Atlantis (Luc Besson Collection) - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Atlantis (Luc Besson Collection)



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:



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Movie
Starting the wrap-up of last month’s gigantic Luc Besson Collection, we start delving into the more esoteric films of the legendary French director’s library. And while many people know of Besson’s love for stylish action films, and intimate arthouse flicks a la Subway and Angel-A, few people know that Besson’s true love is the sea. Much like James Cameron, Besson absolutely loves the ocean, and in 1991, he directed and crafted his own visual documentary of the world underneath the water. A film nearly completely void of any dialogue, but simply beauty and a camera. It’s nothing spectacular or groundbreaking, but Besson’s eye for underwater wildlife is superb, giving us a taste of what he sees under the water.

Teeming with wildlife, the ocean floor is probably one of the least explored areas on earth, giving us new frontiers each and every time humankind tries to jump below and handle the mounting underwater pressure. The “Marine Opera”, according to Besson’s own description, plays out in loving detail as he and his crew head under the French waters to capture glimpses of his homeland waters, only to shift over to the Arctic, the Red Sea and the Great Barrier Reef in an attempt to capture the various shades of blue across the world.

pening with a brief few-line narration, Besson quickly shuts off the dialogue and delivers a completely dialogue-free viewing experience, using the various locations and the sea life to paint the picture for him nonverbally. His choice of scoring is a bit odd, using pop rock, some weird jazz elements, among a litany of generalized nature music that you would expect on a David Attenborough. And while this film isn’t exactly up to something you would see with Attenborough’s name on it, Atlantis is a lovely side escape from the regular fare found in this collection of movies and a comfortable way to relax and just watch something beautiful without having to pick it apart for its “story”.









Rating:

Not Rated by the MPAA




Video:

The film and the filming style are a bit dated compared to modern-day digital cameras and production levels, and that shows in the final product here. While definitely beautiful for the time, the low light and the inability of the cameras to capture as much definition under the sea as many newer cameras limit just how gorgeous this COULD be. And I’m not knocking the film because of that. I’m simply pointing out that the cameras of the day had more difficulty under the sea instead of out in the above-water world that most of cinema makes up. Contrast is iffy, and fine details sometimes get obscured by the crush that happens under the water. That being said, many shots are downright amazing, with Besson having a great eye for capturing swarms of fish or the lazy meandering of a sea turtle going its merry way. Grain is nice and visible across the board, and while it sometimes gets a bit noisy and clumps a tad, it’s never really a major problem. Aliasing sometimes crops up, as was the norm for '90s underwater shots, but overall this is a pleasant enough experience.









Audio:

Given both a 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD MA track, the film’s score is probably the highlight of the entire package. Rich and robust, it flows effortlessly across the 6 speakers as it tries and tell the story for us with sound. Ambient water effects and the rush of the waves break upon the surrounds and mains, while the pop rock and jazz-inspired score lilts along. There were a few times where I genuinely wondered why he had chosen the music that he did, but overall, this is a very comfortable release. There’s even some mild LFE thrown in here and there.









Extras:

• Theatrical Trailer

Final Score:

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Again, this review is a bit shorter than your average one simply due to the fact that it’s hard to wax eloquent about a narration-free documentary about sea life. It’s an exceedingly simple film with not a lot of messages to be imparted upon the viewer, but rather a laid-back look at the marine life of some of the world’s most beautiful-looking underwater arenas. The Blu-ray disc looks quite fetching for the most part, but I did notice some chunky grain, and Besson’s cameras are not exactly something you would see from James Cameron. As a result, the Blu-ray is one of those “very good, but never great” experiences that does everything well, but isn’t spectacular. And Besson continues in that same vein by tossing a singular theatrical trailer on the disc as the lone extra. It’s interesting, but not something that I personally would seek out of it wasn’t included in this 9-film collection. Decent Watch.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: N/A
Directed by: Luc Besson
Written by: N/A
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: Music: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Music DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles: English
Studio: Sony
Rated: NR
Runtime: 78 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: November 11th, 2025

Recommendation: Interesting Watch