Postcard from Earth

You get more flies with honey than vinegar, but this film is determined to ruin your day... but don't worry the rich will be able to leave to a new world to wreck so that Earth can be returned to an untouched vista in which (you guessed it) the rich can vacation without all those pesky poor people crowding it. I certainly think it was unintentional to show the problem of the world only being 3rd world decay, but rarely are people in business suits seen as the problem (when the rich elite almost certainly consume much more). I'm used to heavy handed messages in nature docs, basically "look how beautiful, don't you want to save it", but Postcards from Earth's solution is leave the wrecked Earth and let it recover without us, rather than learning to live with it. On a giant Sphere screen, nobody really wants to view a full 1/3rd of a film where we get to see poor people picking oranges, poor people living in urban hellscape (with planes flying loudly overhead and nobody looks too happy to be involved with this expensive vision). The audience OOOOOs and AHHHHHs at previous few moments of nature shown, but the depressing message is hammered home over and over. There truly isn't such a thing as subtlety in film anymore. I think the film needed to go one way or the other: either a feel good Disney Nature film with a "save this place" message -or- a downer film where science talks about the harsh reality... but this film is neither. It's bleak, but the solutions of dropping a seed and instantly terraforming a planet is sublimely stupid. And if this solution is possible, why would anyone need to preserve the Earth and leave at all? Just drop a seed every few years and start again when the planet dies? The film ignores responsibility for an easy answer. Is it really ECO for a single couple to travel space? Shouldn't there be a lot more people? Where are all the poor people? Did you leave them on Earth? And in what universe would everybody "leave voluntarily"? Have you met any confederate people from the south? Or a New Yorker. No way they're leaving their hellhole. The film should have been brighter and with more fun, a message is fine, but how about a realistic one?

While the narrative might lack engagement, *Postcard From Earth* compensates generously through an overwhelming, visually arresting spectacle that unfolds on the most enormous scale possible.

For the most part, the imagery of *Postcard from Earth* is quite simple, encapsulating vast landscapes, along with footage of both animals and humans. The Sphere's immense screen, enveloping over 180 degrees of the auditorium and boasting a startling 16K resolution, elevates these images to another level. The visual experience extends beyond conventional boundaries, offering an overwhelming and enthralling cinematic immersion.

The pinnacle moment of *Postcard From Earth* arrives when the screen expands from a standard cinema screen size to 160 square feet, provoking audible gasps from the audience, including myself. The scale achieved at this juncture is nothing short of jaw-dropping, creating a unique cinematic moment that remains etched in my memory.

While the film excels in its overall visual impact, there are sporadic instances where specific special effects are unconvincing. This may be due to a higher frame rate than a conventional film. Nevertheless, these CGI shots are infrequent and do not significantly diminish the film's overall visual grandeur.

There's nothing quite like going to the gaudiest city in the world and entering the brightest building in the world, an electronic marvel costing north of $3 billion, and then getting lectured on how humans have ruined the pristine Earth. Beautiful images on the sphere surface for half of this 50 minute "film" and then 25 minutes of lecturing us on how we should just leave the Earth.

Reminded me a lot of the climate change activists that fly private jets across the world to tell me why I shouldn't drive a gas car.

However the Sphere itself was incredible, inside and out, and the nature scenes were absolutely incredible.

"Postcard from Earth" isn't just a movie; it's a sensory immersion designed to showcase the mind-blowing capabilities of the Las Vegas Sphere. While the film's opening moments felt a touch slow and perhaps a little abstract, it quickly blossoms into a breathtaking visual journey. Once the Sphere's immersive potential is fully unleashed, the experience is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The film itself, a celebration of our planet's natural wonders, is beautifully crafted, but let's be honest: the Sphere is the true star. The sheer scale, clarity, and enveloping nature of the visuals create an experience that transcends traditional cinema. It's a technological marvel, a testament to human ingenuity. "Postcard from Earth" is a worthy vehicle for this groundbreaking venue, and while the film is enjoyable, the Sphere itself is an absolute must-see, a glimpse into the future of entertainment. Prepare to have your perceptions of visual media completely redefined.

So yes, the images that are used after the first five minutes or so and the picture stretches to fill Spheres screen are stunning at first, but there is nothing to hold the film together: the voiceover is just babble and the two 'actors' are like escapees from a deodorant advert. David Attenborough has been doing something similar on a far smaller budget for the last 50 years.

Go and see it if you're in Vegas to see something on this vast screen but any future films made for screening here need to find someone who can match the images with a storyline and characters that are worth investing time in.