The Minotaur’s Island (Acorn Media)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Episodes: B-

 

 

Bettany Hughes is back hosting and narrating yet another good special about civilizations of the past.  The Spartans and When The Moors Ruled Europe are among the specials she has presented before and The Minotaur’s Island (2003) about Europe’s first civilization from about 5,000 years ago.  They were very advanced for their time and far ahead of the many cities that followed, yet they imploded.

 

This 98 minutes-long special examines how this all happened, how they had much for their time, only to see it all crumble.  As is the case with the past shows she has been involved with, this includes unraveling the tale like a mystery and referencing those whose priceless research has uncovered what we know to date and will be the guide for all future knowledge on the subject.  We also learn about the myth of The Minotaur itself, which alone should have fantasy and mythology fans rushing to check out this installment.

 

The letterboxed 1.78 X 1 image is on the soft side and can have some aliasing issues, but it is more consistent than expected, though trying at times.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is a good recording but nothing exceptional, though Hughes is always compelling to listen to.  Text on Hughes is the only extra.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo