The History Channel's "Ultimate Collections- World War II: The War in Europe and the Pacific" is a collection of a fabulous early 1980s documentary series titled "World War II: The War Chronicles" and one episode of A&E's hallmark series "Biography." Unfortunately, there is nothing on the case to indicate this, and the style of presentation the series uses, is very likely to anger some viewers and lull others to sleep.

Fifteen of the 16 documentaries collected across this set's four discs are from the "War Chronicles." Patrick O'Neal is the host and he wastes no time in taking the viewer through stories of the United States military involvement in the biggest conflict unleashed in modern times. The episodes are brief by modern standards (each under 30 minutes), but are pound-for-pound light years beyond their flashier, lengthier offspring. O'Neal narrates for the entire duration discussing historical context, the outcomes of specific battles and the events these battles set into motion. All this is relayed as archival footage (credited as being straight from the US military) shows viewers what it was like in the middle of all the chaos. When the show does change focus, it's only to jump back to O'Neal at a physical map illustrating troop movements from time to time.

Unfortunately, this very basic (some might be as brazen to call it crude) presentation is only going to appeal to the nostalgic, who grew up learning from this style of program, or extreme history buffs. The History Channel deserves a stern chastising for taking this old series and disguising it as something new. It's not only a disservice to consumers expecting a modern approach (the copyright dates on the package give no indication of the year it was produced), but also a disservice to the series itself, by not giving it the proper credit it deserves. I can likely imagine there are some people out there who saw this series over 20 years ago and might not be able to find it on DVD, because of this style of marketing.

The 1.33:1 original aspect ratio footage looks to be sourced from a tape as it is filled with digital artifacts consistent with the medium. It's watchable, but does detract from the archival footage looked to have been in rough shape in the first place.

The Audio

The 2.0 English audio track is slightly better than VHS quality with no major defects. O'Neal's voice is fully understandable, but not as crisp or clean as a modern production.

The Extras

I'm going to call the "Biography" episode on Admiral William Halsey an extra, as it's the odd man out, not fitting in with the content of the series presented in this collection. It's what one would expect from an episode of "Biography," educational, but brief.
Final Thoughts

"The War Chronicles" is a relic from a bygone era, when people tuned into documentaries for the facts, not flash. While I am certainly pleased to see this caliber of program made available to the public, I have to admit it has limited appeal to mainstream audiences. The History Channel draws my ire once again for duping consumers, by dumping an old series straight off the tapes onto DVD in a spiffy new packaging that would suggest it's a more recent production. Rent It.