Sacred Planet is an innocent victim of bland marketing. It's really a short documentary focusing on the various ways that aboriginal people from all over the world relate to nature and their environment, and celebrating that human-earth connection with lush visuals and soulful music. As such, it's not bad, if that's what you're in the mood for. But you wouldn't be able to tell what the film is about from the generic title, nor from the equally noncommittal subtitle ("Discover the magic of the place everyone calls home"), nor even from the bland back-cover description that could have been written by someone who hadn't seen the film.

Although it's not billed as an IMAX film, Sacred Planet certainly feels very much like one, and in fact in the commentary the director mentions using IMAX cameras, so the connection is there. The narrative voiceover (provided by Robert Redford) tells us a little about the various native cultures visited here, from aboriginal tribes in South America to Africa to northern Canada and Alaska, and draws out universal lessons about how we should relate to the earth with respect. The highlight of the film, though, is clearly its visuals. Every scene looks lovingly framed and carefully shot, with an emphasis on interesting lighting and colors, and unusual perspectives. No special effects were used anywhere in the film, so all the dramatic or unusual images were really just the fruit of attentive filming and a good eye for interesting locations.

Given that it runs only 47 minutes, and is primarily a visual treat rather than an informational documentary, there's really not a whole lot to be said about Sacred Planet. To its credit, while it has an evidently reverential tone about the natural beauties portrayed here, Sacred Planet doesn't feel sentimental, as I'd feared from the title and the Walt Disney branding. It's very much in the style of IMAX films, so if you've enjoyed those, chances are that you'll appreciate Sacred Planet.

The DVD

Video

The default setting of Sacred Planet presents the film in a widescreen anamorphic transfer, at the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. A matted (but not pan-and-scanned) 1.33:1 version is also included; my preference is clearly for the more visually impressive widescreen format, but I think this IMAX-like film is one that is best appreciated if it can fill your screen (whatever shape that screen may be) so the 1.33:1 option is a reasonable choice as well. The image quality is quite good. Overall, the image is a bit on the soft side, but colors are excellent, looking rich and vibrant.

Audio

Sacred Planet offers a very pleasing audio environment. The default Dolby 5.1 soundtrack is clear and crisp, and offers good surround sound, but it's the DTS 5.1 track that really shines. It offers impressive depth and richness, and is without a doubt the track to choose if you have DTS capability. French subtitles are also included.

Extras

There's really not that much by way of bonus material here. Director Jon Long provides an audio commentary, but it's a bit bland and not terribly captivating. The eleven-minute "The Making of Sacred Planet" is mainly a promotional featurette. Lastly, we get a six-minute music video, "Our Sacred Planet: Unseen Moments in Time," which uses some video footage that wasn't included in the film itself.

Final thoughts

If you enjoy IMAX films, you'll probably find Sacred Planet to be reasonably entertaining. It's a moderately interesting piece that blends visually impressive nature footage with material on the way that various native peoples relate to the earth. With a running time of only 47 minutes, and no particularly strong special features, this is a reasonable rental. Rent it.