This 1991 production joins a growing list of made-for-IMAX titles that are suffering sloppy transfers to home video. Otherwise incredible footage of some of the world’s most volatile areas are compromised by poor transferring, that leaves the audience wondering if they’ve been staring through a fish bowl. Accomplished actor and voice talent Robert Foxworth narrates, but what should be an explosive education is stunted by warped visuals and outdated information.
Released in 1991, Ring of Fire simply isn’t up to date. The 1989 San Francisco World Series earthquake features heavily, when ten years later there are far worse and more current examples of Mother Nature’s wrath. Furthermore, now that everyone owns a personal camera and the Internet has made us one global network, we’ve seen visuals that rival even the best IMAX cameras for immediacy and intensity.
The scholars are all compelling and some of the visuals really are breathtaking. The most interesting element of the 40-minute flick, however, may be seeing communities around the world who live in the shadow of volcanoes. One Japanese town where every man, woman, and child possess their own helmets and survival gear runs annual island evacuation drills. From the outside, the dangerous forces of nature and the disasters they cause are seemingly beyond comprehension. But living at the base of such titans every day, it’s simply a part of life, that fascinating moment when the cataclysmic becomes casual.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
None.
"IMAX: Ring of Fire" is on sale July 12, 2011 and is not rated. Documentary. Directed by George Casey. Written by David Hamilton & Sean MacLeod Phillips. Starring Robert Foxworth.
