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THE UNIVERSE:  7 WONDERS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
3D Blu-ray Edition

Review by Michael Jacobson

Narrator: Erik Thompson
Audio: DTS HD 5.1
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Studio: The History Channel
Features: None
Length: 47 Minutes
Release Date: January 11, 2011

“It IS a pretty cool place.”

Film ***1/2

The Universe is one of those shows that makes me feel like a kid again.

Like many children from my generation, we were all totally into the space program. We grew up in the years following the historic moon landing. There was science fiction out there, but who cared...my generation had science FACT, and it was far better than any aliens or lasers zapping around on our picture tube television sets.

There was so much out there to stagger the imagination, and we couldn't get enough of it. Sometimes I think the real legacy of American space exploration was just how much excitement it generated with thoughts of the unknown and the possible. In recent years, when politicians have all but gutted it and our own president has even put the brakes on our historic shuttle program, I think we've stripped our modern kids of some of that sense of wonder. And that's a shame.

But leave it to the good folks at The History Channel to remind us just how big our backyard really is, and how we don't have to even go very far, astronomically speaking, to experience some of the most amazing things we could imagine. And to drive the point home, they even share the experience with us in 3D with their amazing Blu-ray 7 Wonders of the Solar System.

I have recently succumbed to the trend of 3D television after taking half-hearted stands against it for some time. I thought it was just a gimmick, it would never last, and if you have a decent story or something to say, the extra technology wouldn't make it any better or worse.

While I still agree with my last assessment, I have to say...the modern technology makes new 3D so much different than your grandparents' blue and red plastic glasses days. When you watch now, your set becomes a window to another world. And when your world is The Universe, that's quite a sight to behold.

This program takes us to places we may not have heard of, and other places we have but with new perspectives. The asteroid belt, for example, is not the minefield science fiction has made it out to be. If you were on one asteroid, the next closest to you would look like a speck. Or how about a moon of Saturn called Enceladus that actually constantly erupts geysers of water and ice? If there's all that water, might there be...life?

And speaking of Saturn, you think you know the rings, but did you know that some of the rings have mountain ranges that rival our own Alps? Or how about the biggest storm in the solar system, the red spot of Jupiter that is seven times the size of earth and has been churning for more than four hundred years?

If you thought some of our volcanoes were big, wait until you see the one on Mars. But that doesn't begin to define hot until you take a close look at our sun. Warm and friendly? More like noisy and terrifying. It makes life on earth possible, but also may one day be the cause of our destruction. One of the coolest aspects of this program is actual 3D video of the sun taken by dual outer space cameras. Is it warm in here, or is it just me?

But I have to agree, there is no wonder in the solar system to compare with our own planet earth. Unique in beauty and scope of life, her very existence is a miracle. There really is no place like home.

It's not a deep college level astronomy lesson, by any means, but it's not meant to be. It's a showcase of the solar system and just some of the mysteries it has to enthrall us. The Universe isn't the kind of series that will tell scientists anything new, but it IS the kind of series that could easily inspire generations of future scientists. One of them might actually find that remote microbial life on Enceladus that will really and forever alter our view of our place in the solar system.

And maybe that young scientist will also bring us our first 3D images of that life. If that's the case, sign me up!

Video ****

This is a beautiful Blu-ray presentation from The History Channel, combining superb 1080p picture with brilliant 3D imagery if you have the home theatre gear for it. But not to worry...you can still enjoy a two dimensional journey with this disc if you don't. As with much of The Universe, there is a lot of CGI to render more vivid visions of reality, but one sight you don't want to miss is the real 3D video of the sun. Spectacular!

Audio ***1/2

Though there is a lot of expositionary dialogue at play here, the DTS HD soundtrack also brings vivid live to the solar system. Granted, you can't hear sounds in space, but come on...you can't visit the surface of the sun either. If you could, the noise would be unbearable, so since we can't, why not use modern audio effects to give us a taste of the experience? The track is lively and dynamic, and makes good use of the subwoofer and rear channels for a more immersive outer space experience.

Features (zero stars)

Nothing extra.

Summary:

The Universe is a big place, but The History Channel's remarkable series brings it down to size, one episode at a time. 7 Wonders of the Solar System is one of their finest offerings yet; a brilliant 3D adventure that shows you don't have to go that far to be blown away by the beauty and drama that space exploration has to offer.