Recently on “The
Daily Show,” guest Neil deGrasse Tyson remarked on the rise in popularity of
science in popular culture. I would argue that much of that new success is due
to technological advances in film and visual effects, which is something that
has greatly helped the success of deGrasse’s series, “Cosmos: A Spacetime
Odyssey.” Mysteries of the Unseen World
relies on similar cutting-edge visual spectacle in order to make more
interesting the kind of stuff I had long forgotten learning in science class.
The science
actually presented within Mysteries of the Unseen World is rather basic,
seeming to be intended for students in need of visual cues for learning, rather
than science enthusiasts looking for new ideas. It says something that a
majority of the scientific facts were familiar to me. These concepts matched
with the striking visual of the film’s high definition 3D presentation will
likely ensure these ideas are retained even more readily by students who view
them. With a running-time of merely 39-minutes, even the length seems directed
at the classroom setting.
Entering the
microscopic world of science with the help of high-speed and time-lapse
photography, audiences are given the chance to see things often missed by the
human eye. We are brought into the spectacle of this world with the additional
help of 3D visuals. Many of these sights are also not wholly original, but are
enhanced by the advances in both science and film. The movie is also helped
along with celebrity narration by Forest Whitaker.
The Blu-ray
combo pack includes both a 2D and 3D presentation of the high definition
material, as well as a DVD copy for standard definition. Along with the
40-minute movie, there is a 15-minute making-of featurette and a photo gallery.
The proper equipment is necessary to experience the 3D presentation of the
film.
Entertainment Value:
5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6.5/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 5.5/10
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