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| View Larger Image | Ocean Odyssey | DVDStarring: Bernard Hill
Directed By: Dave Allen
Also With: Darren Flaxstone (Editor), Ceri Barnes (Producer), Gaynelle Evans (Producer), Kera Rennert (Producer), Martin Davidson (Producer), Nik Sopwith (Producer), Nik Sopwith (Writer), Tim Haines (Producer), Jamie Smith (Writer)
| List Price: | $19.98 | | Price: | $11.49 | | You Save: | $8.49 (42%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | DVD | | Rating: |  | | Run Time: | 116 minutes | | Format: | Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC | | Studio: | BBC Warner | | Number of Discs: | 1 | | Aspect Ratio: | 1.33:1 | | Release Date: | December 12, 2006 | | Sales Rank: | 39,657th |
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FEATURES | - Do you know what lies at the bottom of the ocean? From the makers of the Walking With. series comes an enthralling exploration of Earth's final frontier seen through the eyes of its greatest inhabitant and the worlds largest predator, the sperm whale. Following a young male from infancy to old age, the marinescape comes vividly to life: the impossibly deep canyons, the underwater volcanoes, and t
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Description
Do you know what lies at the bottom of the ocean? From the makers of the Walking With... series comes an enthralling exploration of Earth's final frontier seen through the eyes of its greatest inhabitant and the worlds largest predator, the sperm whale. Following a young male from infancy to old age, the marinescape comes vividly to life: the impossibly deep canyons, the underwater volcanoes, and the spectacular mountain ranges. The inhabitants of opaque depths are no less impressive ? black dragonfish that cast an eerie red glow, jellyfish shaped like giant footballs ? but the whale is only interested in one creature, the colossal squid. When the two meet, it is the ocean's ultimate battle. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 15 reviews)
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"Ocean Odyssey"! by Braydyn Niewiadomski (Anacortes, WA)  3 Stars
October 05, 2009
When I saw that this was created by the makers of the "walking with" series, it was a no-brainer to pick it up. It's a fantastic series and I own them all (except Cavemen, looked pretty lame, to me) and what I love about them is how they make prehistoric creatures feel so real, as if they were being filmed just like you would film living creatures today. That is also why this sounded very appealing to me, filming the parts of a sperm-whale's life that we can't see.
It's a neat idea, and it makes for a pretty neat program. There are only a couple of things that bother me though, the main one being the camera-work. Many shots they make using the CGI whales, are impossible to film, and no I don't mean because of the depth. Whether they're swimming on the ocean floor or near the surface, there are many times where they will fly right up to the camera and nearly knock into in, or even swallow it. These kinds of images detract from the realism for me, because they can't be real, so they must be CG. I'd rather not be reminded of that. That is an aspect that I always loved about the "walking with" programs, they were filmed just as a documentary would be today.
The other thing is that, as another reviewer pointed out, since you can compare the CG whales to the real ones, it makes them look a little less real. Also, the CG environments that they're in don't look completely real, they sort of look like miniatures being filmed with a small camera. Still, though, there are some shots that look very convincing, and the footage of the live whales is great.
As a whole, the program is still very enjoyable and interesting. The complaints that I have listed above, while do sound rather harsh, do not a program break. The information and the life of the bull sperm-whale they follow from calf to adult are very well done. The animation is in no way terrible, it just could have been handled in a more realistic manner...
This review isn't meant to discourage potential buyers though; it's still worth picking up. (especially if you already like the "walking with" series) Despite its flaws, this is still a good documentary, recommended to anyone with an interest in ocean-life.
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Not as good as the rest of the Walking With... series by D. J. Nardi (Washington, DC) 3 Stars
September 14, 2009
For whatever reason, this DVD just isn't as exciting as the "Walking With..." series. Perhaps it's because Sperm Whales are living animals, while Dinosaurs are extinct. As such, sometimes I found myself criticizing the CGI since I could compare it to a real whale. I also felt this documentary was a bit long, and at times seems to be just one long swim in the ocean without any variation (except the end, with the giant squid). Furthermore, given the fact that we've since recorded giant squid on film, this movie seems a bit dated even though it's only a few years old. It's still worth renting if you're interested in Sperm Whales, but definitely not necessary for your wildlife collection.
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Ocean Odyssey by C. S. Taylor (Te Puke, Bay of Plenty New Zealand)  5 Stars
July 01, 2009
I saw this programme here in New Zealand last year on TV & thought it was brilliant. After some time I was able to locate somewhere to purchase a DVD & on seeing it again I am still of the same opinion. It is brilliant. I have watched it about 4 times already & will continue to do so.
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ocean odyssey by Scott Weyhrich  4 Stars
February 12, 2009
very well done. If you are into sperm whales or sea life buy this dvd
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All too real by Newton Ooi (Phoenix, Arizona United States) 5 Stars
November 25, 2008
This 1-disc DVD comprises 2 episodes, each one-hour in length. The two episodes are a fictional recreation of the life of a male sperm whale that was found beached on a shore in New Zealand in 2004, and whose life was estimated to be over 80 years old. Outside of the scenes involving humans, the rest of the show is CGI, and incredibly realistic CGI at that. The scenes involving humans are those on the beach, and also include scenes on some ships, such as whaling vessels. The story starts with the whale's birth in the early 20th century, and progresses to his death in 2004. During this time, the show follows the whale's journey around the world, and in encounters with various ocean life, such as oarfish, orcas, giant squid, toothfish, etc... Besides following the whale's life, the show also examines how humans have affected the world's oceans. Overall, a great nature show.
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