The Universe: Our Solar System [Blu-ray]

The Universe

Our Solar System

Studio: History Channel
Year: 2006
US Rating: NR
Film Length: 7hrs, 50 Mins
Video: 1080P High Definition 16X9 - 1.78:1
Audio: PCM 2.0 (Uncompressed) Audio
Subtitles: English

Release Date: August 24, 2009

Review Date: August 19, 2010

“In the beginning there was darkness, and then – Bang – giving birth to an endless expanding existence of time, space, and matter. Everyday new discoveries are unlocking the mysterious the mind-blowing, the deadly secrets of a place we call – the Universe. "

Introduction

Earlier this year, I reviewed the complete 4^th season of The History Channel’s fun and exciting show, The Universe. Much of this review comes from my comments from that set, though this new release, a ‘best of’, represents a more concise and clear collection of episodes for those out there who may not be interested in owning entire seasons, but are perhaps more selective on the type or style of episodes you wish to add to you collection.

The Show: 4 out of 5

There’s a wannabe astrophysicist inside me wanting to get out. If I was just a little smarter, and demonstrated a penchant for remembering the complex mathematics that are ingrained requirements of that fascinating scientific field, I would be applying to be apprentice to Dr. Neil DeGrasse Dyson with disturbing frequency. But alas, that is not the path meant for me, and so shows like The History Channels The Universe serve up delicious, lamens-term loaded eye and brain candy that dance on the precipice of the meaty mechanics that churn at the center of understanding the rich and riveting realities of the realm of everything around our little blue planet.

Confidently narrated by Erik Thomas, the approach of The Universe is to explore the fantastic side of science, and explore the giddy, tantalizing spheres of possibility in the quest to understand the universe around us. And the balance between ideas grounded in plausible scientific hypothesis, and the outright off-the-wall, upper end of possibilities spectrum (more commonly the realm of science-fiction than science fact) is reasonably well maintained.  

For legitimate students in the study of galaxies, supernovae, gamma ray bursts (GRB), particle physics, the unified theory of relativity, and countless other elements that make up the canvass of study for everything not held hostage by Earth’s gravity, The Universe will seem too pulpy to be taken seriously. But there are incredibly complex theories and scientific questions under investigation through this series.

This collection of episodes, taken entirely from the show’s first season, is concerned with our backyard of planets, planetoids, asteroids, meteors, and the average star we call the Sun, and runs the gamut of stories from the secrets of our live-giving star, the mysterious ringed planets, and our silent orbiting partner, the Moon. Perhaps due to a particular adoration of the ringed planet – it was the first solar system object that I saw through my telescope that literally took my breath away but the episode Saturn: Lord of the Rings is a standout.

Unlike full-season collections, this sampler set of episodes from the season’s first season has been released to be an economical way to experience the show, and is a decidedly more focused collection. As a result the episodes do seem to flow more naturally from one to the other. The downside of course is that with the massive and endless possibilities of the entire universe, the exploration of our backyard could feel somewhat too localized. Considering the magnificence of mystery and magnificence that we have in our small slice of our galaxy (about 2/3^rds of the way out on one of the spiral arms), those curious about the seemingly infinite possibilities in our solar system will have more than enough to hold your attention. This collection would also seem to be better suited to high-school or first-year college courses as materials to consider for certain courses (though the depth and complexity of the series is not nearly deep enough for more engaged studies).

The Universehas at its disposal a talented team of computer animators bringing to life in vivid detail, and with exciting visuals, many of the concepts explored in each episode. It is this sense of fun and wonder that makes this show such a pleasure to watch. And all this exciting scientific possibility, mixed with excellent CGI work, is punctuated with legitimacy by the appearance and postulations of noted scientists, astrophysicists, and other assorted ‘nerds’. 

A cynic might call The Universe ‘dumbed-down’ science, but as a person with a greedy love of all things related to the formation and continued mystery of the universe, and a persistent desire to read all things written by Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Stephen Hawkin, or Brian Greene (and his excellent The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory), I find The Universe to be as endlessly entertaining.

Disc One:

Episode 1:  Secrets of the Sun

Episode 2: Mars: The Red Planet

Episode 3:  The End of the Earth: Deep Space Threats to our Planet

Episode 4:  Jupiter: The Giant Planet

Episode 5: The Moon

Disc Two:

Episode 6:  Spaceship Earth

Episode 7: The Inner Planets: Mercury & Mars

Episode 8: Saturn: Lord of the Rings

Episode 9:  Alien Galaxies

Episode 10: Life and Death of a Star

The Video:  4 out of 5

As with the complete fourth season of The Universe, this collection of episodes looks good on blu-ray. The computer generated graphics are incredibly sharp, super-clean, fluid, and high-quality rendered. The filmed sequences, including the interviews with guests and regular experts, and the analogous demonstrations filmed, look good here. Only the occasional use of stock footage stands out as being of poorer quality (as you can expect from stock footage). The Universe is a bright show, with vibrant yellows, blues, reds, and greens used in the graphics really showing off the look of this show.

The Sound: 2.5 out of 5

Just as with the season sets, the audio is an underwhelming PCM 2.0 uncompressed audio. When broadcast on History HD, the explosions, scenes of destruction, and even the rumble of the music provide a solid audio accompaniment to the series, but on blu, there is no depth of dimension. Erik Thompson’s narration, and the voices of those interviewed, can be heard out of the front speakers (rather than the center channel), and the lack of activity in the surrounds, while images of the universe zip by is noticeable and disappointing. The audio is extremely crisp – but as a partner to the fine image, fails to deliver what is required.

The Extras: No Stars out of 5

No extras, no stars.

Final Thoughts

I am still an unabashed fan of this show. The flirting with concepts that astonish and fascinate is alluring, and the fun of the show is consistent. For every diversion into how the Earth could end up fried, smashed, or imploded, is a discussion or explanation of the Higgs-Boson particle, miniature black holes, quasars, quantum entanglement, and other assorted elements of a universe far vaster and varied than any human imagination could possibly hope to match.

Overall 4 out of 5

Neil Middlemiss

Kernersville, NC