Rating:  -
This is one of those great videos you can play on repeat mode and treat the TV as an animated painting. There is no voice over but rather a pleasant new-age style audio bed accompanies the video.
The segments are frequently shot in slow motion which captures the light and water motion exquisitely.
If you are looking for a visual feast, you won't be disappointed. Recommended.
Rating: -
I had previously watched this footage on VHS, and I had already fallen in love with those images. Talbot shows a great sensitivity when capturing dolphins and orcas in their own habitat, and the result is a collection of amazingly beautiful images. I highly recommend this DVD for people who love Nature and sealife, but especially for those who need to take a break and relax. Beauty is always soothing...
Rating:  -
I used to own this on VHS. I also have about 10 large prints from Talbot on my walls... I'm a big fan. I think he's a genius, and this DVD features what I'm not afraid to call the most beautiful images of cetaceans ever recorded to film.
The photography is just unbelievable. Anyone who has a love for dolphins and orcas will be in heaven watching this. It's the next best thing after the real thing (I was on a sailboat for a year and I have actually experienced most of these things in real :).
This is why it's such a HUGE disappointment to witness the totally lousy digital transfer this masterpiece got subjected to. It was clearly ripped from a VHS instead of digitally mastered from the original. And the quality of the rip itself sucks. The whole DVD is 3.23GB in size... It would have been nice if they used the 4GB empty space left to at least encode the video at a higher rate!!! My old VHS version was better quality when I first watched it...
The music is the same as on the VHS: cheap "new age" synthesizer elevator music. I'd recommend just turning it off and play Keith Jarrett's "Koln concert" instead, that's what I always do :)
In short: I'd give a 5 star to the content but the DVD itself deserves a one star so, I rate in the middle, a three...
Rating: -
This is actually the third time I have purchased this DVD. The first time was in about 1993, and it was a VHS. I upgraded to a DVD, but it got broken, so I bought this one. This DVD is, without a doubt, the most visually stimulating and relaxing, at the same time. The video is, in itself, phenomenal with its slow motion filming, but when placed with the music of Mannheim Steamroller, the DVD takes on a whole new life. It is impossible to watch this DVD by Bob Talbot and not come away with a deeper appreciation for the animals in this DVD and the world around us. Enjoy!
Rating: -
We purchased this as a video when our children where 3, 2, and 1. It was a favorite right from the start. We all loved the music and everyone enjoyed a wonderful half hour of quiet as we enjoyed each segment of the video.
Although you learn some of the scientific names of the creatures as they're introduced in each segment, the focus isn't so much to educate as to help facilitate a connection with these wonderful creatures of the ocean. I also think it helped foster within them the knowledge that there are many ways to create "art" through it's visual imagery and musical compostion.
As a Mom I enjoyed the peace (and it was a nice break) when they were younger. Now the benefits are seen in their appreciation of animals and also of a variety of musical forms.
I highly recommend this video. Though My children are now nearly all teenagers it's still one that we pull out from time to time and enjoy all over again.
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