9.5 C
New York
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Advertisement

Dolphins: Spy in the Pod [UK] Blu-ray Review

dolphins-spy-in-the-pod-UK-bluray-coverUnited-Kingdom-Flag-Orb-Icon-32px

– –

The Series

[Rating:5/5]

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_01

The same team that gave the world the enjoyable Penguins: Spy in the Huddle, uses the same concept to go inside the mysterious world of dolphins with Dolphins: Spy in the Pod.

Narrated by David Tennant (Doctor Who; Hamlet), the two-part documentary series uses thirteen “undercover” spy cameras disguised as everything from turtles and rays to baby dolphins and squid to get deep inside the pods of bottlenose dolphin pods, spinner dolphin pods, and even pods of the largest dolphin in the world, orcas.

This fascinating journey manages to capture amazing footage like a group of male dolphins engaging in some recreational drug use using a puffer fish, spinner dolphins chasing lantern fish, and a never-before-seen dolphin mega pod.

Dolphins: Spy in the Pod, at every turn, offers spectacular insight into the world of these curious, intelligent, and extremely sociable animals. Penguins: Spy in the Huddle was a winner, but Dolphins trumps it and is not to be missed.

Video Quality

[Rating:4/5]

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_02

This may be a high definition production, but the underwater environment and some of the cameras used don’t necessarily provide the clearest, crispest imagery. Offered up on Blu-ray in an AVC/MPEG-4 1080i/50 encodement, Dolphins: Spy in the Pod does provide magnificent images in the overall scheme of things, but t doesn’t rank with the greats of the genre like Planet Earth. There is some noticeable blocking in areas and colors always seem just a tad flat.

Audio Quality

[Rating:3.5/5]

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_03

It’s again a disappointment that this series is only provided with a stereo soundtrack in LPCM 2.0 (48kHz/16-bit). It would have been wonderful to be surrounded in the the song of the dolphins and orcas and the lapping of the waves. That said, this stereo track has a good amount of dynamic range and a natural sound to it with spacious enough stereo imaging to get across the sound effects and new age-ish score with success. It also presents David Tennant’s quite affable narration well.

Supplemental Materials

[Rating:0.5/5]

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_04

Not much here at all, only this gallery of stills that clocks in at under a minute.

  • Picture Gallery (1.78:1; 1080i/50; 00:00:48)

The Definitive Word

Overall:

[Rating:3.5/5]

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_05

An immensely enjoyable and informative documentary series with fantastic images of these beloved animals, Dolphins: Spy in the Pod gives us profound new insight into the world of the lives of these sea creatures.

Additional Screen Captures

[amazon-product region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B00HELPX28[/amazon-product]

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_06

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_07

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_08

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_09

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_10

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_11

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_12

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_13

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_14

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_15

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_16

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_17

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_18

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_19

Dolphins-Spy-in-the-Pod-UK-BD_20

[amazon-product region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B00HELPX28[/amazon-product]

Advertisement

Related Articles

Join the Discussion on TheaterByte!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Stay Connected

301FansLike
0FollowersFollow
184FollowersFollow
1,710FollowersFollow
- Advertisement -

Notice of Compliance with FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 16 CFR Part 255

In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR part 255 guidelines, this website hereby states that it receives free discs and other theatrical or home entertainment "screeners" and access to screening links from studios and/or PR firms, and is provided with consumer electronics devices on loan from hardware manufacturers and/or PR firms respectively for the purposes of evaluating the products and its content for editorial reviews. We receive no compensation from these companies for our opinions or for the writing of reviews or editorials.
Permission is sometimes granted to companies to quote our work and editorial reviews free of charge. Our website may contain affiliate marketing links, which means we may get paid commission on sales of those products or the services we write about. Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers or affiliate partnerships. This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR § 255.5: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Latest Articles