IMAX

Blue Planet (IMAX) [Blu-ray]

From the unique vantage point of 200 miles above Earth's surface we see how natural forces - volcanoes earthquakes and hurricanes - affect our world and how a powerful new force - humankind - has begun to alter the face of the planet. From Amazon rain forests to Serengeti grasslands Blue Planet inspires a new appreciation of life on Earth our only home.Running Time: 42 min.Format: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC: 794051815422 Manufacturer No: X8154

The IMAX film Blue Planet offers an eloquent reminder--and a cautionary warning--that the planet Earth is a delicate living organism, constantly reshaped and rejuvenated by the awesome forces of nature. The film targets a grade-school audience but will prove informative to anyone fascinated by our home planet's evolution. Hurricanes, glaciers, volcanoes, thunderstorms, asteroid impacts, undersea furnace vents, and earthquakes are all explored as a system of interconnected forces that ensure the planet's survival. The difference between this and other nature films is that the Earth's delicacy is emphasized by stunning views from space, filmed in the IMAX format by NASA astronauts in orbit 200 miles above the Earth's surface. With astonishing clarity, this orbital perspective supports the film's ultimate purpose: to reveal the awesome beauty of the Earth, and to emphasize that we, the custodians of this miraculous gift, are also the greatest threat to the planet's delicate health. Proof of man's destructive influence offers a sobering reminder that our responsibility toward nature is perpetual, essential, and routinely abused.

Blue Planet combines state-of-the-art sound and image, principally directed by Ben Burtt, the Oscar-winning sound designer whose credits include the original Star Wars trilogy. No home-theater system could do full justice to the film's technical achievement, but the sights and sounds of Blue Planet are awesome nonetheless, and it's impossible to overstate the importance of the film's message and its hopeful emphasis on the potentially wondrous future of our one and only home. --Jeff Shannon

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild (IMAX) [Blu-ray]

The majestic beauty of Alaska is displayed masterfully in this film, which was originally presented in IMAX theaters and received an Academy Award(r) nomination for Best Documentary in 1998. The landscape of Alaska is shown in magnificent aerial shots, and "white thunder," the spectacular sight when enormous icebergs break off from glaciers, is shown in exquisitely sharp footage. As might be expected, much of the film is devoted to Alaska's abundant wildlife, including moose, bears, seals, wolves, caribou, musk oxen, and whales. The narration, delivered by actor Charlton Heston, provides informative background on the animals, but the star of the film is always the stunning camera work. An underwater shot taken in the midst of dozens of diving seals is particularly memorable, and scenes of humpback whales breaching on the surface are simply spectacular. Bears fight each other over the best fishing spots, and even their prey, the salmon swimming upstream, are featured in an underwater montage showing their life cycle. Animals that actually welcome the Alaskan winter, polar bears, are shown as they search the snowy landscape for prey. And a traditional whale hunt by an Inuit tribe is shown. This film is intelligently produced, and the astounding quality of the photography makes it a true treat for the eyes. --Robert J. McNamara

Go far beyond even the highest definition with this Academy Award nominee for Best Short Documentary. Originally presented in IMAX Theaters, Alaska Spirit of the Wild is a visual masterpiece.

Africa: The Serengeti (IMAX) [Blu-ray]

This spectacular IMAX documentary has been meticulously transferred to provide one of the most stunning DVDs available, with image quality so vivid that it seems almost three-dimensional. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the images themselves are amazing, consisting of some of the finest nature cinematography you're ever likely to see, following a year of seasonal change in the "circle of life" of East Africa's Serengeti plain. Photographed entirely on location in Kenya and Tanzania, the 40-minute film chronicles a natural phenomenon that few humans are privileged to witness in their lifetime: the annual great migration, during which over two million wildebeests, zebras, and antelope travel 500 miles across the plain to ensure their survival. It's an awesome display of natural wonders, and of course there's danger as well as beauty, with lions, crocodiles, and cheetahs among the predators of migrating wildlife. The images range from wondrous to horrifying to hilarious, forming a portrait of life and death that remains powerful even after repeated viewings. The DVD is truly intended for a global audience, with eight optional audio tracks in English (narrated by James Earl Jones), Bavarian, French, Castilian, Catalan, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin. --Jeff Shannon

Blue Planet (IMAX) [HD DVD]

From the unique vantage point of 200 miles above Earth's surface we see how natural forces - volcanoes earthquakes and hurricanes - affect our world and how a powerful new force - humankind - has begun to alter the face of the planet. From Amazon rain forests to Serengeti grasslands Blue Planet inspires a new appreciation of life on Earth our only home.Running Time: 42 min.Format: DVD HD Genre: MISCELLANEOUS/SPECIAL INTEREST UPC: 794051815026 Manufacturer No: X8150

The IMAX film Blue Planet offers an eloquent reminder--and a cautionary warning--that the planet Earth is a delicate living organism, constantly reshaped and rejuvenated by the awesome forces of nature. The film targets a grade-school audience but will prove informative to anyone fascinated by our home planet's evolution. Hurricanes, glaciers, volcanoes, thunderstorms, asteroid impacts, undersea furnace vents, and earthquakes are all explored as a system of interconnected forces that ensure the planet's survival. The difference between this and other nature films is that the Earth's delicacy is emphasized by stunning views from space, filmed in the IMAX format by NASA astronauts in orbit 200 miles above the Earth's surface. With astonishing clarity, this orbital perspective supports the film's ultimate purpose: to reveal the awesome beauty of the Earth, and to emphasize that we, the custodians of this miraculous gift, are also the greatest threat to the planet's delicate health. Proof of man's destructive influence offers a sobering reminder that our responsibility toward nature is perpetual, essential, and routinely abused.

Blue Planet combines state-of-the-art sound and image, principally directed by Ben Burtt, the Oscar-winning sound designer whose credits include the original Star Wars trilogy. No home-theater system could do full justice to the film's technical achievement, but the sights and sounds of Blue Planet are awesome nonetheless, and it's impossible to overstate the importance of the film's message and its hopeful emphasis on the potentially wondrous future of our one and only home. --Jeff Shannon

Magnificent Desolation - Walking on the Moon (IMAX)

Tom Hanks continues his love affair with space that began with Apollo 13 and his miniseries From Earth to the Moon with this compelling IMAX adventure, Magnificent Desolation. Fans of space fact and fantasy will not want to miss this engaging docudrama, which combines actual footage of lunar walks and interviews of the few men who've trod there with dramatizations of scenarios both exciting and terrifying.

The true way to experience this film, of course, is in its IMAX splendor, but home-theater buffs won't be disappointed. The footage takes the "lunar visitor" along moon's craters and potholes, with nothing but the vastness of space all around. Unseen film shows close-ups of terrain as well as technical infrastructure that may well be models for future moon-living. One particularly scary scene thankfully has never happened on a moon mission, and involves the sudden loss of breathing apparatus. Scuba divers will recognize the "buddy system" of sharing a single air source--and viewers with any kind of claustrophobic issues may want to fast-forward. But overall, the thrills of space travel are made as real as possible for us mere mortals who will only experience it from our comfy chairs. Roger that.--A.T. Hurley

Only 12 have walked on the moon. You're next! Presented and narrated by Tom Hanks, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon is an IMAX documentary film that transports the viewer to lunar surface, where they can walk alongside the 12 extraordinary astronauts who have been there, experiencing what they saw, heard, and felt.

DVD Features:
Other
Photo gallery

Australia: Land Beyond Time (IMAX) [Blu-ray]

Pulse: a Stomp Odyssey

Pulse: a STOMP Odyssey is a celebration of the global beat an exploration of the sights and sounds of continents and cultures guided by the internationally acclaimed performers of the sensational stage show STOMP. The globe-trotting IMAX journey is billed as "a tribute to world of rhythm that has inspired us". Pulse showcases the cast of STOMP as well as 10 extremely diverse musical groups from around the world.Format: DVD AUDIO Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS Rating: N/A UPC: 181582000555 Manufacturer No: WD-173

Fighter Pilot - Operation Red Flag (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)

A state-of-the-art, edge of your seat experience! Get in the cockpit with the world's best pilots to witness the most challenging flying of their careers... Follow a young American pilot as he makes his way through Red Flag - the world's most intense, simulated air war, training event - where U.S. and international pilots, ground crews, mechanics and rescue personnel are taken to the limits of their endurance. Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag delivers speeds of up to 800 miles per hour with thundering, roaring, screaming sound and stunning aerobatics that will blow you away! Filmed over the Nevada desert with unprecedented access to military procedures, the film features an enormous armada of aircraft including four American squadrons of F-15C Eagles and F-15E Strike Eagles, F-16 Aggressors, Stealth F-117s, B-1B Lancers, B-2 Stealth bomber, C-17 Globemaster III, a U-2R and more... This DVD version of the film has been specially mixed and mastered to produce an outstanding DTS Digital Surround and Dolby Digital 5.1 home theatre experience.

Disc 2 offers the complete feature in Microsoft Windows Media Video High Definition, playable on your PC widescreen version only). WMV HD delivers up to 1080p resolution(6 times the resolution of standard definition DVD video) and 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound

The Polar Express [Blu-ray]

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.Running Time: 100 min.Format: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY UPC: 085391157038 Manufacturer No: 1000009563

Destined to become a holiday perennial, The Polar Express also heralded a brave new world of all-digital filmmaking. Critics and audiences were divided between those who hailed it as an instant classic that captures the visual splendor and evocative innocence of Chris Van Allsburg's popular children's book, and those who felt that the innovative use of "performance capture"--to accurately translate live performances into all-digital characters--was an eerie and not-quite-lifelike distraction from the story's epic-scale North Pole adventure. In any case it's a benign, kind-hearted celebration of the yuletide spirit, especially for kids who have almost grown out of their need to believe in Santa Claus. Tom Hanks is the nominal "star" who performs five different computer-generated characters, but it's the visuals that steal this show, as director Robert Zemeckis indulges his tireless pursuit of technological innovation. No matter how you respond to the many wonders on display, it's clear that The Polar Express represents a significant milestone in the digital revolution of cinema. If it also fills you with the joy of Christmas (in spite of its Nuremberg-like rally of frantic elves), so much the better. --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
The most intriguing feature on the two-disc DVD is probably the six-minute sequence featuring a new song performed by the two engine-room characters, Smokey and Steamer. The animation is crude and the song is nothing special, but it does preserve the dual performances of Michael Jeter (he played both characters), who passed away during filming. One of the striking aspects of The Polar Express is its use of motion-capture technology to turn real actors into animated characters, and that is examined in a significant portion of the five-part 11-minute featurette, in the "look at" Tom Hanks's multiple performances, and in an Easter egg that offers a side-by-side comparison of the actors in their motion-capture suits with the finished film in the "Hot Chocolate" number. There's also a live performance of Josh Groban singing "Believe" followed by an interview segment with him and composer Alan Silvestri, author Chris Van Allsburg providing a five-minute capsulization of his career, a PC game demo, and a kids' set-top game. The version of the film on DVD is the standard theatrical version, not the 3-D version seen in IMAX theaters. --David Horiuchi

The World of The Polar Express

The book by Chris Van Allsburg

The Soundtrack

The Magic Journey (Polar Express the Movie) (book)

Stills from Polar Express (click for larger image)

Coral Reef Adventure (IMAX) (2-Disc WMVHD Edition)

Like any IMAX movie, Coral Reef Adventure is so vivid, vast, and colorful that you can't help but be astonished by its visual splendor. But this undersea exploration has a deeper, more serious agenda as well, warning its viewers that the natural magnificence of the world's most impressive coral reefs is, in most cases, a mere 30 years away from extinction due to the devastating effects of global (and oceanic) warming. Whether or not that timeframe is accurate (and there's not enough solid science presented here to prove it either way), it's tragically obvious that we are in the process of losing entire ecosystems that cannot be replaced, and when you witness these awesome coral reefs in their still-thriving vitality, you experience a sense of urgent responsibility toward our stewardship of planet Earth. By showing us the commitment and potentially life-threatening work of reef explorers and world-class undersea cinematographers Howard and Michele Hall, the film provides an all-access pass to some of the most exotic, playful, and dangerous creatures in the ocean, presented with the kind of intense, almost three-dimensional clarity that can only be achieved in the IMAX format. And while the giant-screen awesomeness of IMAX is lost in translation to DVD, Coral Reef Adventure offers the best-to-date use (on disc 2 of this two-disc set) of High Definition DVD-ROM formatting. For PC users equipped with Windows XP and Windows Media Player 9 series (or later) software, the amazing images in Coral Reef Adventure achieve an almost life-like resolution. The ultimate conclusion remains: If we don't do something to protect these delicate, endangered wonders of nature, we will lose a part of ourselves. --Jeff Shannon

Take a once in a lifetime journey across the South Pacific for a spectacular IMAX adventure. Joy; ecstasy; a spiritual high: these words describe the exhilaration of diving a pristine coral reef, and ocean explorers Howard and Michele Hall bring their love of the ocean into action. With Jean-Michael Cousteau, deep reef scientist Richard Pyle and Fijian diver Rusi Vulakoro, they explore and capture on film the dazzling underwater world of coral reefs, magical places here on Earth. This tropical excursion through the South Pacific will surprise and delight you as you fall in love with the reefs, and your heart will ache at the tragic, irretrievable loss of these fragile worlds. Disc 2 includes the complete feature in Microsoft Windows Media Video High Definition, playable on your PC.