Mysteries of China - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Mysteries of China

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

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Movie
Mysteries of China is another in a recent slew of IMAX documentaries that Shout Factory has been bringing to 4K UHD combo packs and Blu-ray at a record pace. The last several that I reviewed were decent enough, but I have a fascination with the orient, so I was more than eager to dive into it. As usual, don’t go into the film expecting a meaty documentary, as these IMAX shows that Shout has been presenting are usually barely 30-40 minutes in length and are more a vehicle to show off IMAX cameras in nature and art rather than creating something hugely fascinating from a historical perspective. Mysteries of China follows that tradition by providing a decently entertaining look into the discover of the Terra Cotta Army, and also showing off some stunning IMAX pictures in full 4K UHD.

Narrated by Captain Sisko himself (Avery Brooks), Mysteries of China looks into a fairly recent discovery of a large excavation site in modern China. It seems they found a giant terra cotta army of statues in an underground arena, and after several years many many samples have been pulled up and recovered. However, as much as we would like to see it all, there seems to be a LOT more of the army underneath the ground. Seismic scanners and modern technology has revealed miles of potential discoveries, including a 10 story burial chamber that may included even more treasures. Sadly the lack of ability to GET most of them out without damage has been the single frustrating obstacle to the project.

Again, it’s hard to go any more in depth as there really isn’t much more to go in depth about. The documentary is short and sweet, getting straight to the point in about 35 minutes of actual narration from Avery Brooks. The film likes to blend actual narration and discussion, with shots of modern China as well as dramatic re-enactments based upon the terra cotta army discovery. It’s not meant to really be a widely encompassing engagement, but it does bring enough meat to to the table to be fascinating. Especially on a subject matter that isn’t as widely discussed about as other historical documentaries on the orient.




Rating:

NR by the MPAA




Video:

Well, we know what you REALLY want to read in a film like Mysteries of China. How does the IMAX shot film hold up on 4K UHD? Well, like all of Shout Factory’s releases to date, the 4K image is nothing short of spectacular perfection. What makes the release unique is that Shout is one of the few companies who releases these doc’s in both 4K SDR and 4K HDR as well, giving the user the choice to choose either one of the color choices (probably depending on if you have a TV with poor HDR capabilities or no HDR capabilities at all as was the case with some 2014 and 2015 TVs). This also gives me the ability to switch modes on the disc and see just how much the HDR is really lending the 4K imagery. After A/Bing back and forth for a while I have to say that it’s pretty obvious that the HDR is the real benefit here. The 4K resolution is fantastic all around, but the use of the advanced color ranges of HDR gives the most improvement. The colors pop off the screen at every turn, with bright oranges, and deep shades of red and green showing vivid replication. Black levels are inky deep and clarity is about as sharp as you can imagine thanks to the IMAX cameras filming. The modern day shots of China and the cities within give a jaw dropping picture that makes you want to reach out and touch the screen. Details such as dirt and debris show up remarkably well, and little lines and cracks in the terra cotta figures retrieved show amazing levels of detail to the naked eye. Simply put, this is pure 4K eye candy.






Audio:

Shout has one again given the 4K disc a full Atmos track as well, but for this type of film it’s almost overkill. When it was about Whales in the ocean, or outer space, the use was justified and quite useful. However, in a very talky documentary with no real heavy duty scenes its really more of an overkill scenario. The documentary is very front heavy with a majority of the time spent with Avery Brooks silky smooth voice taking front and center. There’s some mild ambiance used when the film shoots ahead to modern China, or when there is some re-enactment of an ancient ruler, especially with the clanging and clashing of armor, but overall the track is a very smooth and mild dialog driven track. It does well with limited surround usage, and has some decent LFE additions to boost the track’s low end. There’s nothing loud and explosive, and the overheads are VERY minimally used, but it is a very solid audio experience.





Extras:

• Exclusive Interviews
• Behind the Scenes Footage
• 4K Trailers

Final Score: ​

Mysteries of China is a fun little eye candy diversion that works as demo material for the TV, as well as a solid (but rather fluffy) documentary on the discovery of the terra cotta army found underneath modern China. The story is decent, but we’re really here for the visuals and in that respect the movie delivers in spades. Shout has given us a Blu-ray and 4K with both SDR and HDR, but the 4K is LEAPS and bounds better than the Blu-ray and pure eye candy. There’s a few extras on board, but the main feature is the pull here and makes for a wonderful piece to put on as background noise, or to show off how good HDR can be with IMAX cameras. Recommended for a good watch.





Technical Specifications:

Starring: Avery Brooks
Directed by: Keith Melton
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), French, Spanish, DTS-HD MA 5.1
Studio: Shout Factory
Rated: NR
Runtime: 37 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: December 12th, 2017

Image

• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Good Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. This does look like an interesting watch.