Rolling like a sugar donut in the sand
The Film
When I was a teenager, the second most exciting day of the year (most exciting being the first game of the NHL Playoffs...what do you expect from a Canuck?) was the release date for Sports Illustrated's savory Swimsuit edition. Raised in a strict home, it was unlikely that the issue that was mailed to my house would not be tossed into the trash before I could get home from school to flip through it; I used to run down Toronto's St. Clair Avenue to buy it from a local drugstore on my way home from school.
Sports Illustrated was always the best sports publication; even if its coverage of ice hockey was rather spotty, but nothing sold better than the Swimsuit issue. Kathy Ireland was to drool over; not that Elle MacPherson, Chery Tiegs, or Cindy Crawford were tough on the eyes either. The models may have stayed as hot as ever, but the medium has changed drastically over the past few years. Print is old school. Blu-ray 3D is here to stay. Sony seems to agree because they invested a lot of money into Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit 2011: The 3D Experience; a 30-minute extravaganza on the gorgeous beaches of Maui.
Women rolling around in the sand in a bikini is not exactly going to win any awards for originality, but the production quality of the presentation raises the bar on this release; it is one of the best looking live-action Blu-ray 3Ds so far. Sports Illustrated and Sony took the high road with this one and while I wouldn't leave this running with the in-laws over for dinner, it isn't objectionale from a nudity perspective.
Irina Shayk, who graced this year's prestigious cover, is a Russian beauty with smoldering eyes and it isn't hard to figure out why SI loves her so much. The real stunner on the disc, however, is veteran Julie Henderson whose interpretation of a rolling sugar donut on the beach had me reaching for the remote whenever I heard the footsteps of approaching children. The dialogue is rather pointless; the three models repeat the same spiel over and over and you'll want to turn the volume down and just enjoy the show. Pornography, this isn't and shame on anyone who tries to lump it into that category. Voyeurism and mindless fun can't be all bad.
The Picture
The 3D quality is generally quite consistent, although I was expecting more depth from the image; the lava beds look rather flat compared to the foliage. All three models pop off the screen, but you won't be reaching forward to caress their sun-tanned skin; not unless you want to fall off your chair and look like an idiot in front of your wife. The image has zero crosstalk. It is one of the best Blu-ray 3D discs so far from that perspective. Rock solid image. Black levels are also quite strong and natural looking. The adult film industry should take a close look at the image quality of this release before it releases some half-hearted films in 3D. Kudos to the cinematographer for such excellent technical work.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is quite punchy, consisting mostly of background music and the occasional wave slapping up against the beach. Dialogue is clear and crisp, but is anyone really going to listen to the dialogue on a disc like this more than once?
The Extras
Blu-ray 3D releases have been rather spartan of late when it comes to bonus content, and this disc is no exception. Not even a series of images from the shoot in Maui. Zilch.
Final Thoughts
It is hard to knock Sports Illustrated for offering its swimsuit issue in HD 3D; it knows its audience quite well and there are more than a few men who will find this production appealing. The image quality of this Blu-ray 3D is quite extraordinary and one of the best live-action Blu-ray 3D discs to be released so far which certainy gives it some value; even if the content is only mildly titillating, if not rather infantile. Recommended for the voyeur in all of us.
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