The picture's beauty and Cameron's amazing photographic work provide much pleasure. It's just that...there is the feeling we've been there and seen it all before.
Our first view of the big ship is rather awe-inspiring, though, and even I might have uttered a few "gee-whizzes" at the sight. I could picture Leonardo DiCaprio standing on its bow. Then, as the remote cameras explore the interior of the ship, overlays of the Titanic in her glory (some actual photos and some recreated) are superimposed to show what the scene might have been like at the time of her voyage.
Some of the sights are astonishing: the main dining room, leaded glass windows, the grand promenade, state rooms, dinnerware, bathtubs, tables, boilers, etc., just as they were left on that fateful night in 1912.
The only serious drama occurs toward the end of the film when one of the two robots (they were nicknamed Jake and Elwood, after the Blues Brothers) goes dead in the water and they attempt to rescue it. Regrettably, however, this episode takes us away from the exploration of the ship and seems extraneous to the main purpose of the movie.
All the same, the visions presented in "Ghosts of the Abyss" are grand and mesmerizing, and one cannot take that away from it. How often a person will watch the film again, though, is purely a personal matter.
Video:
In its two-dimensional, 1.74:1 anamorphic state, the video is still good if not so awesomely big as its IMAX rendering. On the other hand, the 3-D IMAX presentation was not appreciated by everyone, either, the three-dimensional effects not always showing up as clearly as they could. The DVD presentation is given THX certification and a high bit rate to insure that the picture is as crisp and colorful as it can be. Certainly, the movie's color palette comes up with rich, deep hues. Above the water and within the submersibles, the picture quality is excellent. Understandably, below the surface, where most of the film takes place, the water itself makes things somewhat murky.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound reproduces with ease everything Cameron throws at it, which is, unfortunately, some heavy-duty bass in the musical score, slightly undermining the narration. Once in the sub, however, the music stops and silence ensues, which is a welcome relief. The surround channels are used only sporadically, but when they are, for waves and splashing water, for instance, the result is persuasive.
Extras:
As I said before, I'm not sure a two-disc set was entirely necessary, but here's what we have: Disc one contains the sixty-minute, theatrical release of the film, plus the ninety-minute extended version with its new footage. Both are in widescreen, with Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks. The sixty-minute version has twelve scene selections and English and French spoken languages, but no subtitles. The ninety-minute version has fifteen scene selections, English as the only spoken language, and French subtitles.
Disc two contains two bonus items, which seems a little skimpy and leads me to believe they both might have fit on one disc had only the extended version of the feature film been issued. Well, we have what we have, as I've said. The first bonus item is called "Reflections From the Deep," and it's thirty-one minutes long. It observes six aspects of the expedition, subtitled "Echoes in Time," "Paxton Under Pressure," "Zodiac Cowboys," "The Saga of Jake and Elwood," "The Unthinkable," and "Keldysh Home Movies." Together, they delve into the challenges of creating the movie, and they include unseen footage on the ocean floor, plus interviews with the director, the star, and the crew.
The second item on disc two is called "The MIR Experience." It's an eight-minute segment on one of the dives as seen through six different cameras, any one of which can be selected at any time from the viewer's remote control. At the top of the screen are choices for camera angles, which are easily accessed. I wish this element had been longer; it was as much fun as the film itself.
Parting Shots:
I enjoyed watching Cameron's "Ghosts of the Abyss" on DVD, but I don't think it's a film I'll be going back to very often. While it's captivating to look at once, it hardly makes for compelling repeat viewing, especially when a cable subscriber like me has so many other fascinating documentaries on TV to watch on any given night. Therefore, I'd say if I were interested in "Ghosts of the Abyss," I'd probably rent it for an evening's enlightenment rather than buying it. But for the Titanic afficionado, I'd also have to admit that Cameron's DVD adventure is probably a must.
Some of the sights are astonishing: the main dining room, leaded glass windows, the grand promenade, state rooms, dinnerware, bathtubs, tables, boilers, etc., just as they were left on that fateful night in 1912.
The only serious drama occurs toward the end of the film when one of the two robots (they were nicknamed Jake and Elwood, after the Blues Brothers) goes dead in the water and they attempt to rescue it. Regrettably, however, this episode takes us away from the exploration of the ship and seems extraneous to the main purpose of the movie.
All the same, the visions presented in "Ghosts of the Abyss" are grand and mesmerizing, and one cannot take that away from it. How often a person will watch the film again, though, is purely a personal matter.
Video:
In its two-dimensional, 1.74:1 anamorphic state, the video is still good if not so awesomely big as its IMAX rendering. On the other hand, the 3-D IMAX presentation was not appreciated by everyone, either, the three-dimensional effects not always showing up as clearly as they could. The DVD presentation is given THX certification and a high bit rate to insure that the picture is as crisp and colorful as it can be. Certainly, the movie's color palette comes up with rich, deep hues. Above the water and within the submersibles, the picture quality is excellent. Understandably, below the surface, where most of the film takes place, the water itself makes things somewhat murky.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound reproduces with ease everything Cameron throws at it, which is, unfortunately, some heavy-duty bass in the musical score, slightly undermining the narration. Once in the sub, however, the music stops and silence ensues, which is a welcome relief. The surround channels are used only sporadically, but when they are, for waves and splashing water, for instance, the result is persuasive.
Extras:
As I said before, I'm not sure a two-disc set was entirely necessary, but here's what we have: Disc one contains the sixty-minute, theatrical release of the film, plus the ninety-minute extended version with its new footage. Both are in widescreen, with Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks. The sixty-minute version has twelve scene selections and English and French spoken languages, but no subtitles. The ninety-minute version has fifteen scene selections, English as the only spoken language, and French subtitles.
Disc two contains two bonus items, which seems a little skimpy and leads me to believe they both might have fit on one disc had only the extended version of the feature film been issued. Well, we have what we have, as I've said. The first bonus item is called "Reflections From the Deep," and it's thirty-one minutes long. It observes six aspects of the expedition, subtitled "Echoes in Time," "Paxton Under Pressure," "Zodiac Cowboys," "The Saga of Jake and Elwood," "The Unthinkable," and "Keldysh Home Movies." Together, they delve into the challenges of creating the movie, and they include unseen footage on the ocean floor, plus interviews with the director, the star, and the crew.
The second item on disc two is called "The MIR Experience." It's an eight-minute segment on one of the dives as seen through six different cameras, any one of which can be selected at any time from the viewer's remote control. At the top of the screen are choices for camera angles, which are easily accessed. I wish this element had been longer; it was as much fun as the film itself.
Parting Shots:
I enjoyed watching Cameron's "Ghosts of the Abyss" on DVD, but I don't think it's a film I'll be going back to very often. While it's captivating to look at once, it hardly makes for compelling repeat viewing, especially when a cable subscriber like me has so many other fascinating documentaries on TV to watch on any given night. Therefore, I'd say if I were interested in "Ghosts of the Abyss," I'd probably rent it for an evening's enlightenment rather than buying it. But for the Titanic afficionado, I'd also have to admit that Cameron's DVD adventure is probably a must.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]11741[/release]