Who doesn’t love a giant IMAX film? One of the thrills of hitting up a museum or science centre is often getting the opportunity to chill out, after a day of exploring old bones and ancient pottery, by relaxing into a soft IMAX theatre chair and enjoying a big-screen science-related documentary. Dinosaurs Alive!, one such film, is now on Blu-ray disc and, while heavier on the paleontology than CGI thunder-lizards, will most likely not disappoint the young dino-enthusiast in the family.

Dinosaurs Alive! is clearly crafted for the younger set. With a shifting narrative that follows paleontologists Mike Novacek and Mark Norell from a New Mexico dig, flashing back to the Gobi desert of the 1920s and the work of dino-hunter (and Indiana Jones inspiration) Roy Chapman Andrews and intercut with computer-generated footage that brings the dinosaurs to life, the film can seem a bit unfocussed. But with its brief 40 minute runtime, Dinosaurs Alive! feels less like its struggling to take you somewhere and more like its trying to cram in as much information and excitement as possible. Youngsters more interested in the science aspects of the film will find a lot to love about the production but those only looking for big-screen thrills may be less-than-impressed by the 10 minutes of CGI dino-footage. I have a feeling that the CGI work may have been more effective in 3-D IMAX cinemas than here on 2-D Blu-ray, with the dinosaurs running and biting at me, popping out of the giant IMAX screen. As it stands, the effect work just looks really fake on Blu-ray. The dinosaurs shift around on the backgrounds like they have no weight. I found it distracting. But my nine-year old nephew, with his less-discerning eye and unabashed love for all things from the Triassic to Cretaceous will absolutely adore it!

Dinosaurs Alive! may not have the best looking special effects work in film history but its Blu-ray disc looks stunning. What a great transfer. I guess this crazy amount of detail is to be expected when the source print is a 65mm negative. There’s a bit of black crush exhibited occasionally but otherwise this is demo disc material. And not just on the visual front. The three DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks (English, Spanish, and French) will shatter your windows and give even the best sound system a workout.

The absolute highlight of the disc for me, though was not the film itself but the 26 minute The Making of Dinosaurs Alive featurette, providing an insight into the herculean challenges of capturing images in IMAX 3-D. Lugging the heaviest camera in the world, clocking in at a mighty 250lbs, the camera chugs through two 1000 ft. rolls of 65mm film every three minutes at a cost of $1000 a roll! That’s $11 a second! CHOKE! Not a cheap system but well worth it when the results are as lush and breathtaking as some of the footage in this film.

The disc also features a trivia quiz, Meet The Creatures stat pages and clips and trailers for other IMAX films.

Related posts

• [Video] Wish List – Reboot on Blu-ray (3)
• [VIDEO] Finding Nemo Blu-ray Trailer (0)
• [VIDEO] Blu-ray Wish List: Star Trek Animation Nerdgasm (0)
• Win a copy of Megamind on Blu-ray (4)
• Up Blu-ray Disc Review (3)

I’m not trying to stir up shit here. This just seems like common sense to me. Though it’s not even in cinemas yet, all signs are pointing to the eventual Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Blu-ray release getting The Dark Knight treatment: aspect ratios that shift between 1.78:1 and 2.4:1 to approximate the theatrical experience of watching the film in IMAX. Michael Bay, outspoken Blu-ray enthusiast, shot four scenes with an IMAX camera and rendered the CGI robots in 4K resolution – a first for this style of special effect – to take advantage of the stupidly large 53ft tall screen. According to the director, those high-res scenes play longer in the IMAX cut of the film, shafting those poor souls who only experience the 35mm version out of a further few minutes of manic robot action. It only stands to reason that this longer cut will be the director’s preferred version to appear on Blu-ray as well, shifting IMAX ratios intact, no doubt shafting DVD purchasers out of the extended cut as well.

So, this is my math: If IMAX=MORE ROBOTS and IMAX=BLU-RAY then BLU-RAY=MORE ROBOTS! (Ok, I always sucked at math…) The long and the short of it is that the Blu-ray edition of the film will have greater video resolution and most likely, more robot fighting than on DVD.

Michael Bay posted this statement on his official forum Sunday night:

“In Japan today. After a month and half seven days a week most days going till midnight me and my crew have just about finished Transformers. I have never seen such a level of dedication from every crew member in a movie before.

Even today after the press in Japan and right before the premiere tonight, I have to sneak out to a digital house to approve the last few effect shots.

It has been a long hard road, but really fun one to travel. What you will notice that is strikingly different than Transformers 1, is the level of animation detail. The robot characters (42 in all), you really can feel empathy for them. What is also very different is the sheer scale of the movie. We have been very tight holding back much of the best imagery in commercials and trailers.

The way to see this movie is on IMAX. Never before has there been 4k rendered character animation shot on full IMAX 70 mm film. This is a first and the results are stunning. You will see Optimus Prime in a few shots where he is actually perfectly to scale on the IMAX 50 foot tall screens.

For IMAX, I created a slightly longer cut with more robot fighting. Four scenes were shot on IMAX cameras so the screen will fill the full IMAX screen for these scenes.”

Expect Paramount/Dreamworks to announce details of the disc release before the summer is out. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen is in IMAX and old, boring theatres June 24th.

Related posts

• Walmart to get Exclusive, Longer IMAX Version of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Blu-ray (0)
• Transformers Blu-ray Disc Able to Access New Content June 16 (1)
• Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Announced and Detailed (Press Release) (0)
• Michael Bay Talks Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Blu-ray, Confirms Shifting Aspect Ratios (4)
• Megan Fox Audition Tape and More Disappointments on New Transformers BD-Live Blu-ray Material (0)

I am, however excited to play with the Watchmen: Director’s Cut Blu-ray disc as soon as possible. Warner Home Video is pushing the limits of BD-Live functionality with this release, giving us our first in-movie social media experience! While watching the film, you’ll be able to sync your Facebook friend network with BD-Live, allowing for interactive community-screening and commenting. Expect scores of posts on your “wall” regarding the lamentable song selection accompanying the Owl-Ship love scene (I love your work, Mr. Cohen…just not so much as the soundtrack to neon-lit, nasty superhero cavorting).

After taking a good, hard look at the special feature list of this upcoming Watchmen: Director’s Cut I’m not quite sure if this is the last we’ll be seeing of this title on home video. While the disc seems feature rich, the lack of inclusion of the theatrical cut (outside of the “Digital Copy” file provided) and the rumoured “Black Freighter” 205 minute cut (incorporating the animated feature, Tales of the Black Freighter) keeps it from feeling like a complete or comprehensive edition. Don’t be surprised to find an Ultimate Collector’s Edition box set on the shelves, much like Warner prepared for their I Am Legend double dip, sometime next year.

WATCHMEN: DIRECTOR’S CUT
190 minutes (vs. 162 minutes for Theatrical Cut)
Video: 1080p VC-1
Audio: 5.1 Dolby TrueHD

Special Features:

• Maximum Movie Mode (BD exclusive split-screen, on-camera commentary)
• Watchmen: Focus Points
• The Phenomenon: The Comic that Changed Comics
• Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes (BD exclusive)
• Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World (BD exclusive)
• Music Video: Desolation Row (My Chemical Romance)
• Digital Copy (theatrical version)
• BD-Live

Previously on The Blu-ray Blog: Watchmen: Black Freighter Blu-ray details and Animated Trailer

Related posts

• Watchmen BD-Live Commentary, Director’s Cut Theatrical Screening Confirmed (UPDATED) (1)
• Double Dip Alert! 300: The Complete Experience Blu-ray Announced (2)
• [VIDEO] Wish List: Watchmen Episode of Prisoners Of Gravity with Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (0)
• [VIDEO] Watchmen: Director's Cut Blu-ray BD-Live Maximum Movie Mode Revealed (2)
• Watchmen: Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray Details Revealed (7)

PICK OF THE WEEK FOR MAY 12 – STAR TREK: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE COLLECTION

Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection on Blu-ray disc features one of my favourite films of all time, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, for the first time on home video in 1080p high-def. There’s nothing like watching two of television finest over-actors chewing big-budget scenery in a tightly scripted, brilliantly scored (James Horner!) sub-battle styled space-operatic epic. In Khan, Nicholas Meyer delivered a film that not only stands the test of time as a great Star Trek film, but a truly fine piece of sci-fi cinema. Smart, boisterous, and touching, Star Trek II on Blu-ray is worth the purchase of the box-set alone.

While I haven’t had a chance to examine the results of the transfers in this box-set, I can recommend it whole-heartedly on the basis of the feature-rich collection of extras and the entertainment value of most of the films (if you value your time, you’d do well to skip the fifth film in the series, The Final Frontier directed by William Shatner on a shoestring budget. It’s a real stinker).

For a full list of all features, see our previous run-down of all the Star Trek releases.

Watch the video below for a special preview of Star Trek: The Captains’ Summit bonus disc:

ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Clicking an image will take you to Amazon.com where you can learn more about the Blu-ray:

Related posts

• Top 8 Blu-ray Discs to get Dad for Father's Day (1)
• Blu-ray Picks for the Week of April 28 (3)
• [VIDEO] Star Trek Tribbles at Comic Con, Blu-ray BD-Live Gallery (2)
• [VIDEO] Star Trek Blu-ray Preview: The Gag Reel (0)
• [VIDEO] Star Trek (2009) Blu-ray/DVD Trailer with Special Features Demo (1)

“Talk about the Special Features and the girl gets it!”

Colour me disappointed. I mean, I was fully aware that the “Two-Disc Special Edition” of The Dark Knight wouldn’t be the definitive Blu-ray release of the film – that we would eventually be treated to the double-dip, superbox-with-posters-and-gizmos edition (an affliction currently suffered by the likes of I Am Legend and 300.) What I was blissfully ignorant of going into my viewing of Disc 2, the special features of the package, was that the two main documentary attractions were not original features at all. They’re simply EPK-style, recycled History Channel shorts that aired back in July to promote the film upon its release into cinemas. Imagine my ‘delight’ upon discovering that the features I’ve been so hotly anticipating for months turn out to be a couple of WB infomercials I already own in the form of AVI files. They’re still sitting there on my hard drive, downloaded through Bittorrent in a haze of summer Bat-phoria. Look down in the lower third of that Batman Tech program’s image as it plays back over my PS3 onto the projector screen. What’s that golden ‘H’ staring back at us? That there is History Channel branding!

The little docs could be better. Could be much worse. It’s not the quality that cheeses me off so much as the appearance that Warner Brothers is trying to conceal their origins. There’s no mention anywhere I’ve been able to uncover that any of the special features on The Dark Knight were previously available or that they may have been sourced from other studios. The History Channel has even gone so far as to wipe any hint of the docs from their website. Smells like a cover up!

Aside from feeling slightly hosed in the special features department, I have to say that the 35mm footage on the Blu-ray looks less sharp than other current releases like Iron Man. I also can’t help but be distracted by the hint of edge enhancement that WB has afflicted the transfer with. Don’t get me wrong, the IMAX shots blow me away. They are some of the most striking, clear and accurate images I’ve seen on my home theatre. I just can’t help feeling a bit disappointed with the rest of this package. Maybe Warners will get it right on second dip.

Related posts

• Who watches the Watchmen on Blu-ray? Watchmen: Director's Cut Detailed, includes Facebook Social Media Connectivity (9)
• Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen To Get Shifting Aspect Ratios and Longer Cut on Blu-ray? (1)
• New Dark Knight: Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray coming soon? (1)
• Details of Dark Knight BD-Live Chat sign-up appear on official WB site (0)
• Blu-ray Picks for the Week of June 9 – Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music Director's Cut (Review) (0)