Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #58243 in DVD
• Released on: 1998-12-29
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: Catalan, Korean
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 40 minutes

From the Back Cover
VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES
Originally filmed in IMAX. Ring of Fire takes you heartstoppingly close to the great circle of volcanoes and seismic activity that rings the Pacific Ocean. This award winning film has been seen by millions of people at large-screen IMAX format theatres worldwide. Ring of Fire is the story of these immense volcanic forces and the half-billion people that coexist with them every day around the fiery boundary of the Pacific Rim.

FEEL THE HEAT
You'll feel the heat as cameras take you to the birth of a new volcano in Chile, and relive history with rare and spectacular images of the infamous 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. You will march with the inhabitants of Sakurajima, Japan, as they participate in their annual evacuation drill, and witness one of the frequent ash eruptions of this very active volcano. A whirlwind computer animation sequence gives you a ride through the center of the earth to see the process of the geological forces that cause a volcanic eruption or earthquake. The devastating results of these forces are witnessed through the scenes of the 1989 earthquake that rocked the city of San Francisco.

CHAPTERS
1. Ring of Fire
2. The San Francisco Quake of '89
3. Mt. St. Helens
4. Floating on Hot Liquid
5. Learning to Live With a Volcano
6. Buddhas Keep Watch
7. The Center of the Ring
8. End Credits

Customer Reviews

Good Imax Film
I have purchase several Imax DVD'S. I would rank this film better than most(Grand Canyon and Niagra) and below (The Liveing Sea and Alaska. It is more educational but it does not lack spectacular photography. That is one of the reason I buy Imax is to see thing's you do not ordinarely see. Some Imax films try to tell two to four short stories in a film; to me those film's don't work. I do not buy Imax to see pedestrian plot's; I buy to learn and enjoy the photography. This film fits the bill. If your interested in volcanoe's I do not think you could buy a better film.

Very educational, not so entertaining.
The standards for documentaries nowadays are very high. You need to succeed not only in the educational side of the story but also in entertaining the viewer. As an example, Greg Macgillivray's work in The Living Seas, Stormchasers or The Magic of Flight does everything in order to keep you on the edge of your seat without loosing the story's edge. Here, you can learn a lot from the sysmic and volcanic activities that determine most aspects of the people that live inside the Pacific Rim. Nevertheless, you never feel quite engaged and/or commited to the story as you do with the formerly referred work. The story starts with a visit to Chile's newly born Navidad crater and leads us through a journey that involves San Francisco, the Aleutian Islands, the coasts of the former U.S.S.R., Japan, Hawaii and Indonesia. Anyhow, some shots are impressive- like San Francisco's earthquake recordings- some are really dull. The video and audio quality are very good, though not impressive. Unless you want to complete your dvd collection, try other stuff such as the discs referred above or Africa-The Serengetti or Imax-Alaska.

Ring of Fire
I actually bought this for my 4 and 6 year old sons. They love it and it made them interested in volcanoes and earthquakes. They quote it! It is informative and shows more than a US perspective, although a lot of time is spent on San Fransisco, Mount St. Helens. and Hawaii. It also covers a Japan and Indonesia. It entertains and informs. The trailers included are good too.