Alps, The (Climb Of Your Life): IMAX (Blu-ray)

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The Alps: IMAX is the first IMAX feature that I´ve seen in a home setting. I was worried that the experience would be diminished considerably compared to what I´ve seen in IMAX theatres. However, once you get caught up in the movie, you basically forget that you´re not in an IMAX theatre.

This is due in large part to the fact that IMAX footage is so difficult to obtain that filmmakers use long takes and slow camera movements so that the breathtaking scope of what´s being observed can be absorbed properly by viewers´ eyes. There are loving pans and "beauty shots" of people bungee jumping in front of huge dams, people climbing on unforgiving mountains, and trains snaking their way through twisty rail lines.

The Alps follows a mountain climber and his family´s journey through various Swiss locales as the climber prepares for an ascent of the Eiger, an ice-and-rock wall that is particularly difficult to scale. The documentary uses the trip to survey various glaciers and other sights, including the famous Matterhorn mountain. Finally, the filmmakers follow the climber and his associates all the way up to the Eiger´s summit

Although these "adventure" documentaries inevitably have a touch of Rocky underdog vibes, you don´t feel like you´re watching cheesy schmaltz. After all, these are real people doing genuinely dangerous things. They´re not thrill seekers looking for adrenaline rushes. Rather, they´re trying to deal with complex feelings about man´s relationship with the natural world, especially as humanity is increasingly alienated from natural surroundings and activities such as farming or bathing outdoors.

Considering that it´s rather expensive to take a family or a bunch of students to see an IMAX movie, Image Entertainment´s line of affordable IMAX Blu-ray titles is a huge boon to documentary enthusiasts, parents, and educators. You get top-notch video, surprisingly robust audio, and substantive extras to complement family-friendly films that instill respect for nature and learning.