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The Universe: Season 7 Ancient Mysteries Solved
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Lions Gate Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Ethan Stevenson (29th May 2014). |
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The Show
 “Ancient mysteries, shrouded in the shadows of time. Now, can they finally be solved by looking to the heavens? The truth is up there, hidden among the stars… in a place we call The Universe.” The universe is vast, complicated and constantly expanding. So too, apparently, is the television documentary enterprise of the same name, which began, way back in 2007, as a minor miniseries with surprising ambition—at least compared to the rest of the junk that sucks up airtime on the formerly educational cable net, which now considers reality sitcoms like “Swamp People” (2010-present) a quality programming staple. In its early form, “The Universe” attempted to contextualize humanity’s radar-blip of existence on earth against the backdrop of the titular universe's 13.8 billion years of being, by exploring the far reaches of the heavens and the very star-stuff from whence we came. With subsequent seasons, “The Universe” has blossomed into a veritable franchise for the network, spawning a handful of 3D one-offs and miniseries events. Originally running for five seasons on The History Channel, the initial iteration of “The Universe” featured astronomers, cosmologists, and a host of other experts (of sometimes questionable validity; astrologers… a-hem) explaining the various facets of the Big Black, from the planets in our immediate solar system to far off elements in other galaxies, and anything in-between. Done with an elementary simplicity, the series was informative in the way that a similar lesson in primary education setting might be; albeit, the science-y concepts accented by CGI to extrapolate on and virtually explore outer space with the superficial and sensatist touch that’s somewhat expected by modern media audiences. In 2011, “The Universe” moved to H2—History Channel’s expanded cable counterpart. In the build up to the impending apocalypse “predicted” in the Mayan calendar, the series took a turn toward the disastrous—literally, in quality and content—by focusing more and more often on world-ending scenarios in which asteroids and other dangers from space might bring about the end of Earthly life as we know it. A sixth season was followed by a seventh, which technically concluded in 2012, and in that time the apocalyptic sensibility reached a zenith before considerably tapering off (perhaps because the Mayan calendar and other ridiculous Rapturous nonsense from certain religious fundamentalists has proved less prescient and more the stuff of pure poppycock.) The four episodes that comprise what Lionsgate and A&E/History Channel have dubbed “The Universe: Season 7 — Ancient Mysteries Solved”—never mind the fact that other sources label it season eight—do dabble in disaster, but that’s all buried beneath the well-intended primary pursuit of education and possible enlightenment. The four part miniseries features a quartet of episodes originally aired back in March of this year. Each entry is somewhat divergent from the formula of previous versions of “The Universe”, putting a decidedly spiritual spin on things, mixing ancient monuments, myths and mysteries with more grounded academia; thoughts on the probable scientific basis from which each was born. Through informative if never innovative interviews with various experts, and slightly caustic narration by Erik Thompson, “The Universe: Season 7 — Ancient Mysteries Solved” explores the origins of well known structures and stories of scripture, often debunking preconception to a somewhat fascinating end. In “Stonehenge”, the mysterious rock structure is posited not only as a place of spiritual sun worship but the early study of the stars; in “Pyramids”, the plot of “Stargate” (1994) looks a lot less ridiculous (but not not ridiculous); and in the final two instalments, biblical accounts are given far more plausible explanations which have little to do with divine intervention. Simply from a form standpoint, the production values (poor quality CGI, low budget dramatizations) and commercial “act breaks” lessen the impact of “The Universe’s” actual contribution to the discussion, even if the questions and possible answers it poses are often quite interesting. Dubbing the miniseries “Ancient Mysteries Solved” may be a bit of a stretch, because very little actually is, well, solved. There’s a lot of speculation in place of definitive, debate-ending facts. Thus, “The Universe” is a means not to an end but a beginning; the hopeful start of a discourse within various disciplines, and if for no other reason than that, it proves a decent educational tool. “The Universe: Season 7 — Ancient Mysteries Solved” includes 4 episodes on a single disc. Numerous sources consider the quartet its own miniseries independent of the seventh season, which concluded in 2012. Approximate episode length is 44 minutes. Episodes are: - “Stonehenge”—Perhaps the most mysterious structure on Earth, Stonehenge has stood on a plain in Southern England for 5,000 years. Why is it there? This episode explores the possibility that Stonehenge was a prehistoric astronomical observatory, where ancient astronomer priests may have divined the complex movements of the Sun and Moon, recognizing patterns that would not be discovered elsewhere for thousands of years. The primitive Shamans may have also been the first astronomers to predict eclipses. - “Pyramids”—The Great Pyramids of Giza remain one of the enduring wonders of the ancient world. These mesmerizing monuments have eluded astronomers and archeologists for centuries. Why and how were they built? Were they merely burial tombs, or a cosmic vehicle to the celestial world? The world's renowned Egyptologists, astronomers and engineers join forces to solve some of the long-held mysteries about the pyramids. What were the motives and methods behind the orientation of the pyramids to face the four cardinal directions with extreme accuracy? Did the ancient Egyptians use the sun or nighttime stars in the orientation of the pyramids? Were the pyramids the pharaohs' portal to the nighttime stars? Or was the entire Giza complex built as a place of cult worship to the sun? - “Heavenly Destruction”—Sodom and Gomorrah: a terrifying Biblical tale of two cities incinerated by a hail of fire and brimstone. Was this a fantastic fable, or an actual apocalyptic disaster? Astronomers, archeologists and biblical scholars investigate the possible science behind the myth. Two separate archeological sites along the Dead Sea claim to hold the remains of the actual sin cities. Newly discovered ancient artifacts may even hold the secrets to their destruction? Could an asteroid be responsible for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? - “Star of Bethlehem”—What was the astronomical reality behind the star that, according to the Gospel of Matthew, guided the Magi to the young Jesus? This episode examines almost 20 centuries of theories, including meteors, novae, supernovae and comets… but is the truth to be found in a combination of astronomy–and astrology? Recent theories suggest that the "star" was the planet Jupiter in a series of conjunctions with other planets, stars and constellations, and that these conjunctions were interpreted by the Magi–astrologers and priests of the Zoroastrian religion as heralding the birth of the Messiah.
Video
Although mindfully keeping an eye looking ever upward toward the heavens, “The Universe: Season 7” is decidedly—and quite surprisingly—reliant, for better and for worse, on visuals that are terrestrial in origin. There’s far less of the series’ usual CGI extrapolated space exploration in “Ancient Mysteries Solved”; instead, a refreshing amount of HD-sourced location footage is in play. That said, the 1.78:1 widescreen 1080p AVC MPEG-4 24/fps high definition presentation is still fraught with the type of inconsistency seen in TV documentaries compiled from a variety of sources—comprised of stock footage, location and “booth” interviews with experts, photographs, helicopter flyovers, and of course CG recreations of both locations as they likely appeared in the past and space beyond. Some interviews, shot in low light, suffer from minor sensor noise; the less-frequent CG is often plagued by artifacts and severe banding (including the opening credits, particularly the on-screen title which looks terrible). The plentiful stock footage runs the gamut from stunningly indistinct (hazy details, softer lenses with chromatic aberration, jittery pans, shimmering, and all sorts of inherent issues) to clean, crisp and sharp shots without any flaws at all. Individual episodes have strengths and weaknesses; “Stonehenge” has the benefit of beautifully picturesque shots of the emerald-green landscape cast in the magical light of sunrise and sunset, but is brought down by cheap computer animations of the structure from various times in the past. “Pyramids” likewise has some stunning, sun drenched vistas of the towering structures, but a mix of rough noise-ridden archival footage from an expedition into the tombs and a number of computer graphic simulations are problematic. The latter two episodes are reliant on dramatic recreations of events, and that’s less of a problem with the transfer, but rather the cheap production values exposed by high def which cause pause. In all, “The Universe: Season 7” provides a solid but wildly inconsistent high def presentation. It’s far from perfect, but I’m quite surprised at just how little of the runtime relies on upconverted standard def material, and how good it looks in its best moments. The disc should please frequenters of History Channel’s offerings on Blu-ray, particularly those who know the kinds of irregularities to expect, and appears to accurately reflect the varied sources.
Audio
“The Universe”, like many of History and A&E’s programs, favors bombast where none is really needed. The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit) offers clears narration and dialogue, and is certainly supported by an often explosive soundscape populated with amped up foley effects and a grating, over-loud score that pounds home the manufactured drama of a docu-series that’s sometimes too sensational for its own good. The storm of hellfire that rains down in “Heavenly Destruction” is quite an energetic set piece at sporadic points, but also pointlessly excessive—as are most instances of the boosted effects and music. The disc also includes English and Spanish subtitles.
Extras
Beyond a few unrelated bonus trailers for other History Channel/A&E releases, there are no extras. Lionsgate has authored “The Universe: Season 7” with optional bookmarks. Pre-menu bonus trailers are for: - “Duck Dynasty: Season Five” on DVD and Blu-ray (1.78:1 widescreen, 1080p; 1 minute 2 seconds). - “Big History” on DVD and Blu-ray (1.78:1 widescreen, 1080p; 1 minute 2 seconds). - “Ancient Aliens” on DVD and Blu-ray (1.78:1 widescreen, 1080p; 1 minute 1 seconds). - “The MLB on DVD” promo (1.78:1 widescreen, 1080p; 1 minute 1 seconds).
Packaging
Lionsgate Home Entertainment, acting as distributor for A&E Networks and History Channel, bring “The Universe: Season 7 — Ancient Mysteries Solved” to Blu-ray packaged in an Elite eco-case. All 4 episodes reside on a single, region A locked BD-50.
Overall
“Ancient Mysteries Solved” is somewhat divergent from the previous output of History Channel's “The Universe” franchise. The four part miniseries puts a decidedly spiritual spin on the usual formula, mixing ancient monuments, myths and mysteries with more grounded academia that often sets out to debunk established thought. Lower budget production values and a slight superficial sensationalism lessen impact somewhat, and the Blu-ray presentation is a real mixed bag without the appropriate frame of reference, but the episodes prove interesting enough that I think "The Universe: Season 7 — Ancient Mysteries Solved” is worth a look overall.
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