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Review
Archives
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Today's
Date is:
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Kilimanjaro:
To the Roof of Africa
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Reviewed
by: |
David
Litton |
| Genre: |
IMAX
documentary |
| Video: |
1.33:1
fullframe |
| Audio: |
English DTS
5.1, English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1 |
| Language: |
English,
French |
| Subtitle: |
English
(cc) |
| Length: |
70
min |
| Rating: |
Not
Rated |
| Release
Date: |
10/08/2002
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| Studio: |
Slingshot
Entertainment |
| Commentary:
|
None |
| Documentaries:
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None |
| Featurettes:
|
"The Making of Kilimanjaro" |
| Filmography/Biography:
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None |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
Trailer |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
|
Slide show,
trivia trek |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Heidi Albertsen,
Roger Bilham, Jacob Kyungai, Hansi Mmari, Audrey Salkeld, Nicole
Wineland-Thomson |
| Screenplay
by: |
Written by:
Mose Richards |
| Produced
by: |
David Breashears |
| Directed
By: |
David Breashears
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| Music: |
Alan Williams
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| The
Review: |
Watching any IMAX presentation on
a television screen presents a setback: many of the films
produced for the large-screen format are shot with attention
to expansive details, so in order to recreate that experience
on a smaller screen, the images have to be condensed down,
sacrificing scope for size. The results are mixed: seeing
it on a standard TV is more akin to watching a Discovery Channel
special than anything else, and the experience of seeing it
spread out in front of you just doesn't come across. ***
Still, "Kilimanjaro" has some attributes
up its sleeve. Six climbers are about to make a trek up the
side of the tallest mountain in Africa, and along the way
we get their story of the climb as we watch them in their
everyday routine. Various wide shots of the mountain would
have definitely looked better on the big screen, but they
are still just as beautiful in their own natural way. Th climbers
themselves can be engaging at times, but they're only there
for one reason: so the filmmakers have an excuse to make the
journey and capture it all on film. Again, the monitor on
which you view the film may present a size problem, but the
film is nicely shot and well-executed for what it is.
|
| Image
and Sound |
The 1.33:1 standard image is a nicely
rendered transfer that carries a few flaws along with it.
The picture is blessed with a vivid use of colors and terrific
saturation, though in some cases, the overall image appears
a bit drained. Blacks are mostly solid with some lapses in
contrast here and there, and edges are sharp without being
completely defined. There is noticeable noise here and there
as well, especially in wider shots showcasing the plains of
Africa and the mountain itself. Not a bad presentation for
what it is, but could use some improvements. ***
The sound is mastered both in Dolby
Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 surround, but neither is very impressive
in terms of energy. The most notable aspect is the score,
which reaches into the surrounds nicely, and sounds clean
throughout. The dialogue is well-recorded also, with a slight
edge here and there. Deep bass is very minimal, and the .1
LFE is almost non-existent. What's there sounds good, but
it's hardly something to shout about.
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| The
Extras |
While
the extras are minimal, they certainly are engaging. The behind-the-scenes
featurette is much like watching an entirely different IMAX
film, as the perils and plunders of making a movie like this
are divulged through interviews with the cast and crew, and
some behind-the-scenes footage of the setups and filming process.
The photo slide show also shows the process by which the film
was made, and to test your knowledge of the movie and the mountain,
there's a trivia game that can be quite amusing (just make sure
you know your mountain trivia). |
| Commentary |
None
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| Final
Words: |
Seeing
the movie on a small screen presents a drawback, of course,
but it has been presented quite nicely, and the features are
nice add-ons for what they are. |
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