Francisco to New York City, and once there having it drop into a basketball hoop without touching the sides.
The story is introduced on the soundtrack with Paul Newman’s narration, and proceeds with showing the feverish preparations for the launch of the rovers in July and July 2003. The staff had to wait for seven months until the two rovers completed their 300 million mile journey and bounced down to the red dust surface. Both rovers ended up remarkably close to their desired destinations and since then have proven to be much more mobile and to send back much more detailed information than was originally expected of them. One of the primary investigations was of the rocks of the planet, to determine if they showed signs of water having been present in the past – and they did – meaning some type of life might have been possible.
As mentioned, this is a really stunning Blu-ray demo, and the uncompressed PCM audio will shake up your viewing room, if you have subwoofers, during the various rocket launches and separations. There’s as much action, drama, suspense and triumph in this NASA reality show as in the best sci-fi feature.
– John Sunier
