Antarctica - An Adventure of a Different Nature (Large Format)

Antarctica - An Adventure of a Different Nature (Large Format)


Starring:Alex Scott (II)
Director: John Weiley
Studio: CAV Distribution
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
True to the IMAX tradition, Antarctica is replete with breathtaking aerial and underwater footage of the earth's highest, coldest, and driest continent. Most folks' TVs are 4,500 times smaller than an IMAX screen--too small to duplicate the acrophobic-stomach sensation that is the hallmark of the IMAX in-theater experience. All the same, like most IMAX movies, Antarctica has some of the best production values on film today. The story begins with a flock of penguins above--and below--water, and moves to gargantuan underwater ice sheets and then to a look at Antarctic climatic changes. Watch scientists locate and extract ancient ice to analyze preserved bubbles of ancient air, as well. Explorer Robert Scott makes an important contribution with his appealing voice and serene, well-articulated narrative. The DVD's special features include Spanish and French language tracks, subtitling, and Internet links if you use the disc on your computer. --Erik Macki
Antarctica - An Adventure of a Different Nature (Large Format)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Worthwhile to rent
  • Very pretty but pretty dull
  • Very Good but Missing Something
  • Captures the wonder and majesty of Antarctica
  • Could have been a lot better...
 Antarctica - An Adventure of a Different Nature (Large Format)
Starring: Alex Scott
Director: John Weiley
Manufacturer: CAV Distribution
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:
  1. Nature: Antarctica
  2. Survival Island
  3. Antarctica: The Blue Continent
  4. IMAX Presents: Australia - Land Beyond Time
  5. Antarctica: A Guide to the Wildlife, 4th (Bradt Guides)

ASIN: 6305211981
Release Date: 1999-03-16

Amazon.com

True to the IMAX tradition, Antarctica is replete with breathtaking aerial and underwater footage of the earth's highest, coldest, and driest continent. Most folks' TVs are 4,500 times smaller than an IMAX screen--too small to duplicate the acrophobic-stomach sensation that is the hallmark of the IMAX in-theater experience. All the same, like most IMAX movies, Antarctica has some of the best production values on film today. The story begins with a flock of penguins above--and below--water, and moves to gargantuan underwater ice sheets and then to a look at Antarctic climatic changes. Watch scientists locate and extract ancient ice to analyze preserved bubbles of ancient air, as well. Explorer Robert Scott makes an important contribution with his appealing voice and serene, well-articulated narrative. The DVD's special features include Spanish and French language tracks, subtitling, and Internet links if you use the disc on your computer. --Erik Macki

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Worthwhile to rent.......2005-11-17

My favorite moments in this film are the seals, the penguins, and the people swimming inside the water of the interior of a glacier. The penguins are really cute, and the seals are amazing, the way they let people come right up to them.

I don't know enough about Antarctica to comment as to whether it has been presented fairly in this film, and I've never seen another film on Antarctica to compare this one to.

2 out of 5 stars Very pretty but pretty dull.......2004-12-15

Look, I love all things about Antarctica, having visited there as a Coast Guard officer in 1982. I have stood at the South Pole, flew in a helicopter through the Dry Valleys, cavorted with penguins on the sea ice, visited the restored huts of Scott and Shackleton. And yet this DVD bored me. Granted, the cinematography is awesome (well, semi-awesome on a 21 inch screen), and I learned a bit about glaciers. But the reviewers who point to the film's choppiness are spot on. Moreover, the narration is at an annoyingly low volume compared to the rest of the soundtrack. Finally, the romantic elevation of Robert Scott into a great explorer is ahistoric, as Roland Huntsford showed long ago in his book Scott and Amundsen, so the fawning treatment here is inappropriate.

3 out of 5 stars Very Good but Missing Something.......2003-11-07

The strength of the program is in the underwater shots and the look deep inside the crevice. This is where the program shines and the Imax we all know is evident.

I was a little disappointed in the wild life shots, particularly because a Killer Whale is never shown (I don't think even mentioned) and which is a major component of that ecosystem. The shots of seals and penguins on the surface seemed a little distant and didn't have that usual Imax touch to it.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there just seems to be something missing. I watched Imax's Everest title back to back with this one. The Everest one is so much tighter. I think because you get a better feel for the people you're watching on screen, whereas with the Antarctica program, there really isn't a tour guide. It's more disjointed and it plays very choppy. When it's good, it's very good, but there's some lapses there in between the underwater scenes where it just looks like they're at the local ski resort. I never felt like I was shown the expanse, danger, history, complete beauty of Antarctica.

It is still a wonderful program, although I think I would have been just as happy renting it. I don't think it will get dozens of plays like the Everest title will.

5 out of 5 stars Captures the wonder and majesty of Antarctica.......2001-09-17

This 1991 documentary was created for an IMAX presentation so I seriously wondered how this video would look on my little TV scene. Of course it could never be the same, but I had nothing to worry about because this 38-minute Australian documentary definitely captures the wonder and majesty of Antarctica. I learned something too and held my breathe in awe when the camera showed how the crevices in the glaciers are sometimes covered with such a thin sheet of ice that it will not sustain the weight of a person. However, they did bring a camera down there and it was a treat to see something that had never been filmed before. Another great shot was a timed exposure of the sun as it travels around the pole. There was also excellent cinematography of seals and of penguins although I wish they had skipped the silly background music, which tried to be humorous while showing the penguins diving. There were also a few film clips from the 1948 British film "Scott of Antarctica".

I understand that the film cost $3.5 million to produce and that the film crew had to drag 2300 pounds of Imax equipment around, including one camera that never worked in the frigid temperatures. It took two Antarctic summers to film and the crew stayed at the American, French, Russian and Chinese scientific camps, getting some interesting footage of the scientists themselves and their experiments. The inevitable conclusion is that global warming is a serious threat that we cannot ignore. This is a great video for those of us who will likely never visit this coldest, driest, windiest and last unexplored place on earth. Recommended.

3 out of 5 stars Could have been a lot better..........2000-07-07

If Imax is now the best quality available on dvd and Anctartica one of the unexplored wonders of our world, you could expect a visual masterpiece. This isn't. Nevertheless, it's not terrible either. The problem here is the lack of empathy that this documentary brings. Yes, penguins look stunning and glaciers also do the trick, but if you're going to go to a place so hostile, yet so diverse, as Anctartica you should expect more information, more soul put into it and, of course, the magic that other documentaries such as Africa-The Serengeti, Imax-Alaska or The Living Seas display. Buy it only if you want to complete your Imax collection.
Antarctic: An Adventure of a Different Nature
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Antarctic: An Adventure of a Different Nature
    Starring: Alex Scott
    Director: John Weiley
    Manufacturer: Razor Digital Entertainment
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    GeneralGeneral | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
    IMAXIMAX | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
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    Nature & WildlifeNature & Wildlife | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video
    GeneralGeneral | Travel | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video
    DVDs Under $9.99DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
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    Similar Items:
    1. Hub Culture Retrospectives: ANTARCTICA
    2. Life in the Freezer
    3. Antarctica Travel Map
    4. Nature: Antarctica
    5. Antarctica: A Guide to the Wildlife, 4th (Bradt Guides)

    ASIN: B000FBFUDG
    Release Date: 2006-07-11
    Antarctica - An Adventure of a Different Nature (Large Format)
    Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • Worthwhile to rent
    • Very pretty but pretty dull
    • Very Good but Missing Something
    • Captures the wonder and majesty of Antarctica
    • Could have been a lot better...
    		 Antarctica - An Adventure of a Different Nature (Large Format)
    Starring: Alex Scott
    Director: John Weiley
    Manufacturer: Lumivision
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

    GeneralGeneral | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
    IMAXIMAX | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
    Nature & WildlifeNature & Wildlife | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video
    GeneralGeneral | Travel | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video
    ( A )( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
    Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
    GeneralGeneral | Documentary | Genres | VHS | Video
    Similar Items:
    1. Nature: Antarctica
    2. Survival Island
    3. Antarctica: The Blue Continent
    4. IMAX Presents: Australia - Land Beyond Time
    5. Antarctica: A Guide to the Wildlife, 4th (Bradt Guides)

    ASIN: 6303386660
    Release Date: 1998-08-25

    Amazon.com

    True to the IMAX tradition, Antarctica is replete with breathtaking aerial and underwater footage of the earth's highest, coldest, and driest continent. Most folks' TVs are 4,500 times smaller than an IMAX screen--too small to duplicate the acrophobic-stomach sensation that is the hallmark of the IMAX in-theater experience. All the same, like most IMAX movies, Antarctica has some of the best production values on film today. The story begins with a flock of penguins above--and below--water, and moves to gargantuan underwater ice sheets and then to a look at Antarctic climatic changes. Watch scientists locate and extract ancient ice to analyze preserved bubbles of ancient air, as well. Explorer Robert Scott makes an important contribution with his appealing voice and serene, well-articulated narrative. The DVD's special features include Spanish and French language tracks, subtitling, and Internet links if you use the disc on your computer. --Erik Macki

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Worthwhile to rent.......2005-11-17

    My favorite moments in this film are the seals, the penguins, and the people swimming inside the water of the interior of a glacier. The penguins are really cute, and the seals are amazing, the way they let people come right up to them.

    I don't know enough about Antarctica to comment as to whether it has been presented fairly in this film, and I've never seen another film on Antarctica to compare this one to.

    2 out of 5 stars Very pretty but pretty dull.......2004-12-15

    Look, I love all things about Antarctica, having visited there as a Coast Guard officer in 1982. I have stood at the South Pole, flew in a helicopter through the Dry Valleys, cavorted with penguins on the sea ice, visited the restored huts of Scott and Shackleton. And yet this DVD bored me. Granted, the cinematography is awesome (well, semi-awesome on a 21 inch screen), and I learned a bit about glaciers. But the reviewers who point to the film's choppiness are spot on. Moreover, the narration is at an annoyingly low volume compared to the rest of the soundtrack. Finally, the romantic elevation of Robert Scott into a great explorer is ahistoric, as Roland Huntsford showed long ago in his book Scott and Amundsen, so the fawning treatment here is inappropriate.

    3 out of 5 stars Very Good but Missing Something.......2003-11-07

    The strength of the program is in the underwater shots and the look deep inside the crevice. This is where the program shines and the Imax we all know is evident.

    I was a little disappointed in the wild life shots, particularly because a Killer Whale is never shown (I don't think even mentioned) and which is a major component of that ecosystem. The shots of seals and penguins on the surface seemed a little distant and didn't have that usual Imax touch to it.

    I can't quite put my finger on it, but there just seems to be something missing. I watched Imax's Everest title back to back with this one. The Everest one is so much tighter. I think because you get a better feel for the people you're watching on screen, whereas with the Antarctica program, there really isn't a tour guide. It's more disjointed and it plays very choppy. When it's good, it's very good, but there's some lapses there in between the underwater scenes where it just looks like they're at the local ski resort. I never felt like I was shown the expanse, danger, history, complete beauty of Antarctica.

    It is still a wonderful program, although I think I would have been just as happy renting it. I don't think it will get dozens of plays like the Everest title will.

    5 out of 5 stars Captures the wonder and majesty of Antarctica.......2001-09-17

    This 1991 documentary was created for an IMAX presentation so I seriously wondered how this video would look on my little TV scene. Of course it could never be the same, but I had nothing to worry about because this 38-minute Australian documentary definitely captures the wonder and majesty of Antarctica. I learned something too and held my breathe in awe when the camera showed how the crevices in the glaciers are sometimes covered with such a thin sheet of ice that it will not sustain the weight of a person. However, they did bring a camera down there and it was a treat to see something that had never been filmed before. Another great shot was a timed exposure of the sun as it travels around the pole. There was also excellent cinematography of seals and of penguins although I wish they had skipped the silly background music, which tried to be humorous while showing the penguins diving. There were also a few film clips from the 1948 British film "Scott of Antarctica".

    I understand that the film cost $3.5 million to produce and that the film crew had to drag 2300 pounds of Imax equipment around, including one camera that never worked in the frigid temperatures. It took two Antarctic summers to film and the crew stayed at the American, French, Russian and Chinese scientific camps, getting some interesting footage of the scientists themselves and their experiments. The inevitable conclusion is that global warming is a serious threat that we cannot ignore. This is a great video for those of us who will likely never visit this coldest, driest, windiest and last unexplored place on earth. Recommended.

    3 out of 5 stars Could have been a lot better..........2000-07-07

    If Imax is now the best quality available on dvd and Anctartica one of the unexplored wonders of our world, you could expect a visual masterpiece. This isn't. Nevertheless, it's not terrible either. The problem here is the lack of empathy that this documentary brings. Yes, penguins look stunning and glaciers also do the trick, but if you're going to go to a place so hostile, yet so diverse, as Anctartica you should expect more information, more soul put into it and, of course, the magic that other documentaries such as Africa-The Serengeti, Imax-Alaska or The Living Seas display. Buy it only if you want to complete your Imax collection.
    Large Format - Explore the World 2 Gift Pack=Africa: The Serengeti/Antarctica: An Adventure of a Different Nature/Mysteries of Egypt/Mystery of the Maya/Tropical Rainforest
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Large Format - Explore the World 2 Gift Pack=Africa: The Serengeti/Antarctica: An Adventure of a Different Nature/Mysteries of Egypt/Mystery of the Maya/Tropical Rainforest
      Starring: Explore the World 2
      Manufacturer: Sling Shot
      ProductGroup: DVD
      Binding: DVD

      GeneralGeneral | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
      Nature & WildlifeNature & Wildlife | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video
      ( L )( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
      DocumentaryDocumentary | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
      Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
      ASIN: B00004WG22
      Release Date: 2000-09-27
      Large Format - Explore the World Gift Pack=Alaska: Spirit of the World/The Great Barrier Reef/Africa: The Serengeti/Antarctica: An Adventure of a Different Nature/The Greatest Places
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Large Format - Explore the World Gift Pack=Alaska: Spirit of the World/The Great Barrier Reef/Africa: The Serengeti/Antarctica: An Adventure of a Different Nature/The Greatest Places
        Starring: Explore the World
        Manufacturer: Sling Shot
        ProductGroup: DVD
        Binding: DVD

        GeneralGeneral | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
        Nature & WildlifeNature & Wildlife | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video
        ( L )( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
        DocumentaryDocumentary | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
        Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
        ASIN: B00004WG21
        Release Date: 2000-09-27

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