If you haven’t seen this movie then do yourself the favor and go pick it up right now! I don’t normally start our reviews in such fashion but this movie is such a gem. From all the controversy of the studios saying it was “unfilmmable” and to look at it now is simply amazing. M. Knight turned it down and I’m glad he did as Ang Lee did this book to film justice. (granted the two are have their differences) Life of Pi features a far fetched story that is nothing short of epic and the journey he is beset upon is breathtaking to say the least.

Without giving away too much if you haven’t seen this movie. There’s a reason why people are comparing this to Avatar. It’s a visual achievement and also has a great story. In fact, most will agree a better story than that of Avatar. Pi (the boy’s name) is stranded on a boat in the ocean with a tiger named Richard Parker. Told mostly in 3rd person and in depth views into his past Pi tells his story to a book author who has been told to visit him and hear a story so compelling it would make him believe in God.

Life of Pi has released to blu-ray with a fantastic video transfer. Eye popping vibrant colors are distributed throughout with what always seems to be the case in many 3d releases. Ang Lee truly accomplished a visual masterpeice that rivals Avatar. The scenes are crafted to blow your mind with the eye-popping colors (almost every shot is postcard material) but when it calls for a dark scene with blacks you can count on that they are deep and rich. No complaints here in the quality department.

As for the 3D version, this film was a great choice based solely upon the Director’s vision. Many thought he was crazy when requesting 3d. Many times it is just as immersive as Avatar and it’s eye catching scenes will jump out at you which is great for an entertainment perspective, especially with the kiddos.

Life of Pi comes smashing it’s way into your home via a very nice 7.1 DTS HD-Master audio track. Although most of the film is vocally driven it’s the scores and sound effects where this one really makes waves. The soundtrack has plenty of eccentric noises and hearing them in HD bliss really adds to the atmosphere that this epic journey of a movie intends to set. I never found anything wrong with the audio track and think they did an exceptional job in this regard. Mission accomplished.

A heap of extras are featured on Life of Pi including DVD/ UV code and the supplement list that follows:

Documentary: “A Filmmaker’s Epic Journey”
Featurette: “A Remarkable Vision”
Featurette: “Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright”
Deleted Scenes
VFX Progressions: “The Wave Tank”
Theatrical Trailer
Gallery
Storyboards

What was once a hit book has become a stellar film and will be a gem in everyone’s blu-ray collection. It tugs on the heart strings and the blu-ray itself is nothing short of amazing. Great video quality and audio quality accompany a fantastic film and wealthy ammount of extras that make this title a can’t miss for one’s collection. Grab it in stores now and you can still get ahold of an edition that comes with a nice slipcover as an added bonus.