SYNOPSIS:
Imagine a world of
incredible color and beauty. Of crabs wearing jellyfish for
hats. Of fish disguised as frogs, stones and shag carpets.
Of a kaleidoscope of life dancing and weaving, floating and
darting in an underwater wonderland. Now, go explore it! Howard
Hall and his filmmaking team, who brought you Deep Sea and
Into the Deep, take you into tropical waters alive with adventure:
the Great Barrier Reef and other South Pacific realms. Narrated
by Jim Carrey and featuring astonishing camerawork, this amazing
film brings you face to fin with Nature's marvels, from the
terrible grandeur (and terrible teeth) of a Great White to
the comic antics of a lovestruck cuttlefish. Excitement and
fun run deep Under the Sea!
MOVIE REVIEW:
Imagination is a powerful thing – at
least that’s what we thought before reviewing this documentary
which was originally released on the big screen in 2009. And
when we say big screen, we mean the IMAX screen. Yes, before
Shaw’s Lido cinemas give consumers to experience the
immersive experience that lets you feel like you really there
in the film, there is only the Omnimax theatre in the local
Science Centre which can leave you spellbound by the force
and beauty of the IMAX experience. While many blockbusters
like The Dark Knight and Iron Man 2 have been given the IMAX
treatment, we in Singapore only have had documentaries to
enjoy on the large screen format.
The above gives you a better understanding
how much more you’d enjoy this Howard Hall directed
documentary if you watched it on an IMAX screen. Here, with
the DVD, we were only able to watch it on our humble TV screen
at home. It doesn’t really matter that it is a 42 inch
LCD television set, because with the content, one can only
imagine the magnificence and splendour if you were viewing
crystal clear images with wraparound digital surround sound.
Like all other nature documentaries, this
one brings us to worlds we can only imagine. This is an underwater
look at the diverse coastal regions of Southern Australia,
New Guinea and the Indo Pacific areas. Of course, like all
other nature documentaries, this one has an environmental
message to tell, about how global warming could bring harm
to the oceans. Jim Carrey provides an engaging narration for
this insightful 41 minute documentary with his sometimes somber,
sometimes animated, sometimes deadpan, but always entertaining
voice – it may take some time for viewers before they
take the comedian seriously.
The amount of knowledge we have about Mother
Earth continues to be minutely insignificant as we learn more
about the eco system under the sea – from the coral
reefs and the sea lions to the sharks and the sea turtles.
You’ll also be enthralled by jellyfish, cuttlefish,
stonefish and a whole list of other fascinatingly mysterious
sea creatures. The cinematography is undoubtedly breathtaking
and awe inspiring, while the accompanying music score is lively
and enjoyable. This is no doubt an educational journey of
visual spectacle which will leave you captivated and mesmerized.
Now
imagine watching it in IMAX. Oh, and did we tell you that
it was released in 3D format too? Imagine, if you were watching
it on the IMAX screen, you would be reaching your hands out
to feel the eye popping visuals. Ah, such is the power of
imagination.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
This
Code 3 DVD contains the seven minute Filming IMAX: Under the
Sea where the filmmakers explain why the IMAX format was chosen
to shoot this documentary. They also talk about how the equipment
was brought to the most exotic and isolated underwater locations
around the world.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The
movie's visual transfer is fine, but nothing will beat the
stunning resolution in its original IMAX format. There are
English, Portuguese and Thai audio tracks available.
MOVIE RATING:
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
Posted
on 5 December 2010
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