NOVA: The Planets is an alright documentary series though I have seen better produced from The Science Channel and the like, though this is still well worth checking out for anyone interested in our outer-space neighbors.
NOVA: The Planets
(2019)
Genre(s): Documentary
PBS | NR – 300 min. – $34.99 | August 27, 2019
Date Published: 09/12/2019 | Author: The Movieman
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PBS provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 3.75/5 |
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Synopsis: Among the stars in the night sky wander the worlds of our own solar system — each home to truly awe-inspiring sights: a volcano three times as tall as Everest, geysers erupting with icy plumes, a cyclone larger than Earth that’s been churning for hundreds of years. In this five-part series, NOVA explores the awesome beauty of The Planets. Quick Hit Review: With the 50 year anniversary of the moon landing, there has been a renewed interest in both space travel and outer space in general. This NOVA special, The Planets, is a finely produced documentary series that offers some great information told through both experts in the fields plus some well done visual effects and utilizing the footage captured from the various probes. That being said, one issue with a documentary like this, it’s undermined by the numerous television episodes, most of them airing on the Science Channel with series like “The Universe” and “How the Universe Works”, which meticulously focuses on specific elements of outer space. But for those who don’t have the time to watch hour long episodes, The Planets is something of a well made Cliff’s Notes, a precursory look at the planets around us and coupled with Zachary Quinto’s almost gravely narration, is still well worth checking out. Episodes: Inner Worlds, Mars, Jupier, Saturn and Ice Worlds |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 0/5 |
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This two-disc comes housed in a standard Blu-ray case. No inserts or bonus features were included. |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| PBS releases NOVA: The Planets onto Blu-ray presented with a 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio and given a nice looking 1080p high-definition transfer, probably on-par with how it aired on television. Colors are bright and detail decent but not too surprising given the CGI while the interview footage looked fine. |
AUDIO – 4.0/5 |
| Each episode comes equipped with a DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo track which was pretty serviceable with the music making the most out of the dual channels with the dialogue coming through with nice clarity. Nothing special but still more than passable. |
OVERALL – 3.5/5 |
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Overall, NOVA: The Planets is an alright documentary series though I have seen better produced from The Science Channel and the like, though this is still well worth checking out for anyone interested in our outer-space neighbors. |