Deep Sea

Deep Sea is the latest joy to be released in IMAX but part of its excellence comes, as so often, from being presented in IMAX 3D. All films should be released in this format, it's the true way forward for cinema. Even The Polar Express was good in IMAX!

Deep Sea is a 40 minute documentary feature that makes the most of its 3D. From the opening shot of a wave headed straight out of the screen to jellyfish fields, giant sea turtles and octopus and a legion of fish varieties and stunning underwater seascapes it does present the world it shows in rarely seen way.

It is only let down by the talking down, over-humanisation of the narration aimed at the kids in the audience, especially from Kate Winslet. Johnny Deppp works better but Winslet sounds like a school-marm talking to a class of four year olds. And the narration has an annoying habit, ala March Of The Penguins, of endowing the animals with human traits to make them easier to associate with for childish minds.

David Attenborough and the BBC make better documentaries as a whole production but you can't fault Deep Sea 3D's visuals and the immersion experience the IMAX format provides. See it for the experience. It is like nothing you've experienced before, the narration really is only a minor annoyance.

2006's 'Deep Sea 3D' is one of several documentary short films presented in IMAX 3D. These short films are mostly quite interesting, but their overall quality is of the flawed and inconsistent but generally worthwhile kind. The effects have also varied. Underwater is always fascinating, often re-visited in nature documentaries but it never feels old when re-visited and a lot is learned every time without being recycled. Also like Kate Winslet and Johnny Depp as actors.

On the whole, 'Deep Sea 3D' was pretty well done. It is far from being one of the best IMAX 3D documentaries and has a few major debits. 'Deep Sea 3D' has many fantastic things however, and they do far outweigh the debits. The subject and location may not be new, but really liked the approach taken with the material and admired what was done to make it accessible, none of it felt old hat either.

Am going to start with what could have been done better. Like most of the IMAX 3D documentaries, 'Deep Sea 3D' does feel too short. With a lot of content, this could very comfortably have been 20 minutes longer perhaps which would have given the viewer more time to take in the information and also learn more.

'Deep Sea 3D' is one of the few IMAX nature documentaries where the narration didn't work for me entirely, was pretty mixed on it actually. Much of the writing is informative and interesting, but was less keen on the delivery. It would have worked a lot better with just one narrator, with Winslet being better suited as she is more expressive and her tone fitted the atmosphere better. Depp didn't seem as involved and the backing and forthing did distract and could have been used a lot less.

Can't fault everything else. 'Deep Sea 3D' looks incredible for one thing, with the photography being particularly awe-inspiring. Have not seen coral reefs look this beautiful in a while. The Undersea world dazzles visually, those gorgeous colours, though one is aware without being beaten round the head that it poses daily challenges for the wildlife. This is also one of the more successful IMAX 3D nature documentaries when it comes to the 3D effects, which actually doesn't look cheap, too gimmicky or/and too reliant upon.

The music, with an accessible style, is relaxing in some parts while having some edge in other parts. The animals are a great mix of adorable, formidable and exotic.

When it comes to the information, it is very educational without preachiness or being gimmicky. Familiar content still being approached freshly, and in a way that will captivate and never disturb kids while not being cookie cutter. More to this than beautiful wildlife in a beautiful habitat.

Perfect 'Deep Sea 3D' is not, but there is a lot to admire. 7/10.

Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet provide very pleasant narration for this IMAX film which I watched on DVD. At home, it is not in 3-D. However that did not detract at all.

The movie is not a 40-minute story, but instead is several episodes covering different, interesting parts of life in our seas. The photography is in beautiful color.

My personal favorite was the story about the California Mantis Shrimp. It is about 10 inches long, very colorful, lives in a burrow, but in the water moves much like a cartoon figure in superb digital animation. But this shrimp is real. It has fast, powerful legs that strike a blow similar to a 22 rifle shot, to crack open shells. But we also get to see an octopus trying to invade this shrimp's territory, and the shrimp is one cool customer, chasing him away with a few choice strikes.

Overall a very fine film, worth a viewing or two.

The 40 minute IMAX experience makes it's way to DVD without any additions, minus the 3D glasses. For better or worse what home viewers are still left with remains nothing short of stunning the entire stretch of time. Against all marketing intuitions, the short documentary still remains absolutely captivating from the first frame with it's charming portrayal of some of the ocean's less represented characters. Aided by the eerie luminescence of Danny Elfman's score and playful narration from Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, Deep Sea 3D might pale in comparison to the original experience but for anyone even half-interested in the revelations of nature, particularly occurring in the alternate universes miles below us, the spectacular, too-beautiful-to-be-real visuals present will remain nothing short of miraculous with each subsequent viewing.

This is a good documentary and the shots and coverage of the deep ocean is quite pleasing(and harrowing in places). However, with the advent of instant access to so much content, there isn't anything here that you won't find in better resolution on Netflix or Amazon. Still, if you enjoy documentaries or have even the slightest of fascination with sea life I feel you can spend an hour and some time with Deep Sea.