Michael Scott
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Aircraft Carrier: Guardian of the Seas
Movie:
4K Video:
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Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:
Movie:

4K Video:

Video:

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Final Score:

I always love these IMAX documentaries that Shout Factory puts out, as they not only are fantastic demo discs, but they usually have chosen some very interesting topics for the 40 (ish) minute subjects. They never are anything TOO in depth, or have the audience think a great deal, but they’re great little introductory forays into the world of whatever subject they’re about, and are more than entertaining to myself and everyone else who has watched them in my experience. This time we have a collaborative work between K2 Communications and Giant Screen films, and the creator of the IMAX documentary Rocky Mountain Express to bring us a look the U.S. military aircraft carriers and their history and inclusion in modern warfare. The end result is a fun 43 minute jaunt that actually has a great amount of information on the camel of the seas, and how integral they are in our modern day military fights.
If you’ve ever been close to an aircraft carrier you know how awe inspiring they are, even after literally DECADES of use going back to as early as Pearl Harbor. Gigantic structures, they just out into the ocean leaving a visual footprint that is literally unmistakable to anyone in the world. They have always been known as the air force’s and Navy’s gigantic beasts of the seas, and for good reason. They can literally chug along forever with their massive fuel resources, carry dozens of fighters and other various planes, and take an enormous amount of fire power to take down. According to Stephen Low and producer Bob Kesser have stated that Aircraft Carriers is a passion project that took them over 10 years to create. The aerial shots and up close imagery of the different carriers presented throughout the documentary seem to back this up, as there are literally HUNDREDS of different images of differing carriers. Huge sweep aerial shots abound, with up close and personal images of individual bits of the hulking ships abound, and the pinpoint precision and attention to detail on the IMAX pictures is truly jaw dropping.
While the movie is a glorification of some of our most powerful sea going vessels, it is also a plea for peace in a day when the world is terrified of another great war. There is a scene of the now decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise with one of our narrators offers a somber message of “If there is another great war, nothing will rise from the ashes: neither righteous nor evil”. It’s a solid mixture of both patriotic joy at seeing the accomplishment of man, but also a reminder that we are always on the brink of destruction, and temperance is the wisest action in many cases.
Rating:
Not Rated by the MPAA
4K Video:


Audio:

Extras:

• F-35 vs. Bugatti vs. Human Cannonball
• Usain Bolt vs. Giraffe vs. Nuclear Carrier
• F-35 Navy Selects Reel
• Aircraft Carrier Trailer & TV Spot
Final Score: 

Aircraft Carriers: Guardian of the Seas is another fun IMAX documentary from Shout Factory, and one of the better done ones in recent history. Maybe it’s because I’m a military buff, but watching the sweeping shots of the different carriers (whether from far away aerial shots, or the close up intimate ones) had me completely mesmerized to the point where I completely thought 10 minutes had gone by, only to see the credits start rolling. Stephen Low does a great job with the direction of the film, balanced the more technical bits with a common plea for peace, despite the nature of these war machines in the military of today. The audio and video are nothing short of amazing (as usual with these documentaries), and while the extras are certainly intriguing, they are a bit short in quantity and length. A fun watch for sure.
Technical Specifications:
Starring: Various
Directed by: Stephen Low
Written by: Stephen Low
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH
Studio: Shout Factory
Rated: NR
Runtime: 43 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: February 5th, 2019
Recommendation: Good Watch
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