THE PLOT THUS FAR
In the desert of Southern Jordan lies Petra, an ancient city that was lost to the West for more than 1,000 years. When Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered Petra in 1812, he found an archaeological and architectural wonderland.Now, structural engineer Steve Burrows leads his team of experts to the Middle East to scan the ancient city. Using cutting-edge 3D laser-scanning technology, Steve and the team are able to visualize the city like never before, allowing them to answer long-standing questions about this archaeological masterpiece. How did Nabatean stonemasons carve Petra’s largest building, the Monastery, into a mountainside? Was Petra’s city center–the “Southern Terrace” –all built at the same time, as part of a single, vast civil engineering project? And what new secrets lie hidden underneath the Monastery’s huge courtyard? To find the answers, the team must battle the sheer scale of Petra-and its many tourists-as they use their high-tech scanning equipment to build 3D digital models across the city?
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“Petra” is a city that has been repeatedly lost to time and rediscovered. From the modern discovery by the Swiss, we begin our investigation. Steve Burrows is back to reexamine the history of the ancient city. Was Petra’s Southern Terrace built as one giant project? Was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade shot there?
Southern Jordan pretty much looks like every non descript Middle Eastern nation. When the 3D models start to get rolled out, I’m impressed by the scope of the project. However, there’s nothing there that really floors me. Everything is as it is. I’m not sure what to chalk that up to, but it works for a rather droll architecture documentary.
The DVD comes with no special features. The A/V Quality is strong for standard definition. The Dolby surround track really pumps up the action. Plus, the transfer is not too shabby. In the end, I’d recommend a rental or a stream.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!