Mysteries of the Unseen World 3D Blu-ray Review

     Actors: Forest Whitaker (Narrator)

Director: Louie Schwartzberg

Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Color, 3D, Widescreen

Language: English

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Virgil Films and Entertainment

Release Date: April 21, 2015

Run Time: 40 minutes

 

        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