Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Warner Home Entertainment/BBC – 150 mins  – 2009 – Unrated – 1080i Widescreen 1.78: 1 – DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Ever since the high definition era unfolded, the one type of genre that quickly benefited from it were nature documentaries. Why? Well the best way to show off your new HDTV was by displaying images of nature that were so crisp and life-like that you’re convinced you are staring out of a window looking out at the amazon, even though you’re just sitting in your living room. BBC, which has already had great success on Blu-ray with the Planet Earth series, now looks at another wonder of our home world with Yellowstone: Battle for Life. Now get yourself a hot cup of cocoa, sit back, relax and take in the visions and sounds of this amazing natural wonder.

THE SERIES

The series is divided into three parts running an hour each titled, Winter, Summer, and Autumn, showing animals surviving under the most extreme conditions in a one year time frame. The first part, Winter, focuses on a pack of wolves, foxes, and Bison trying to find food and stay alive during one of the coldest winters in history. You’ll truly appreciate these animals after seeing what they have to endure for these freezing months with a scarce water supply and nearly non-existing sources of food. Acting only on instinct, these animals prey on each other’s weaknesses to push through and survive until the climate becomes warmer.

Summer, the second chapter, is much more pleasantly visually, because you can now see the beauty of Yellowstone that has been covered for months by snow and ice. The frozen waters have thawed, and are flowing to full potential, and colorful vegetation and flowers fill what was once was lifeless. But even in such a beautiful surrounding, the creatures of nature still battle to survive for food and territory. And being that the weather is much more tolerable, it makes it much more convenient for the strong to hunt the weak.

The final chapter focuses on Autumn where the leaves change and fall, and the big grizzlies, sheep, and beavers gather everything they need to face the winter weather that will soon strike. The never-ending battle of the strong against the weak continues and the natural cycle of seasons changes the environment until the inhabitants of Yellowstone are again forced to deal with the intense cold weather that returns to the conditions which were introduced in the first chapter of the series.

Like all nature documentaries, besides the visuals, one of the main factors that draws you in is the narration, and for this Yellowstone series actor Peter Firth does a fine job to keep your interest flowing as you journey through the seasons. Anyone who enjoys these types of nature series and likes to kick back and show them off on their HDTV will definitely enjoy this three-part look at the wonders of Yellowstone.

VIDEO

Yellowstone: Battle for Life comes to Blu-ray with a 1080i image in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, and though it is a very impressive image, it still doesn’t look as superb as the Planet Earth series. Yes, there are moments that look truly spectacular, replicating a location you may have only thought could be seen in a science fiction movie, but it’s real and here on Earth. Some moments, while not flat, don’t look as “hi-def,” but you have to really credit the camera team who put themselves in these situations to get these shots. Summer and autumn provide the best picture quality, displaying much more colors and depth of field, while winter is obviously so packed with snow that the locations are grim. Overall, there is plenty of joy for the eyes, so viewers of nature films will be pleased.

AUDIO

Offering a DTS-HD 5.1 audio mix, Yellowstone: Battle for Life sounds good, but there’s not much to expect from a nature documentary. The front speakers handle most of the audio, but in scenes where there are birds chirping or flowing waters, the rear speakers handle it well. Peter Firth’s narration sounds crystal clear commanding your attention to the scenery without overpowering it. Obviously, the idea is to allow you to hear the natural sounds of Yellowstone, so on that level the audio succeeds.

EXTRAS

There are three featurettes running around ten minutes each that go behind the scenes of the documentary series. Jeff Henry: The Snowman features the photographer that put himself in extreme conditions to get some amazing shots. Geyer Gazers looks at the team who worked on Geyser segment. Mike Kasic: The Snowman focuses on the audio recorder who used unique methods to capture the natural sounds of Yellowstone.

BOTTOM LINE

Yellowstone: Battle for Life is definitely worth adding to your collection, especially if you already own some of the other BBC Blu-rays in their nature series. The Blu-ray offers some striking visuals, as well as provides a wealth of information about one of the greatest natural wonders the Earth has to offer.

SCORES: (out of 5):

The Series: 3.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 2.0

Bottom Line: 3.0