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185 of 203 found the following review helpful:
 Wrong PlanetAug 05, 2007
By A. B. Kutlu
Move on to "Planet Earth" for everything this bluray isn't...
I normally refrain from posting negative reviews in case it's a question of taste and I may be in conflict with other people in that respect.
However in this case I am pretty sure this is a title to avoid for everybody. Especially when there is such an alternative as Planet Earth which presents a hundred times the content and imagery this IMAX adaptation strives to deliver.. and fails..
First of all, this is a very lousy transfer. They didn't bother remastering the 40 minute footage and the "dirt" of the master is visible in every frame. It wouldn't have taken a large team to edit them out. Frankly it's the most disappointing bluray transfer I've seen out of the 40 or more bluray titles I have.
Secondly, the narration, disjointed topics, duration of many of the space imagery which drag on for minutes without any movement contribute to a mindnumbingly boring viewing experience. You'll notice you'll be hardpressed not to forward to the next scene every other minute (and let's admit it, there are not that many to start with)
There's also an older similar bonus segment in the bluray, with even worse visuals and mostly resembling SD instead of HD in many places..
In short, I'd strongly suggest you skip this bluray in favor of the stunning Planet Earth if you've not grabbed it yet.
46 of 52 found the following review helpful:
 Awe Struck...Dec 02, 2004
By Kelly L. Botelho
I got this for my 4 year old son's birthday last year because he has a fascination with air planes and I was trying to get him interested in the space program. Let's just say when I first played it, even my husband stopped what he was doing and came over and sat down. We have a large screen TV and it makes you feel like you are really there! The sounds and colors are vivid. And even when there is no sound, the sights are just so amazing you don't need it- I think that's part of it's magic. Maybe it's just that space is such an unknown and elusive place, but when it shows the view of our planet from space you just get goosebumps. This is a wonderful dvd to pull out on those rainy/snowy days. No matter how many times we have watched it, it still evokes a sense of awe and reverence.
39 of 47 found the following review helpful:
 MisleadingMar 31, 2002
By A. Armetta
"pons asinorum"
Hi,
The cover picture and text on the package leads one to expect space shuttle photo journey, but it is more like a 4th grade science class with intermittent space video. It is about 20% space video and 80% ground level shots. With low-level information like,"On Earth there is a gas called oxygen, which we need to survive...." Great for the kids, yes, but adults may be disappointed.
24 of 28 found the following review helpful:
 Very enjoyable; Preservationist; School-level materialFeb 06, 2002
By Alexei Lebedev
Shots of planet earth, satellite photography, volcanoes, earthquakes, rainforest. Main message: earth is home to all of us, let's preserve it. The space and aerial photography are beautiful. Spectacular is the view of a lightning storm as seen from space. Footage of a hurricane, however, did not appear threatening. Sheet metal flying off a small house's roof, a man leaning into the wind.Things I expected to see but didn't: a storm at sea, a twister, a nice volcano eruption, a geyser, a large crowd of people. The only people we see are two cosmonauts in orbit taking pictures, and some guys cutting trees. The narration is rather primitive, sometimes mind-numbingly so, as in the end, where the voice-over enumerates those to whom earth is home: "Earth is home to Jews and Arabs; It is home to Russians and the Chinese; It is home to Germans and Italians", and so on and on, until (surprise!) "It is home to ALL of us". Some educational facts are given about how many tons of pollutants we emit and millions of acres of forest we destroy each year. These sound horrifying, but to make sense, they need to be put into perspective (there are billions of bacteria in my mouth, but that doesn't mean I'm about to die). How much forest do natural fires destroy each year? How many acres of forest naturally grow back? How much deadly pollution does an average active volcano emit? The 3D California valley fly-through was visually disappointing (have they heard of texture mapping?). Overall, a very enjoyable experience. The DVD is definitely worth having, although I won't be watching it for a second time in full any time soon (as I watched Baraka).
11 of 12 found the following review helpful:
 A natural alternative to LunestaOct 13, 2005
By Michael
"KatahdinBU"
OK...to start off with the positive, this DVD does have great sound and crisp, vibrant video footage. Also within the 40 minutes of this DVD, you will come away with a good understanding of the big picture of our planet and how our planet's atmosphere, oceans, land, life and and pollution are all interrelated. It is also explained in a way that makes it easy to understand. If you are an adult with with a true interest in Earth science then you can add a star or two to my rating.
I do not recommend this DVD for children. It will be a real sleeper for them! The very calming voice of the narrator and fairy tale type of music in the background will put almost any adolescent to sleep. I say this because I am a high school science teacher and have shown this to my students. While doing so I have had to nudge my students or get their attention to stay awake. Those that were awake had that glazed over look in their eyes. There are better videos out there for students that are more exciting and just as informative.
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