Into the Deep (3-D)
Directed by
(now playing at the King of Prussia IMAX 15)
* * *
(Three Stars)
Though scant, 'Into the
Deep 3-D' plays like a fishbowl in the middle of a chaotic day at work:
If you stare at it long enough, it tends to relax your body. It's a tease
though, as this film seems made for the younger viewers more than anything
- its only about forty minutes long - and even they may be put off by how
scientifically sound the film appears to be despite its root in the cinema
of attractions. Perhaps this is the first thrill ride you'll take at the
IMAX that feels less invigorating than calming.
Kate Nelligan's voice guides
us through a kelp ridden ocean landscape brimming with sting rays, crabs,
fish, sharks, octopuses and moray eels. In short, its a brief introduction
to the marine life off the coast of California that is maybe the
most interesting science class film reel you'll ever see. A thematic touchdown
on the evolution of life, it's food chain necessity and, eventually, the
synthesis of symmetry and harmony that comes from the "unchanged for epochs"
sea. Its certainly not as exciting as, say, 'Microcosmos' - but then that
film wasn't on a gigantic screen, was it?
Very little of the film
actually moves beyond the range of microscope-like animal discussion. Occasionally,
we emerge from the deep into the coastal cliffs of Big Sur to give the
film proximity - not nearly enough to draw a parallel between the land
mammals called humans and the mysterious creatures under the sea. It certainly
is miles from the point, but to not include the irony here would be a crime:
'Into the Deep' is shallow. Its a Discovery Channel introduction piece
masquerading as a IMAX thrill ride that comes off as just entertaining
enough to hold us in a state of perpetual awe until the final credits close.
home
2000