Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Documentaries
Likes: Learning something new
Dislikes: Traveling
Hates:

The Show
I am not a fan of traveling, mainly due to the annoyances of the logistics, my own comfort level with New York and a good deal of inherent laziness. I've taken a few trips in my life, but the effort required for these voyages has been a drag. So when I can get a sneak preview from my couch to see if a trip is worth taking, it's much appreciated.

"Discovery Atlas" isn't really a travelogue series, as it focuses more of on a country's culture than it's tourism, but it's not a bad way to learn a bit about a foreign land, without the cost or hassle of getting on a plane, and with a level of access that most people will never have. As a bonus, you get to enjoy some gorgeous sights and fascinating storytelling.

The start of a five-year journey around the globe, the first set of Atlas episodes takes a look at the lives of a wide variety of people from China, Italy, Australia and Brazil. Through their stories, and the commentary of, respectively, James Spader, Isabella Rossellini, Russell Crowe and Sela Ward, each country's unique characteristics are revealed. By approaching these nations from a human perspective first and then mixing in the history, culture and geography lessons, these 100-minute marvels avoid school filmstrip boredom and reach documentary nirvana.

Of the four films, "Italy Revealed" is the best, and it's not because of the great food. Unlike the other three, Italy Revealed blends the stories of its subjects into each other, giving the film a sense of day-in-the-life momentum that doesn't let up. Whereas China and company tell one person's tale, highlighting a particular aspect of life in that country, "Italy Revealed" introduces one citizen before bouncing to another town, checking back in later before bringing the stories to an end. It doesn't hurt that there are some great stories to be told on The Boot, including a young girl attempting to break gender barriers in auto racing, a diver trying to keep traditions alive and the world's most dangerous horse race.

Though Italy's done the best, the other three are quite good, each with a number of excellent characters. Brazil's unusual world of river pirates, religion, ghettos and gala celebrations shows how despite its people sharing a country, the country is full of divides. Using the famed Carnivale in Rio, a well-known part of Brazilian culture, as a central point, the film paints a picture that's far different than most people see.

Portrayed with a healthy dose of foreboding doom, China's portrait is of a world stuck between the past and the future, obsessed with wealth but based in communism, and struggling with resource consumption and population issues. Seeing people like the kung-fu expert who would rather be a security guard, the window washer who doesn't see his family for months at a time or the young woman who gets plastic surgery just so she can get a job, makes one wonder if the country was better off in the past, but the growth is something to behold.

Moving to Australia, and the unforgiving environment of the unique island, and the set takes a bit of a dip. Maybe it's the stories, including a cross-country truck driver's lonely travels, a rancher's adaptation to modern technology and a swimmer's hopes to make the Olympics, or perhaps it's the fact that the importance of nature to Australia makes the film feel like an episode of "Wild Kingdom," but this film is a small cut below the others. If you enjoy such types of documentaries, then maybe this segment, with a look at today's aborigines, will be your favorite.

The DVDs
While the photography on these shows is beautiful, the packaging might be even better. Each of the four DVDs comes in a one-tray digipak folder with an 8-page photo booklet, which is inside a die-cut, foil-stamped slipcase that reveals the art on the folder. The four slipcases sit inside a stiff faux-leather slipcase, along with a 24-page booklet featuring additional photos. On the discs, the animated anamorphic widescreen menu offers a choice to play the film or select scenes. Audio options include English Dolby Digital 5.0 and 2.0 tracks, but surprisingly, there are no subtitles or closed captioning.

The Quality
Shot in HD, the anamorphic widescreen transfers in this set are beautiful. Full of crisp images and bright, vivid color and free of digital artifacts and dirt and damage, this is as close to HD as DVD gets. In a few rare spots, darker scenes suffer from a bit of excessive grain, but it is rare.

The Dolby Digital 5.0 soundtracks are nice and clear, but lack in dynamic sound, as the surrounds are used mainly to enhance the sound. Documentaries are rarely known for deep sound fields though. All dialogue and commentary is free of distortion.

The Extras
Outside of the photo booklets, there are no extras in this set.

The Bottom Line
I've never really enjoyed documentaries that have a travel bent or an educational feel, but then, once you get into Discovery Atlas, it's obvious there's more going on than in your average documentary. "Discovery Atlas" is a mix of beautiful travelogue, insightful history and in-depth profiles, and one of the best the genre has to offer. The DVD presentation is high-quality, and the packaging is sweet, though there are no extras in the set. If you want good storytelling and some tremendous photography, this set offers it in abundance.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.