DVD Corner

Life Of Pi Blu-ray Review

“Life of Pi” is a cinematic triumph.

For 16 years of his life, Pi grew up in Pondicherry, India with his family (who run a zoo). When Pi’s father (Santosh) decides to move to Canada and sell all of the zoo animals, however, the family and the animals are forced to relocate from their longtime home to set sail on a Canada bound freighter. Unfortunately, the trip turns out to be a tragic one as a nasty storm causes the ship to sink thereby killing virtually all of the passengers. The only survivors? Pi and a group of animals (including a Bengal Tiger) on board a lifeboat. Now, Pi has to try and not only survive out on the open sea, but to also survive the Bengal Tiger who accompanies him. Note: The film is based on Yann Martel’s bestselling fiction novel.    

You know the old saying that a director should never work with kids or animals? Well, director Ang Lee ignored that and opted for a story that included both (with boat loads of CGI to boot). The result? One of the best films of 2012 and perhaps Ang Lee’s finest work to date.

On the surface, it’s not a stretch to say that “Life of Pi” is one of the most visually stunning films in the past decade. For some filmmakers, CGI has become a lazy crutch, but with ‘Pi,’ the visual f/x are used effectively (to say the least). The CGI animals and environments aren’t mere eye candy, but instead they’re integral components to both the story and Pi’s journey. You couldn’t imagine the film without them nor would you want to.

Under the surface, the story of Pi is both intriguing and rich. The movie itself may be about Pi’s journey, but it’s filled with meaty themes and concepts about nature, survival, storytelling, and religion. Thankfully, the film is never preachy and is, in fact, rather powerful and thought provoking. By the conclusion, you’re left wondering what part (if any) of Pi’s fantastical story was truthful. Was Pi’s imaginative story a way for him to cope with his tragic ordeal or was it a mixture of truth and fiction? It’s entirely open ended and that’s what makes it so engaging.  

In terms of the acting, we all know that 2012 was dominated by discussions of Daniel Day Lewis, but one name that oddly went under the radar was Suraj Sharma (who played Pi). To me, this was one of the most impressive performances I saw last year. It’s equally impressive knowing that it was his debut performance and that he basically had to play opposite a Tiger (mostly CGI) for a majority of the film. The fact that Sharma was entirely convincing in his role is an achievement enough, but having to essentially act on your own for a good portion of filming is quite an amazing feat. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing Suraj Sharma in more film roles soon.

Video/Audio:

Films don’t look much better than this. Presented in 1.85:1 1080p, viewers can expect to see stunning visuals from start to finish. Granted, the film unquestionably had more impact on the big screen, but (aside from the Blu-ray 3D copy I’m sure), this is as good of a home video copy as you can get.

From the storm sequence to the animal noises, this 7.1 DTS-HD MA audio track delivers perfection.

Extras:
* DVD copy and digital copy.
* Pre-production art photo gallery and storyboards.
* BD-Live capabilities.
* “A Remarkable Vision”- The talented Rhythm and Hues company crew members discuss the jaw dropping visual effects as well as certain sequences.
* “Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright”- A featurette about the incredible Richard Parker F/X.
* “A Filmmaker’s Epic Journey”- An exhaustive hour long 4 part documentary that covers the novel, the screen adaptation, the direction, the cast the F/X, you name it.

Summary: If you haven’t seen “Life of Pi” by now, what are you waiting for?

April 4, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Life Of Pi Blu-ray Review