Featured 3D Blu-ray Review: Titanic: 100 Years in 3D

August 14, 2012

Titanic: 100 Years in 3D - 3D Blu-ray - Buy from Amazon

A History Channel presentation that has nothing to do with aliens or psychic phenomenon. It actually deals with history. Titanic: 100 Years in 3D aired earlier this year and took advantaged of the 100th anniversary of the actual events, not to mention the 3-D re-release of the movie, but is it worth checking out? Or is it just a gimmick?

The Movie

In 2010, a team assembled in Newfoundland, Canada to begin its mission. They were to take state of the art 3D imaging technology, as well as sonar technology to the final resting place of The Titanic and map the entire Titanic wreck site. We get to come along for the ride seeing some amazing footage, while hearing experts talk about the historical events and the new technology used. We also hear short excerpts of actual letters about the Titanic from 1912 read out. We also see digital animated simulations of these events, as well as paintings and illustrations that have been brought to life with 3-D post-production.

If you've seen anything about the sinking of the Titanic, there's not a lot new here to learn, so it relies on the 3-D hook to draw you in. Does this work? For the most part. The 3-D effects add a lot of depth to this picture and this does help give a sense of perspective and size to what we are shown. This is the special's biggest strength. Also, because they are filming underwater and there's a lot of little things floating in the water. When these things float past the camera, they really stick out beyond the frame of the TV. The 3-D adds enough to make it worth watching, but not enough to make it a definitive look at the disaster.

The Extras

There are no extras on the Blu-ray. The technical presentation is strong, given the constraints of filming underwater. It's not like the filmmakers could set up back lighting and come up with a vibrant color palette before capturing their footage. Water at the bottom of the ocean is always going to be a little murky and dark with grays and browns dominating the screen. The audio is not great, but it serves its purpose. The dialogue is clear and there's enough separation to not feel confined, but it doesn't have a lot of heft either.

The Verdict

Titanic: 100 Years in 3D is worth checking out and the 3D technology brings something to the special without making it feel like a pointless gimmick. On the other hand, the Blu-ray costs $21 for a 45-minute special without any extras. Unless you are a huge fan of Edutainment releases, a rental will be enough.


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