Plot: What’s it about?
The story of Christopher Columbus is well known, after all it has been taught in schools and is considered to be one of history’s more prominent events. But while most of us know little of Columbus beyond his famous spice route shortcut that led to landing in North America, Columbus’ story didn’t end there. His life would take a rough road after that event, having him grow corrupt with power, serving time in prison, and then setting off to find his shortcut one more time. So while Columbus’ final journey wasn’t his best known trek, there is still a story to be found within. He and his crew would battle a hurricane, wind up in the middle of a bloody war, endure a shipwreck followed by mutiny, and miss out on a chance to write themselves into history once again. In this insightful look inside his final journey, you’ll learn not just about the path taken and the time in which it happened, but you’ll find out more about Columbus and what he was like as a person.
I’ve been disappointed with some recent releases from The History Channel, but Columbus: The Lost Voyage bucks that trends and delivers as expected. I looked forward to this program, as it promised to show a lesser known side of a famous historical figure, a side not often covered. The show does just that, giving us insight into Columbus as not just a navigator, but also as a leader and as a man, with mixed results. The program gives credit where due, but doesn’t pull punches when it comes to Columbus’ faults, giving us a much more complete picture than most similar shows. At the same, the program doesn’t allow his flaws to overpower his accomplishments, so no side is taken, information is provided and the rest is left up to the audience. The combination of expert interviews and re-enactments works well, in terms of both education and entertainment. In the end, Columbus: The Lost Voyage is recommended to anyone interested.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 non-anamorphic widescreen. I know this is a television documentary, but the visuals are still important and I do wish The History Channel would choose to release anamorphic transfers. Aside from an image that isn’t as refined as it should be, the shows look fine. The image is clean, but detail suffers a little and some shimmers can be seen. At least the episodes look decent, but let’s hope to see anamorphic transfers soon from The History Channel.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is rather basic, as the program is more about dialogue than music or brash sound effects. So if you’ve seen a documentary style show before, you should know what to expect, a track that is clean and effective, but unmemorable. The focus is on the people and their dialogue, not the surround channels. The dialogue is smooth and always clear here, so no vocals wind up muffled or drowned out by other elements.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a timeline of Columbus’ various adventures.
