Atlantis

Atlantis is more visual art than nature film and a 'must see' for any Luc Besson fan. The film captures the feel of what it's actually like to swim underwater better than any film I've ever seen, perfectly illustrating the form and texture of sea water. Beautiful. Highly recommended for anyone interested in visual arts or diving.

Watching this on a big screen one realizes how much effort must go into the "Life on Earth" and subsequent TV documentaries. This looks really mundane and unimpressive, even with the benefits of the cinematic experience. Maybe my expectations were too high, but if it had run another 30 min. I would have been asleep before the credits. There is about 15 min. of impressive footage of sharks and dugongs, but most of the rest is really repetitive and no better than a hundred other underwater wildlife documentaries.

In the mid-1980's I spent my youth at the Palace of dreams, Valhalla. A classic art deco independent cinema in the suburb of Glebe, Sydney Australia. The doors close in late February 1999, so I decided to pay my respects and dragged the children to see this underwater visual delight. A homage to the sea creatures of the universe with no occurring theme, only stunning images and a few humorous moments from the cheeky Besson. Serra's music works a treat here. Maybe twenty minutes too long.

The strange thing about this movie is that there is almost no talking. I guess that is why it is so great! Everything you look for in a great movie is there: Love, hate, adventure, great music and beautiful camera work. It takes you to a whole new world. If you love the underwater world or not, this movie will make you want to go there and stay there forever! If you haven't seen it yet and you get the chance to (and believe me it doesn't come along that often), then take it!

I'll admit to the fact that I never tire of watching films like Winged Migration and March of the Penguins. The wonders of nature captivate me.

Nothing captivates like the world under the sea. There is so much beauty that no explanations are needed. It's just sit back and enjoy. That is what Luc Besson has given us in this film. A hour and a half view of nature's wonders with musical accompaniment. Just a little dialog in the beginning, and we are free to watch and fantasize.

It is easy to see that this film was done by a true lover of the sea. Besson was a diver and wanted to be a marine biologist before an accident caused him to turn to film making.

Don't get me wrong. I am glad that he became a writer and director and gave us such films as Leon: The Professional, Transporter, and Taken. But, I am also glad that he never lost his love of the sea and gave us this film.