The Film
Unlike Disney's other recent documentary, Oceans, it's slightly harder to relate The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos with its subject matter.
First off, the title of this documentary comes from the Latin name for flamingo, "Crimson Wing." The crimson-winged phoenix is a symbol for transformation and rebirth. In the end, it gets consumed by fire and is reborn from the ashes. Thankfully, for the kids' sake, there is no fire here. That doesn't mean the doc doesn't get a little scary with that whole circle of life thing.
Also, it takes a good seven minutes before we see the film's first flamingos. They are truly a bizarre bird. They travel in tight packs, sound like a troupe of horns, and have beady red eyes. However, they are also beautiful and completely fascinating. Eventually, the action starts to center on one bird, who gets separated from the pack and has to fend for herself.
The Picture
The Crimson Wing takes a slightly more artistic approach than Oceans. The end result features some soft and even distorted imagery. However, when the movie moves in close on these birds, the 1.85:1 transfer certainly delivers. As the birds huddle, it's easy to decipher each leg, wing and beak. Also, the image maintains clarity even during rainfall. Of course, there's also that infamous pink, which completely pops -- even on the eyes of each bird.
The Sound
Ever hear an actual flamingo? Be prepared to have this DTS-HD Master Audio track freak you out a little bit. While it's not as immersive as Oceans, the calls of each bird and wings flapping certainly make themselves known in the surrounds.
The Extras
The Crimson Wing's extras have a slight leg up on Oceans. We are treated to "Filmmaker Annotations," a mixture of picture-in-picture commentary and pop-up tidbits about the movie and its subject matter. There's also a 20-minute making-of featurette, which features a little more about the birds, as well as the film's production process. Also, Disney has included the same Living Menu, a BD-Live feature that offers a few tidbits about the movie, via an interactive global map. While it's not as cool as it sounds, Disney does promise to update its content on a regular basis.
Final Thoughts
The Crimson Wing isn't as captivating as Disneynature's Oceans, which makes its Blu-ray debut the same day. However, it does keep up the Disneynature standard of eye-popping imagery. Overall, the film spends too much time tugging at heartstrings, leaving very little to learn about this magnificent creature. That said, the film's beautiful, bizarre subject matter and a stunning Blu-ray transfer certainly make it worth a peek.
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