When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions [Blu-ray]

When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions [Blu-ray]
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When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions [Blu-ray]
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Blu-ray details

Actor: When We Left Earth
Director: na
Brand: Image Entertainment
Blu-ray: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Surround Sound, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 258 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: 2008-09-30
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Discovery Channel
Product features:
  • Since the dawn of mankind, we have stared up at the lights in the sky and wondered. Now join the heroic men and women who have dared the impossible on some of the greatest adventures ever undertaken - the quest to reach out beyond Earth and into the great unknown of space! To celebrate 50 years of incredible achievements, the Discovery Channel has partnered with NASA to reveal the epic struggles,

Blu-ray Reviews of When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions [Blu-ray]

Blu-ray Review: So near but so far ...
Summary: 3 Stars

Here's why I like this set:

The image quality is (mostly - see below) very good. Even with the 16mm film source the extra resolution of Blu-Ray is apparent and some of the film is staggeringly effective. As has been stated in another review, the modern interviews are pristine.
The variety and scope of the clips is excellent. The makers have sourced every possible movie from private hands (cine films) and NASA and there's a great deal I've not seen despite 40 years of interest in the subject.
The narration is well written and appropriate. This feels like a story with narrative rather than a straightforward documentary.

Here's why I dislike this set and think it's a wasted opportunity:

Despite the quality of the film clips there are some that have clear and very obvious visible and not just minor anomalies but persistent great big black blobs in the same place on the screen. This 'dirt' persists across clips taken at varied times, even months apart and in very different locations, so it wasn't on the original film. That means, logically, that it's a projection fault and that it wasn't spotted during the HD transfer to Blu-Ray. that's VERY disappointing.
More importantly there's the issue of the music. I'm British and (until recently) our TV documentaries used the original audio soundtrack alone rather than additional music. If music was used then it was sparingly and appropriate and it certainly didn't get in the way of the original audio. During this presentation the music is near permanent. It never stops except for a few seconds here and there. It drowns out narration and more importantly it all but removes the original audio. Subtitles are provided for capcom recordings (voices to and from the spacecraft) but they wouldn't be needed if the infernal music would just shut up! Not only that but the music isn't of good quality and is stupidly over-blown, false drama in every moment. The scenes are dramatic enough, leave them alone please. In the extras there are standalone clips of the astronauts training (etc) and I though at least with these there'd be the original audio but no, the music is even worse and there's NO original audio at all. Shameful. I realize that this is the norm for American TV documentaries (Nothing personal, you make the best TV in the world on the whole) but it ruins the experience and should be resisted.

So, a very very good set partially spoiled by the music and some transfer anomalies. If you can cope with the music then don't let the anomalies put you off. It's probably the best NASA footage on Blu-Ray so far but it could have been the best full stop.

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Description of When We Left Earth - The NASA Missions [Blu-ray]

Studio: Image Entertainment Release Date: 09/30/2008 Run time: 258 minutes Rating: Nr
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