Kon-Tiki

This is not a re-enactment; this is the actual footage from the 1947 voyage. The film itself is in black and white and is silent, and there is English-language voice-over identifying the participants and explaining everything that you're seeing. If you've read the book then practically all of it will be familiar to you - even so, it's worth watching. Reading about whale sharks and crashing waves is one thing; seeing them as they were filmed is very much another.

I was pleasently surprised by the quality of this DVD. Thor was a man who truly lived by the phrases, 'put your money where your mouth is' and 'Put up or shut up!' Most "experts" were sure he and his companions would never be seen again when they departed Peru on a raft to cross the Pacific Ocean! They made it with surprisingly little trouble considering what they were up against. If you read the book this DVD gives you a nice filling out and if you haven't read the book, do so. You will only wish you could have gone with him.

After watching the 2012 theatrical film KON-TIKI, I wanted to view the real thing. Thor Heyerdahl's journey on a balsa raft across the unforgiving Pacific Ocean was a remarkable feat of courage. Heyerdahl proposed that the Polynesian Islands in the Pacific could have been populated by South Americans rather than by Asians, which was the accepted fact of the day. After 101 days and 4,300 nautical miles on a bolsa raft, he and his 5 fellow adventurers proved without a doubt that a raft leaving Peru could, in fact, could reach the Polynesian Islands. In fact, it was amazingly easy and far from impossible as he had been told. The original Heyerdahl documentary is a complete step back in time. Although the recent theatrical version dramatized some facts, it did follow the real story closely. The theatrical movie had the advantage of filmmaking techniques and all the possible safety factors. Heyerdahl and his men were pioneers on so many levels. They brought along a movie camera to film their adventures. This was long before reality TV so it is amazing they men thought to document their story alone and without a film crew or safety features. These men did everything and took all the risks. Obviously, pieces are missing in the story and are filled-in by the narrator. The ocean seems peaceful but there was a 5 day storm where no filming was done. The original Kon-Tiki is more authentic than any Hollywood creation. These men lived this adventure and surprisingly did quite well on the journey. The version I watched is from Janson Media. It does have a menu with some bonus features to enjoy. I know Heyerdahl and his team filmed in black and white under harsh conditions, so I don't know if the film could have been enhanced for clarity. Again, this was 1947 and people weren't making documentaries on the high seas. The men were filming under harsh conditions and without today's high-tech cameras. A few rolls of completed film were destroyed by the environment. The final documentary may be technically crude by our modern sensibilities but it is truly amazing. It does seem like more effort could have been used in the graphics and maps that explain the journey. The opening information scroll at the beginning is barely readable with the Kon-Tiki figure background. Keep the authenticity of the footage but it would be good to enhance the non-documentary footage. Nothing beats the original KON-TIKI. Here is the amazing story of how 6 men crossed the Pacific on a raft. It is a no frills story. The drama was built in and there is amazing footage of sea creatures who followed the raft. It is realism at its best. The crew risked their lives to board a rubber dinghy (a bit of modern technology that did not affect the raft). Attached to a rope, the dinghy was prevented from drifting off in the ocean and views of the Kon-Tiki could be filmed from a distance. Amazing on all levels. No Hollywood crew or safety features. Here is the real and amazing adventure. Remember this adventure was filmed in 1947 long before all the technical advances of Hollywood and visual effects. Allow yourself to enjoy the "real" thing. It is truly amazing.

I read the story of Kon Tiki when a teenager 69+ years ago and was enthralled by it. Bearing in mind that it was filmed with a 16mm camera on board a balsa wood raft during its 3 month crossing of the Pacific 70 years ago the film quality is exceptionally good. Thoroughly recommended.

I saw this years ago as a youngster and never forgot it. Tired of describing it to others, I finally purchased it to view with friends and family. Far more interesting than the recent movie adaption. Makes a great introduction to the book, so read that, too, to complete your library on the subject.

This is great - because it was actually filmed on the boat during the trip. I went to the Kon Tiki museum recently on a trip to Norway. I was amazed at the story. Such bravery and adventure! So this is not a Hollywood film. It is the actual event.

The story is very interesting and the additional features are as well but on my DVD the sound was horrible. In many parts the music was louder than the dialog and when the announcer spoke his volumn was very low while the interviews with Thor H. volumn was high - I kept having to adjust the sound volumn depending on who was talking and if there was background music I couldn't adjust the volumn because then the music would just get too loud. I think this was in the special features section. I don't know if this was because the DVD was low quality or if the sound editor just did a very poor job. I watched all of it but am giving it to my local library as I doubt I would look at this again with all the sound problems. I would beware which DVD you buy in case it is an issue with a copied DVD rather than a fresh copy from the original (or whatever - one of the other reviewers mentioned a something about a DVD-R).

To know the Ocean and the life in it will never be the same as it was in 1947. The journey was epic not because it crossed a moonscape deserted of life but because of the intimacy that the crew had with the living sea. Only on a raft would you get this experience.

Attention, ce DVD ne présente pas de version française, ni pour le langage, ni pour les sous-titres. Rien de tel pour exercer son anglais!

Nachdem ich einige Bücher von Heyerdahl gelesen hatte, kam dieser Film genau richtig. Schade, dass es nicht noch mehr Filme (Aku Aku, Ra,...) gibt. Dieser ist auf jeden Fall ganz klasse, interessant und mal was richtig Echtes! Versand und Verpackung sehr gut.

The amazing account of an incredible voyage by possibly the greatest adventurer of the last hundred years. Thor Heyerdahl - scientist, adventurer, visionary

This is a black and white documentary with Thor Heydal commentary. Original 8mm film- how brace were these men?! A fantastic achievement !

Pude ver la película y paralelamente compre el documental ya que las críticas eran buenas y me sorprendió que la película fuera tan pareja como el documental. Mientras en la película se aprecia, calidad e imagen, datos y tecnología que se aplica y creo que ello le quita un poco de valor a la realidad de cómo vivieron y los medios de los que disponían (yo hubiera usado el blanco y negro para rodarla) en el documental se puede conocer estas dificultades y valorar con más causa el espíritu de todos sus componentes. Recomiendo su compra como documento y para tenerla en un futuro.