Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Join a team of explorers on the expedition of a lifetime as they set off to become the first to navigate the Blue Nile from source to sea. The epic 3,260-mile descent down the world's greatest and deadliest river has eluded humankind for centuries - until now! Ride shotgun on the team's 16-foot rafts as they crash through the rapids in Ethiopia's desert canyons. Battle through some of the world's most extreme whitewater rapids with renowned kayaker, Gordon Brown. Over the arduous, four month journey, the team faces nearly insurmountable challenges - from crocodile attacks to armed bandits and arrests.

This short film is an original IMAX production that follows a group from the source of the Nile to its end in northern Egypt. The crew includes two adventurers, a geologist, a newswoman and a student. The trip is incredibly long and puts the crew at risk as they go from one challenge to another from rapids to the locals. Most of the feature is shot in IMAX but there is some other photography mixed in which gives some mixed results. The story is interesting enough but not quite as engaging as some of the other IMAX productions I’ve seen.

The HD presentation isn’t quite as strong as some other IMAX features I’ve seen. The film was shot mainly with IMAX cameras but there is some other footage mixed in that doesn’t hold up nearly as well. Long shots are a mixed bag with some footage looking very detailed and others looking soft and at times even blurry. Some of the photography is stunning, including some of the waterfall sequences, but the quality isn’t quite as consistent as I would have hoped.

The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is a nice balance of dynamics and narration and does a great job with the material. There is plenty of low bass in this one with the power of the Nile transporting this from a standard documentary into a thrilling aural experience. Surrounds do a great job of putting you in the environment and the film’s narration and dialogue is balanced nicely within the mix.

Extras include a look at the production and obstacles faced throughout the journey along with some trivia on the film.

While the history and locations of this short film were more than captivating the video presentation left me a bit mixed in opinion overall. IMAX shorts are usually a bit more involving visually but the subject usually made up for it. At least worth a rental.