There's an allure to the Titanic that's simply indescribable. For some, it's just a sunken ship. But for others, it represents a beacon of ingenuity, and thoughtless pride. The ship's tragic sinking is often seen as a metaphor for the crash, and looming depression that would strike American shores more than a decade later. However you look at the tragedy of the RMS Titanic, it's impossible to deny the sheer beauty and staggering design of the monster ship.
Ghosts of the Abyss is director James Cameron's follow-up to his Oscar-winning masterpiece, Titanic. While his mammoth hit did takes audiences down 12,000 feet to the sunken ship, the glimpses were only fleeting, at best. With Ghosts of the Abyss, however, Cameron and crew, along with actor Bill Paxton, return to the mystery of the deep to explore the Titanic one more time.
Told largely from Paxton's perspective, the documentary offers his compassionate take on the Titanic, sometimes juxtaposed with his hilariously anxious expressions (Paxton looks worried during every single dive).
Unfortunately, though, despite Paxton's jolt of humanistic humor, the documentary does drag every so often, swapping between emotionless, cold stills and stagnant images like a slide show. And some of the Titanic live-action recreations and sentimentalization is cheesy, degrading the overall allure of the film's daunting underwater photography. Still, for those even with a passing interest in the Titanic, Ghosts of the Abyss is a documentary well worth seeing.
Ghosts of the Abyss comes to Blu-ray courtesy of Buena Vista Home Entertainment. The three-disc combo pack includes Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD copy of the film. Unfortunately, no Digital Copy is provided. The film is presented on Blu-ray 3D in 1080p/MVC and on Blu-ray in 1080p/AVC (1.78:1 aspect ratio for both). The Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray both feature 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.
Shot in native 3D, Ghosts of the Abyss looks positively wonderful on Blu-ray 3D, with striking imagery that pops right off the screen. Much like Cameron's Avatar, the film doesn't just rely on tired 3D gags and gimmicks, but rather the illusion of depth, which only adds luster to the mystery of the deep. That said, the underwater shots are not always as impressive as the above-water setting. Though a great many shots are terrific, the cloudy, milky texture of the deep sometimes smooths over depth, slightly hindering the 3D illusion. Still, for those looking for a solid native 3D title, Ghosts of the Abyss delivers an outstanding presentation.
The 2D Blu-ray is also quite sharp, with a staggering blue palette and bold textures and detail, though the film's heavy motion blur is more noticeable here. The image is layered with plenty of depth (pun intended), and stands against other top tier documentaries, especially ones designed for IMAX screenings.
The film's 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track provides an appropriately atmospheric presentation that gives life to the film's moody underwater photography. Dialogue is also clean and crisp, with no distortions or high-end crackles noted. The film's score is also balanced and engaging. While this mix is hardly aggressive, there's little room for complaint.
Extras include a 92-minute extended cut of the film, which adds more than 30 minutes of material to the film. Unfortunately, this version is only included on the 2D Blu-ray and DVD copy, and not on Blu-ray 3D. That said, the longer version is just that – longer. And while some of the added scenes are interesting, the film drags quite a bit at feature-length, more so than even the 60-minute cut.
Other extras include a 30-minute 6-part retrospective featurette, loaded with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. There's also a 2-minute cookie featuring a prank against James Cameron who, much to his chagrin, only gets served cheese sandwiches with extra butter when he dives. Both extras are presented in standard definition.
Ghosts of the Abyss is a fascinating companion documentary to James Cameron's hulking epic, Titanic. The Blu-ray 3D is positively terrific, as is the 2D Blu-ray. If you're a Titanic-lover, this is one disc that's well worth owning. And if you're in the market for a solid Blu-ray 3D title, this disc should do the trick.
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Source : ign[dot]com
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