The Movie
Legends of Flight was actually playing on the IMAX screen at The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum when my family and I were there in April, an educational 45-minute commercial for Boeing and their new 787 Dreamliner. This pseudo-documentary takes us along to the prestigious Paris Air Show, where Airbus is debuting the energy-efficient A380, which can hold a staggering 853 passengers, and this lights a fire under competitor Boeing, particularly chief test pilot Mike Carriker.
In trying to develop an all-new plane, Carriker looks back at the history of aviation--commercial, military and civilian aircraft--as well as the lessons that birds and insects can teach us. All of these influence the head-burstingly complicated 787, quite a high-stakes gamble as the entire company's future is riding on the plane's success (it works!) or failure (but not without a few bumps along the way).
The Picture
Owing to the relatively short running time, we can choose either 2D or 3D versions from the menu, and both look outstanding. Shot in IMAX 65mm two-strip 3D, the 16:9 image (reframed from 1.44:1) flaunts a stunning amount of detail, only slight noise and rare moiré, with minimal grain. We can even read the printing on many of the cockpit controls. The 3D illusion is of the inviting reach-out-and-touch variety, some real and some computer-generated, including virtual schematics floating in midair. I noted a bit of stair-stepping, since the lines can be so thin (intended to be exhibited on an enormous screen) but again, any flaws here are extremely minor.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1-channel soundtrack; full-quality in our choice of English, French or Spanish, handy since there are no subtitles; is happily dynamic to complement the 3D visuals. The many different interior and exterior environments are credibly recreated, and fluid camera moves through plane mockups and more offer a subtle whooshing. Bass is appropriately powerful, conveying both the large scope of this movie and the staggering power of these cutting-edge machines.
The Extras
"Shooting Legends" is a 24 minute exploration of the making of the film (in HD), both the technical challenges as well as the allure of the subject matter. There's a brief still gallery that allows us to flip through photos and text about six of the planes seen in Legends. HD trailers for this and eight other 2D/3D IMAX titles are included on the disc, which also supports BD-Live powered by Dynamic HD.
Final Thoughts
For anyone interested in the modern science and business of commercial aviation, Legends of Flight manages to balance fact and fancy with exemplary 2D and 3D high-def presentations. A worthy demo disc with suitably Big Picture and Sound.
Product Details
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