Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Set against the immense backdrop of the majestic Grand Canyon, “Grand Canyon Adventure” will take audiences on an exhilarating river-rafting adventure down the Colorado River in the company of a team of explorers who are committed to bringing awareness to global water issues. One of the world's mightiest rivers, the Colorado, no longer reaches the sea. Every drop of river water is allocated to agriculture and populations along the way, many of whom don't even realize their connection to the river. No water remains for the river's end -- the Colorado Delta -- once a thriving estuary that supported the most diverse biosphere in North America. How do we balance our needs with nature's? How do we provide enough fresh water for everyone who needs it, not only along the Colorado River, but everywhere on our planet?

It is pretty obvious that this IMAX feature was meant to be shown in 3D at your local IMAX theater. The opening credits do some interesting stuff with the bubbles and splashes and it comes off a bit gimmicky with a 2D presentation. Thankfully the rest of the film doesn’t resort to this type of stuff and showcases the beauty of the Colorado river and Grand Canyon area. The title of the film is a bit misleading as the film doesn’t really dwell on the canyon that much. The focus here is the Colorado River and its danger of extinction as the water usage has gone up dramatically and the level of the river and its associated lakes has fallen drastically. Like all IMAX films the photography can be downright stunning at times and the desert and canyon backdrop provide some intoxicating footage.

Image continues to deliver some great IMAX Blu-rays. The level of detail here can be staggering at times and I even felt some mild vertigo with some of the photography here. The large format can really draw you in if you have a large screen like I do making the image more of an experience than most films. The depth and dimension on display here are superb and detail is strong in close ups and aerial shots. Some of the medium and longer length shots come up a bit short in fine detail at times but it never proves distracting. Compression artifacts are never a problem.

The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is also a lot of fun and full of great songs from The Dave Matthews Band to heighten the mood of the film. Surrounds are used quite aggressively and there is a great sense of space in the soundstage. Dynamic range is impressive and there is a lot of low end extension in the track. The journeys through the rapids give you some impressive tactile response and really drive home the energy of the river’s rapids.

Extras are about the same as all the IMAX features Image has released. You get an inside look at the production of the film complete with interviews and on-location footage plus some insight into the creative process. There is also a feature on the Canyon and Colorado River. A trivia quiz and trailers are also included.

This is another fine entry into the Blu-ray IMAX catalog and I’m glad Image has been releasing these great short films to the format. The photography here is stunning and the story is actually quite interesting making it a very enjoyable IMAX presentation overall. Recommended.