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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Mankind: The Story Of All Of Us

    Featured In Issue 173, January 2013

    Picture4.5
    Sound5
    WSR Score5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    History Channel
    (Catalog Number):
    36579
    (MPAA Rating):
    Not Rated
    (Rating Reason):
    (Retail Price):
    $39.95
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    552
    (Color Type):
    Color With B/W Sequences
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    Not Indicated
    (Theatrical Year):
    2012
    (Theatrical Release):
    No
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    Yes
    (Disc Release Date):
    12/18/12
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Nick Brown
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    DTS HD Lossless 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    The follow-up to America: The Story Of Us, Mankind: The Story Of All Of Us embraces a groundbreaking way of telling this epic human story. Drawing on a growing global interest in a revelatory field of history, now adopted by universities across the globe. "Big History" focuses on the forces of nature to show how mankind's path is guided by events that stretch back, not hundreds, but thousands, even millions of years. How the power of science, from geology and astronomy, to physics and biology, combined to shape our shared human
    journey, revealing astounding global connections and an astonishing interconnected story. This is history without limits, free from boundaries and politics—our story, like it's never been told before. Presented as a three-disc set presenting all 12 episodes of the mini-series broadcast on the History Channel, this is essentially the story of our evolution and how science and technology has freed us from the limitations of our bodies. This is a must-experience presentation! (Gary Reber)

    Special features include additional footage covering domesticating the dog, building the pyramids, fire, the ice age, birth of farming, the earliest humans, rise of the Incas, taming the horse, the Plague, and Genghis Khan.

    The 1080p AVC picture is characteristic with other History Channel productions, with variations in source footage, though, engagingly stylized. The interview and some reenactment footage is contemporary in visual character, with well-balanced color and contrast, as well as decent resolution. The CGI elements are variable in complexity and visual quality. Stock footage is quite varied in quality, at times displaying softness and artifacts, such as grain and shimmer. Still, overall, this is a remarkable documentary presentation that is fully engaging and educational throughout. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is dynamic, with an aggressive directionalized surround presence that effectively envelops the listener. Josh Brolin's narrative voice is perfectly balanced against the, at times, raucous action scenes. The other on-screen commentary is nicely produced with superb presence. Deep bass is energized in the .1 LFE channel to sub-25 Hz and provides a substantial low-frequency foundation. The music score is always supportive of the emotional impact of the incredible storytelling. Every sonic element is seamlessly engaged. This is an outstanding sonic experience that infuses life into the storytelling. (Gary Reber)

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