Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

Originally filmed for exhibition in IMAX theatres and narrated by Pierce Brosnan with songs by Sting, Dolphins follows marine biologists as they observe dolphins in their natural habitats.  From the British West Indies to the coast of South America off of Argentina, dolphins are observed mating, eating, and socializing.

There are over 40 species of dolphins in the world, so naturally the scope of this film from MacGillivray is limited in just how closely it can delve into specifics. There is also the unavoidable whenever discussions of the natural world come into play, and that is the impact of humankind on the natural world. The documentary makes only fleeting mention of the issue of dolphin populations being decimated by fishing nets.

This family-friendly feature also plays down some of the more aggressive behavior of dolphins  -- little known to most, for certain, but dolphins can and do attack and sometimes kill humans. This is also mentioned in passing at one point during the presentation. In all, however, the feature does what it was intended to do in a mostly satisfactory manner and that is to present beautiful images of one of the most endearing marine mammals in its natural habitat in a high-resolution format.

The Picture

Dolphins was captured in all the splendor and high resolution of the 70mm IMAX large format by MacGillivray Films and comes to Blu-ray in a 1080p/24 AVC/MPEG-4 high definition transfer from Image Entertainment. As to be expected from 70mm, Dolphins looks pretty good, but it is not up to the standards of previous IMAX releases from Image.

Dolphins suffers from a less than pristine looking source that shows more inconsistencies in grain than one would expect from 70mm and quite a few speckles and scratches that could have been cleaned up. There are also some spots where there is softness in background detail and contrast is just a bit too hot. This is all for the sequences on land, where one should expect detail to be sharper and more consistent than the underwater sequences.

In Dolphins' favor, however, the colors look spectacular with clear cerulean seas, verdant patches of green and only slightly pushed fleshed tones. The underwater sequences show lovely deep hues of blue that have no signs of banding and the scenes of the dolphins quick underwater motions show no macroblocking.

The Sound

Dolphins comes with English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 audio options. A film of this nature necessitates that much of its sound will be made up of foley effects, but these elements are certainly effectively mixed and mastered on Dolphins' lossless DTS-HD MA mix. From the sound of underwater bubbles to waves gently splashing and Dolphin song -- which could have been irritating if not done properly -- Dolphins sounds full and natural with easy, smooth high frequencies and an abundance of ambience and discrete sound effects mixed into the surrounds.  

The film's soundtrack made up of Sting songs is lively and weighty with a punchy mid-range and just enough low frequency extension that it sounds full, but never boomy. Pierce Brosnan's narration in the center channel is also clear, natural and lifelike.  It's not necessarily a reference showpiece, but it works well for the subject matter and it is thoroughly engaging.

The Extras

The supplements on Dolphins are the usual offered on the Image IMAX releases and run the gamut from trailers for more IMAX titles to cast and crew bios. None of the extras add much to the main feature and they certainly do not require more than one quick viewing -- if any at all.

The extras available on this release are:

• Making Of (4:3/standard definition) -- More a promotional featurette on MacGillivray films, Greg MacGillivray, and the challenges of working with large-format film than anything else.
• Marine Science: Exploring the Deep (4:3/standard definition) -- A featurette obviously geared towards younger viewers that explains the work and lifestyle of marine biologists.
• Film Trivia Quiz -- Answer multiple choice questions based on the film.
• MacGillivray Freeman Films (1.78:1/high definition) -- A brief promo spot for MacGillivray Freeman Films.
• About Greg MacGillivray -- Bio
• Dynamic Connection -- BD-Live:
• Cast & Crew Bios
• Dolphins -- Tune.HD.net Blu-ray Community
• On Location
• Becoming a Marine Biologist
• Preview Upcoming Feature Trailers
• MFF Films in Production
• More MFF Blu-ray Titles
• HDTV Basic Tuning Guide
• Contact MacGiillivray Films

Where to Buy

• Dolphins (IMAX) on Blu-ray Disc (Amazon.com)

Final Thoughts

Once again Image Entertainment and MacGillivray Films have teamed up to offer a nice bit of ocular and sonic treats with this Dolphins IMAX presentation on Blu-ray. The picture quality isn't quite up to the standards of some of their previous releases, but it is still pleasing enough and the sound is well done as usual.

Product Details

• Actor: Pierce Brosnan
• Director: Greg MacGillivray
• Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
• Audio/Languages: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French & Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: Not Rated
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: November 11, 2008
• Run Time: 89 minutes
• List Price: $24.98
• Extras:
  
  • The Making of Dolphins
  • Trailers
  • BD-Live
  • Cast & Crew Bios
  • Trivia Game
  • And More!