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Fires Of Kuwait: IMAX
Warner Bros. // Unrated // August 28, 2001
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
IMAX director David Douglas was originally sent to Kuwait in 1992 to get footage for a different picture, but ended up covering the horrific destruction that happened in Kuwait after the Gulf War when the oil wells were destroyed. The destruction left the landscape populated with towering infernos, as the oil kept burning (and if it hadn't been stopped, would have reportedly burned for 100 years).
"Fires of Kuwait" revolves around the remarkably brave fire-fighters who were called in from several different countries to battle the blazes. Not only did they have to face poisonous gasses burning and immense heat, but they had to work their way around unexploded land mines and other dangerous traps that were still left in their place after the war.
We also are shown the creative and ingenious ways that the firefighters were able to contain the out-of-control blazes. One involved ramming a pipe down the well and filling it with mud, while another one involved using jet engines to blast massive amounts of water over the flames. Although I'm sure that the film doesn't contain quite the impact on the small screen that it did on the stories-tall IMAX screen, the impressive bravery and courage that the teams had to go in and triumph over the fires still certainly is apparent, even after the translation to the small screen.
The DVD
VIDEO: As with the majority of IMAX releases, "Fires Of Kuwait" is presented in 1.33:1 full_frame by Warner Brothers. The studio has been moderately successful so far in transfering several IMAX pictures to the format, but haven't quite been able to equal the success that Image Entertainment has had with IMAX features in terms of image quality. "Fires Of Kuwait" is presented here with respectable sharpness and detail. Some scenes appear sharper than others, but I didn't feel that any scenes went into "hazy" territory.
The film's smoky, occasionally dark imagery sometimes seemed to create some minor problems, as slight traces of pixelation were occasionally apparent. Edge enhancement is visible as well, but only in very minimal amounts. Print flaws are also visible at times, as some slight marks and speckles appeared infrequently.
Colors came across fairly well, but not without some minor concerns. The reds and oranges of the fires often looked strong, but occasionally, the colors seemed a little bit smeared. Overall, this is a decent effort, but some problems do take away somewhat from the visuals.
SOUND: On the other hand, while the image quality left something to be desired, the sound quality is exceptionally strong. The Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation immerses the viewer in the middle of the situation, as sounds from the roaring fires and strong winds swirl around the listening space. Surrounds are put into almost constant use with various sounds and sound effects effectively used. As with nearly all IMAX films, sound plays a large and important role in the experience - that's particularly apparent here. Audio quality remains terrific, as the narration (by Rip Torn!) sounded fine, and the various sounds came through with haunting intensity. This is a superb, agressive presentation.
MENUS:: As with the other Warner IMAX titles, menus are basic, with sounds behind the main menu, but no animation.
EXTRAS:: IMAX trailer and a short "making-of" documentary.
Final Thoughts: "Fires of Kuwait" is a stellar IMAX feature that does an amazing job documenting both the horrific destruction of Kuwait's oil wells, as well as the courage of those who put the fires out. Image quality on Warner's release does have some minor problems, but it remains watchable. Audio quality is wonderful, but there really aren't many supplements. Still, "Fires Of Kuwait" is a definite recommendation for fans of large-format IMAX films.
IMAX director David Douglas was originally sent to Kuwait in 1992 to get footage for a different picture, but ended up covering the horrific destruction that happened in Kuwait after the Gulf War when the oil wells were destroyed. The destruction left the landscape populated with towering infernos, as the oil kept burning (and if it hadn't been stopped, would have reportedly burned for 100 years).
"Fires of Kuwait" revolves around the remarkably brave fire-fighters who were called in from several different countries to battle the blazes. Not only did they have to face poisonous gasses burning and immense heat, but they had to work their way around unexploded land mines and other dangerous traps that were still left in their place after the war.
We also are shown the creative and ingenious ways that the firefighters were able to contain the out-of-control blazes. One involved ramming a pipe down the well and filling it with mud, while another one involved using jet engines to blast massive amounts of water over the flames. Although I'm sure that the film doesn't contain quite the impact on the small screen that it did on the stories-tall IMAX screen, the impressive bravery and courage that the teams had to go in and triumph over the fires still certainly is apparent, even after the translation to the small screen.
The DVD
VIDEO: As with the majority of IMAX releases, "Fires Of Kuwait" is presented in 1.33:1 full_frame by Warner Brothers. The studio has been moderately successful so far in transfering several IMAX pictures to the format, but haven't quite been able to equal the success that Image Entertainment has had with IMAX features in terms of image quality. "Fires Of Kuwait" is presented here with respectable sharpness and detail. Some scenes appear sharper than others, but I didn't feel that any scenes went into "hazy" territory.
The film's smoky, occasionally dark imagery sometimes seemed to create some minor problems, as slight traces of pixelation were occasionally apparent. Edge enhancement is visible as well, but only in very minimal amounts. Print flaws are also visible at times, as some slight marks and speckles appeared infrequently.
Colors came across fairly well, but not without some minor concerns. The reds and oranges of the fires often looked strong, but occasionally, the colors seemed a little bit smeared. Overall, this is a decent effort, but some problems do take away somewhat from the visuals.
SOUND: On the other hand, while the image quality left something to be desired, the sound quality is exceptionally strong. The Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation immerses the viewer in the middle of the situation, as sounds from the roaring fires and strong winds swirl around the listening space. Surrounds are put into almost constant use with various sounds and sound effects effectively used. As with nearly all IMAX films, sound plays a large and important role in the experience - that's particularly apparent here. Audio quality remains terrific, as the narration (by Rip Torn!) sounded fine, and the various sounds came through with haunting intensity. This is a superb, agressive presentation.
MENUS:: As with the other Warner IMAX titles, menus are basic, with sounds behind the main menu, but no animation.
EXTRAS:: IMAX trailer and a short "making-of" documentary.
Final Thoughts: "Fires of Kuwait" is a stellar IMAX feature that does an amazing job documenting both the horrific destruction of Kuwait's oil wells, as well as the courage of those who put the fires out. Image quality on Warner's release does have some minor problems, but it remains watchable. Audio quality is wonderful, but there really aren't many supplements. Still, "Fires Of Kuwait" is a definite recommendation for fans of large-format IMAX films.
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