The Greatest Places – IMAX, Blu-ray (1998/2011)
Seven of the world’s most geographically incredible locations
Narrator: Avery Brooks
Studio: MacGillevray-Freeman/Inception Media Group IMG1012BD [5/17/11]
Video: IMAX reduced to 16:9 display color 1080p HD
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles: English, french
Extras: IMAX trailer reel
Length: 4- minutes
Rating: ****1/2
This is a classic IMAX presentation which is now available for home viewing in hi-def Blu-ray, and yes, the world’s largest film format still reduces to a small (in comparison) Blu-ray image that’s much better than most Blu-rays from standard 35mm or video sources. Only occasionally on wide angle shots of a landscape or water do you see the bowing effect of the wide angle lenses often used in IMAX.
This popular feature shows in gorgeous detail the seven places around the globe chosen as the most remarkable. One visits Greenland’s massive icebergs, the unique plants and animals of Madagascar, the dunes of the Namib Desert, the elephants, hippos and giraffes of the Okavango delta, the ancient high-altitude plateau of Tibet, the roaring Iguazu Falls and the incredible Amazon River basin.
It’s very much the typical IMAX show, and the voice of Avery Brooks sounds much like the typical PBS nature documentary, but it remains a wonderful quick tour of some of the greatest sights in the world. The Brazilian falls and a couple other spots will give your subwoofer(s) a good workout on the soundtrack.
— John Sunier
