By BWilliams / 07:10, 3 June 2005 / Reviews - Products

Technobabble of a Different Kind:

The DVD presentation of STAR TREK: INSURRECTION is much in the same vein as the previous single-disc release, with the film presented in anamorphic widescreen format. This time around, the visuals are better looking than before, with little image artifacting, if any, present. This means a picture that is rich and crisp-looking, right down to its visual effects. The DVD also boasts the same English 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 surround tracks, and a French Dolby 2.0 surround track, as on the previous release, with English and Spanish subtitles and English closed captions included. What's new on this disc is the inclusion of an English DTS surround track, which brings out much more subtlety in some places and immersive action in other places.

Packaging and Menus:

As with the previous eight editions, the new 2-disc set of INSURRECTION is packaged in a dual-disc Amaray case, with image art from the film's theatrical poster on the first disc and images of the different planets visited on the second disc. The only inserts that are included in the packaging are two small flyers for the STAR TREK Experience and for the first four series on DVD.

On the previous single-disc release, the menu selection process was extremely static, with only limited screen access capability. This, of course, was because of the limitations of DVD at the time and because of Paramount's tentativeness to step deeply into the wonders of what DVD could hold. This time, however, they're not holding back at all, and that's a good thing. With this latest TREK offering, the DVD menus are represented with CGI animation of the Son'a bridge viewscreen and its console areas, allowing you to choose from among the many different DVD functions. All of the animated menus are easily navigable, taking you from one section to another with ease.

The Extras:

The previous single-disc version of INSURRECTION was extremely limited in its inclusion of extras, with only a brief five-minute behind-the-scenes featurette and the film's original teaser trailer and theatrical trailer included on the disc. This was, of course, a result of the limitations of DVD at the time of its release, as Paramount had just begun to step into the DVD waters. (By comparison, everything on the previous release could have fit nicely onto a 2-hour videotape with room to spare.) For this new release Paramount has greatly stepped up with a host of extras totalling nearly four hours in all.

The first disc sports a new on-screen text commentary from TREK historians Michael and Denise Okuda, as they offer up their thoughts on little tidbits of information throughout the film. As is the case, the Okudas mention little tidbits of trivia for the TREK enthusiasts and production information on the development of the film.

The second disc holds the lion's share of extras, with six major sections included: Production, The STAR TREK Universe, Creating the Illusion, Archives, Advertising, and, perhaps the best of them all, Deleted Scenes. This time around, the featurettes have more substantial meat to them as they take you behind the scenes of the making of the film. This is because Donald Beck and Stephen Wolcott, who directed and produced the behind-the-scenes features on the GENERATIONS, FIRST CONTACT, VOYAGER, and Original Series DVDs, produced these new segments, so this time around they're a little on the meatier side. As with the recent TREK DVD offerings, the new segments are presented in letterboxed fullscreen format as opposed to the more appropriate anamorphic widescreen format. (Why anything would want to be presented in letterboxed fullscreen format is beyond me "" go figure.)

PRODUCTION is divided into seven featurettes and starts off with IT TAKES A VILLAGE, which covers the philosophy behind the creation and development of the Ba'ku village, from its simplistic farming and housing communities to the development of the 'duck blind"� overlooking the village. Running time: 19:55.

Next up, we have LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION, which showcases the beautiful backdrop of the California mountains for many of INSURRECTION's breathtaking scenery. Here we get to see how the real-life scenery played an important role in the look of the film. Most interestingly, we get to see Brent Spiner doing his own stunt work of walking into a freezing lake, footage that for some unusual reason got cut from the final film. Running time: 19:55.

This is followed by THE ART OF INSURRECTION, as concept illustrator John Eaves presents a number of the different and interesting art designs used for the film, including the Enterprise shuttle, the Son'a warships, the Ba'ku community, and more. Running time: 14:52.

Continued...

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