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Blu-Ray : Highly Recommended
Ranking:
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Release Date: March 12th, 2013 Movie Release Year: 2012

Life of Pi

Overview -

Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, is a magical adventure story centering on Pi Patel, the precocious son of a zoo keeper. Dwellers in Pondicherry, India, the family decides to move to Canada, hitching a ride on a huge freighter. After a shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean on a 26-foot lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, all fighting for survival.

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Length:
127
Aspect Ratio(s):
1.85:1
Audio Formats:
Turkish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Subtitles/Captions:
Arabic Subtitles
Special Features:
Storyboard Gallery
Release Date:
March 12th, 2013

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

How do you make a movie out of a book that contains virtually no dialogue, focuses on a single isolated character, features wild animals, and takes place almost entirely in the middle of the ocean? Just ask Ang Lee, who devoted four years of his life to bringing 'Life of Pi' to the screen. The mystical story of a courageous young man who spends weeks adrift at sea in a small lifeboat in the company of a ferocious tiger enthralled readers around the globe, but proved to be a highly challenging motion picture project. Yet Lee, a visionary genius, worked tirelessly to craft a film of unparalleled beauty and brash innovation that captures the essence of the novel. Though the themes of 'Life of Pi' are well worn, its fresh, often dazzling presentation and superior artistry elevate the movie to a rarefied plane and make it a must see.

Shakespeare wrote "the play's the thing," but in the case of 'Life of Pi,' images speak louder than words. The inspirational tale surely possesses the power to move an audience, but the breathtaking visuals stir the soul. While I struggled to connect to the film's narrative and underlying philosophy, its gorgeous imagery instantly captivated me, and when I focused more intently upon it during a second viewing, my admiration for Lee and his crackerjack technical crew multiplied exponentially. Merging live action with heavy CGI is a tough task, yet Lee's feathers never seem ruffled, and the elegant lyricism that drips from every frame of 'Life of Pi' - even during its intense action sequences - are a testament to Lee's enviable sense of space, motion, and composition. It's no wonder the film received 11 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won four Oscars, the most noteworthy of which was Lee's well-deserved prize for Best Director (the Ben Affleck snub notwithstanding). Almost all the nods came in technical categories, but that's where 'Life of Pi' shines the brightest.

There's not much plot to the film, as it focuses squarely on the survival struggles of Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma), the son of an Indian zookeeper, who finds himself alone in a lifeboat with four of his family's wild animals after their freighter ship capsizes in the Pacific during a raging storm. Along with his father, mother, and older brother, Pi was in the process of moving to Canada (with animals in tow) to pursue a brighter future, but when the ship sinks and all human souls are lost at sea, Pi must live by his wits, rationing supplies and learning how to co-exist with an untamed Bengal tiger, docile orangutan, crippled zebra, and pesky hyena. Challenges galore test his faith and will, as Mother Nature, the ocean's ecosystem, and the disoriented animals both aid and abet Pi's arduous yet strangely wondrous and spiritually fortifying journey.

In many ways, 'Life of Pi' reminds me more than a little of 'The Wizard of Oz' in the way it takes a rebellious adolescent on a death-defying voyage of discovery (via a violent storm) and matches him up with members of a different species. Pi's ceaseless efforts to combat dire conditions and ultimately find safe harbor mirror Dorothy's struggles to return to Kansas, and the two mature through meeting various challenges and conquering assorted foes. Pi even comes upon an Emerald City of sorts when he briefly lands on a carnivorous island that's a verdant oasis in the vast oceanic expanse. The movie's payoff also eerily resembles the denouement of 'Oz,' but I won't spoil that here.

And as 'Oz' was a visual pioneer in its day, so is 'Life of Pi,' which features amazingly beautiful (and Oscar-winning) cinematography and astounding special effects, including a CGI tiger that looks just as real as the sparingly used living specimen. The storms, shipwreck and fly fish sequences, and isolated shots of the seascape infuse the film with bountiful passion and artistry, while Lee's fluid camera work and well-pitched pacing lend it the lyricism of a tone poem. Whether or not you embrace the spiritual themes, 'Life of Pi' quietly feeds the soul in the same manner as a fine painting or work of sculpture.

For someone who never acted before (or even knew how to swim), Sharma files an excellent portrayal, perceptively exhibiting the gamut of emotions Pi feels throughout the movie's course. It's a highly physical role, but Sharma handles the stunts well. The rest of the cast (which includes Gerard Depardieu in a small, but effective, role) also turns in thoughtful, understated performances, but all of them take a back seat to Lee's virtuoso work.

'Life of Pi' is an impressive technical achievement, but it's so beautifully shot and presented, the wizardry becomes invisible and we lose ourselves in the splendor of the moment. The story may not absorb you, but the visuals will instantly carry you away. More than a celebration of the human spirit, 'Life of Pi' is a celebration of what movies can do and where they can take you, and from an artistic standpoint, this journey is unforgettable.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'Life of Pi' arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case inside a protective sleeve. Two discs reside inside: the Blu-ray and a standard-def DVD. There's also a leaflet with instructions on how to access the Ultraviolet Digital Copy. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and default audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the full-motion menu with music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

Video Review

Ranking:

'Life of Pi' is a stunningly beautiful film, and 20th Century Fox honors Lee's vision and Claudio Miranda's Oscar-winning cinematography with a top-flight 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer that floods the screen with sumptuous color and presents an often dazzling image. When compared to the 3D version, contrast seems a tad muted here, but clarity is still letter-perfect, and the spotless source material and crisp picture quality allow us to drink in every detail, from the well-defined crests of individual waves and the spiky protrusions of the tiger's whiskers to the textures of delicate flowers and grit of individual grains of sand. CGI work permeates almost every shot (the film also took home an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects), yet it's seamlessly integrated into the whole, resulting in a well-balanced, smoothly constructed image.

The transfer does possess a decidedly digital look, but less so here than in 3D. The grain-free picture lacks the moments of artificiality that afflict the 3D transfer, and background elements are easier to discern here, too. The jagged edges and contrast variances are gone as well, making for a more consistent, but no less impressive, image. No banding or noise and no enhancements disrupt the picture's purity, and the brief aspect ratio shifts (to 2.35:1 for the fly fish sequence and 1.33:1 for an aerial shot) are more noticeable in 2D. The 2D transfer also nicely handles the intentional 3D effects, providing a slight dimensional boost that provides the flavor of 3D in a flat environment. A few shots, such as the initial view through the animal cage, don't fare well (a blurred image takes the place of the clear view behind the bars), but most make the grade.

The color palette also seems slightly more subdued here than in 3D, but it remains vivid and bold. The reds, oranges, and purples of flowers and Indian saris enjoy a high degree of saturation, while the verdant greens of landscapes and foliage exhibit a luxurious lushness. Strong black levels help exquisitely lit night shots flaunt a magical glow, and bold whites make a statement but resist blooming. Fleshtones remain stable and look natural throughout, and razor sharp close-ups show off facial details well. Underwater shots never appear murky, and reflections are gorgeously reproduced.

Only the aforementioned quibbles keep this superior effort from earning a perfect score, but despite the errant blips, 'Life of Pi' delivers glorious visuals to the home viewing environment, and will impress casual viewers and diehard videophiles alike.

Audio Review

Ranking:

An active, impeccably modulated DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track immerses us in Pi's world and the vast seascape that engulfs him. From the delicate notes of the mystical, Oscar-winning score to the cacophonous shipwreck and storm sequences, the sound remains clear, clean, and distinct, balancing power and nuance with impeccable grace. A wide dynamic scale handles the highs and lows with ease, keeping distortion at bay even during intense sonic passages, and a broad sound field makes fine use of all the channels, enveloping us in music and effects, yet also providing crisp directional pulses when necessary.

Atmospherics are nicely integrated into the track, subtly caressing the rear speakers, but the sonic showstoppers occur during the action scenes. The howling wind, bellowing waves, and pelting rain swirl around and roll over us with substantial force, as the speakers fire on all cylinders, yet individual elements are properly prioritized and never compromised, ebbing and flowing like the tide itself. Bass frequencies are especially full-bodied and weighty, capturing the tiger's roar and all the turbulence of the rough seas. Accents, such as the tiger's claws scraping against canvas, are marvelously distinct, and the lyrical music score gently wafts over the room, exhibiting excellent fidelity and wonderful tonal depth.

Dialogue can be problematic at times. During the raging storm sequences, exchanges can be drowned out by the weather effects, and thick accents make various words and phrases difficult to comprehend. However, that's a minor hiccup in an otherwise flawless presentation. 'Life of Pi' is a celebration of the senses, and the audio helps make the film a thrillingly realistic and immersive experience.

Special Features

Ranking:

A solid spate of supplements takes us inside this complex production. There's no audio commentary, which is a shame, but the comprehensive making-of documentary features plenty of perspective from Lee that makes its omission forgivable.

  • Documentary: "A Filmmaker's Epic Journey" (HD, 63 minutes) – This highly detailed and absorbing documentary methodically addresses every aspect of 'Life of Pi,' which consumed four years of Ang Lee's life. We learn of the director's initial reluctance to tackle an adaptation of what many considered to be an unfilmable novel, how it took a full year to obtain a green light from Fox, and how computer animation was used to map out the complicated shot configurations during the extensive pre-production process. The four-part piece also examines the casting and intense physical training of Suraj Sharma (who didn't even know how to swim when he auditioned for the film); the construction of a huge, custom-designed wave tank and creation of a realistic seascape within it; live tiger training and meticulous CGI tiger production; continuity issues; the challenges of shooting in a turbulent water atmosphere; the judicious use of 3D "to enhance, not exaggerate" the action; the arduous editing process; and the composition of the music score. Sketches, computer mock-ups, audition and training footage, time-lapse photography, behind-the-scenes shots, and interviews with Lee, novelist Yann Martel, screenwriter David Magee, and various technical personnel all bring us deeper into the film and foster even greater respect for the finished product.
  • Featurette: "A Remarkable Vision" (HD, 20 minutes) – A more in-depth examination of the film's visual effects, this technical featurette takes us inside the "previs" (pre-visualization) process and breaks down several key sequences - the shipwreck, storm at sea, and the incredibly complicated fly fish scene. We also see how the effects wizards seamlessly merge 3D and 2D, as well as live and CGI animals. This is a good companion piece to the documentary, especially for those who want to see how the film's artistry evolved.
  • Featurette: "Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright" (HD, 9 minutes) – This featurette looks at the fine points of live tiger training, and takes a closer look at the construction of the CGI tiger model, with special attention paid to making the hairs, movement, and facial expressions appear lifelike.
  • Gallery (HD, 7 minutes) – Eighty-three color images by four different artists comprise this still picture gallery that depicts scenes and settings that were recreated on film. The images can be viewed individually or via a continuous slide show
  • Storyboards (HD) – Seven sections of black-and-white storyboards are included: Zoo Hospital (2 images); Ashram (11 images); Piscine Molitar (8 images); Floating Festival (17 images); Cargo Hold (15 images); Underwater Fantasy (47 images); and Mexican Beach (43 images).

Final Thoughts

Anyone who questions whether Ang Lee deserved the Best Director Oscar for 'Life of Pi' hasn't seen this visually dazzling and technically complex production. The inspiring story of unshakeable faith, indomitable will, and ultimate survival touches the heart, but can't come close to eclipsing the manner in which it is told. With a keen eye and awe-inspiring wizardry, Lee constructs a beautiful and thrilling work of cinematic art. Splendid imagery is the true star of this hypnotic motion picture, and Fox honors this multiple Oscar winner with a terrific video transfer, immersive audio, and a solid collection of supplements. For once, style does trump substance, and Lee's lyrical film is a sight to behold. Highly recommended.