***SYNOPSIS*** - America The Story of Us is an epic 12-hour television event that tells the extraordinary story of how America was invented. With highly realistic CGI animation, dramatic recreations and thoughtful insights from some of America's most respected artists, business leaders, academics and intellectuals, it is the first television event in nearly 40 years to present a comprehensive telling of America's history. Elaborate, ambitious and cinematic, America The Story of Us will take you into the moments when Americans harnessed technology to advance human progress, from the rigors of linking the continent by transcontinental railroad--the internet of its day--to triumphing over vertical space through the construction of steel structured buildings to putting a man on the moon. It is an intensive look at the people, places and things that have shaped our nation, and the tough and thrilling adventure that is America's 400-year history. The episodes are as follows:
DISC ONE
Rebels - How did it America get its name? And how much tea was dumped at the Boston Tea Party? Find out, plus get to know the men and women who traveled across the ocean to settle in America.
Revolution - Read the full text of the Declaration of Independence and discover the secret spy network that helped George Washington and his army win the Revolutionary War.
Westward - How many pounds of gold were discovered in California during the Gold Rush? Find out, plus discover what it took for America's borders to spread "from sea to shining sea."
Division - Commerce and industry thrive across the new nation, now one of the wealthiest on Earth. The Erie Canal brings big risk and bigger reward. In the South, cotton is king but slavery fuels a growing divide. Violence flares across the territories and abolitionists make a stand for freedom. The election of Lincoln is a harbinger of war.
DISC TWO
Civil War - The Civil War rages. The formidable Confederate army cannot match the Union's mastery of technology; railroads, supply lines and the telegram become new weapons in a modern war. The Transcontinental Railroad unites the nation and transforms the Heartland. Farmers settle the continent; their cattle replace wild buffalo as king of the Plains. The Cowboy becomes a new American icon.
Heartland - The Transcontinental Railroad unites the nation and transforms the Heartland. Native American civilizations decline as farmers settle the continent. Cattle replace wild buffalo as king of the Plains; the Cowboy becomes a new American icon.
Cities - Between 1880 and 1930, nearly 24 million new immigrants arrive in America. Many go to work building a new frontier: the modern city, one of America's greatest inventions. The high cost of land in cities like New York and Chicago means the only way to build is up. A new kind of building, the sky scraper, is made possible by steel.
Boom - America strikes oil and the boom time begins. Henry Ford brings the motorcar to the masses; the nation hits the road. Massive engineering projects modernize the West. Intended to cure vice, Prohibition fuels the growth of organized crime in burgeoning cities.
DISC THREE
Bust - Boom turns to bust when the stock market crashes. The Great Depression and the dust bowl blanket the nation in darkness. Roosevelt's New Deal signals recovery. Hope for the American future collides with world conflict; the attack on Pearl Harbor brings war. American innovation and manufacturing might invigorate the Allies in Europe. In the Pacific, the ultimate piece of technology ends the war; a new global superpower takes the stage.
WWII - The attack on Pearl Harbor brings America into World War. The war effort revitalizes the nation's economy. American innovation and manufacturing might invigorate the Allies in Europe and in the Pacific, the ultimate piece of technology ends the war; a new global superpower takes the stage.
Superpower - America becomes a global superpower; technology fuels a boom in the economy and the population. American pioneers conquer new frontiers, from the jet age to the space age, and run headlong into a new threat: Communism.
Millennium - The Cold War is the first test for the new superpower. The Challenger disaster and 9/11 are tragedies that challenge the nation. From the television to the credit card and the personal computer, technology drives America into the 21st Century.
***VIDEO QUALITY*** - "America: The Story of Us" arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer utilizing the MPEG-4 codec in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This is quite a pleasing presentation. New interview footage and reenactments look great, with better than average detail and nice color saturation. Black levels are strong throughout. Problems arise in the CGI footage used to portray past events and the special effects aren't that fascinating and with the higher resolution shows this wart and all. Stock footage is as expected, inconsistent. There were several instances of softness and artifacts, which I can forgive somewhat based on the vintage of the footage. What I'm not a fan of however, is when they decide to blow up stock footage to fit rest of the screen instead of just pillar box the image to show the original presentation of said footage. Overall this is a competent transfer however, earning a solid 8/10
***AUDIO QUALITY*** - Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. The best part of this soundtrack is the narration by Liev Schriber. The interviews and previously mentioned narration is crystal clear. Surround usage is done well, with effects nicely mixed into the sound field. The musical score comes across crisp and is well balanced. LFE was good, it exhibited some nice rumble during some of the reenactments. Overall this is a nice presentation, earning 8/10
***SPECIAL FEATURES*** - There are seven separate additional bonus snippets included in 1080i:
American Revolution - (3min21sec)
Declaration of Independence - (3min52sec)
George Washington - (2min21sec)
Civil War - (4min6sec)
Transcontinental Railroad - (3min28sec)
The Statue of Liberty - (3min12sec)
Henry Ford and the Model T - (3min21sec)
