"Songbirds are important to the world and they're dying off in record numbers", says the occasionally doom-and-gloom prophecy of Su Rynard's documentary The Messenger (2015). Its message is concisely laid out during this 90-minute production, which travels to Canada, central Europe, and parts of the United States (New York and Pennsylvania) to examine the plight of several once-prominent species that are nearing extinction or heading quickly down that road. Both sophisticated and homemade gadgets are used to track and identify migration and flight patterns, primarily to estimate the dwindling population and identify potential reasons for it. From the obvious (pesticides) to not-so-obvious (light pollution, stray cats), specific reasons are heavily implied if not blamed outright, with the obvious underlying sentiment being a call to action that might just reverse the damage already done.

Rynard's film takes a bold stance on a subject that most viewers might otherwise (a) not know about or (b) not care, which should make it a pleasant surprise for documentary fans who like to venture out of their comfort zone. Case in point: I was in both camps and not expecting much out of The Messenger, but it easily captured and held my attention with its accessible structure, disarming visuals, and a carefully-worded message that places clear information and potential solutions above overcooked drama or fear-mongering. While its visuals do most of the heavy lifting, a variety of experts and other interested parties fill in the blanks including German composer and DJ Dominik Eulberg, ecologist Dr. Bridget Stutchbury, Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) founder Michael Mesure, toxicologist Dr. Christy Morrissey, Turkish ecologist Cagan Sekercioglu, and ornithologist Alejandra Martinez-Salinas.

Through research, on-location footage, and accessible conversation, there's quite a bit to take in during The Messenger and most of it comes across as articulate without any added condescension (aside from blaming cat owners, considering the entire bird population might be eliminated by now if cats didn't have owners in the first place). Overall, it's a terrific effort considering this is Rynard's first feature-length documentary, and The Messenger obviously translates pretty well to the small screen. I've got at least one major complaint that may or may not be exclusive to Kino's new Blu-ray; otherwise, this is a perfectly well-rounded package that supports the main feature nicely.

Presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, digitally-shot The Messenger looks much less impressive in 1080p than expected. To be fair, I'd imagine it represents the source material fairly well: almost every bit of footage I've seen of the film (trailers, featurettes, pre-release clips) has exhibited the exact same problems as this disc, so it likely won't look better on home video. The main issue is rampant color banding, which rears its ugly head in virtually every other scene (particularly troublesome at the beginning), making otherwise smooth gradients resemble a cel-shaded video game from the early 2000s. Motion blurring and interlacing are also extremely frequent, while clumps of noise and occasional softness are also spotted along the way. Black crush is also a problem at times. Overall, there's more bad than good here, partially forgivable since these issues may be hard-wired into the original footage. But it's a major strike against The Messenger nonetheless, and almost a deal-breaker considering the film's subject matter and visual nature.

The audio is available as either DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround or 2.0 Stereo tracks, both of which have little trouble serving up a passable presentation. Dialogue and front-channel effects are quite clear; optional SDH captions (English) and subtitles (Spanish) are included during the main feature only, while stray bits of foreign dialogue feature burned-in English subs. Soundtrack cues are mixed well and, along with a few moments of background noise, serve as one of the only instances of occasional surround activity. The music's overall dynamics lean towards clipped distortion and overcooked bass on several occasions, but this may very well be an intentional choice.

The Messenger is one of those left-field documentaries that's easy to get lost in under the right circumstances; well-paced and accessible, it presents its case in a clear and passionate matter. There's some valuable information here and plenty of great footage to boot, which creates a a pleasing experience that interested parties of all ages can enjoy. Kino's Blu-ray may or may not be a complete disaster in the visual department, though: there are major problems with the video that often distract from some of the otherwise rich landscapes and close-ups. (These are either source material issues or a problem with the disc authoring/compression, but a major handicap either way.) Otherwise, it's a decent effort with good audio, a few welcome extras and, of course, a solid main feature. Rent It.