Cirque du Soleil: le voyage imaginaire

I - LOVED - IT!!!!!!!!! I want to see it again! And I will...going back two or three times next week.

Yes, I have seen mediocre reviews, but there are couple of requirements to enjoying this movie: 1. You have to LOVE Cirque Du Soleil. Not just "like"...you have to love them.

2. Don't spend even one second trying to analyse the plot. It's about a young woman who is mesmerized with a young male aerialist and she tries to find him again when they are separated. Everything else are sections of different Las Vegas Cirque shows and even in their entirety don't always make sense. If you try to understand why this is here or that is there, you will run out screaming.

3. It helps a lot to have seen at least a few of these shows in Las Vegas because the movie selects some of the best parts from each.

4. Did I mention you have to LOVE Cirque du Soleil? I think one or two people did walk out but those who stayed applauded and stayed all the way through the end credits (which were very lengthy because they listed each LV show, each hotel, and each person on the crew of the individual productions).

The film did present some of the best moments from each show, and getting close added to it, giving us devotees a new look at it. And with the battle scene on the rotating steel plate from "Ka", a look from different angles was a blessing.

My favorite Cirque show in Vegas is "The Beatles' Love" and other fans of that production will be very happy. There are about six scenes from it (with Beatles music in the film, too), including "Get Back," "Octopus's Garden," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and the film ends with a group shot of curtain moments for the different show casts set to "All You Need Is Love." Cinematography is excellent. And the 3D is spectacular! Is it just a huge commercial for Cirque du Soleil's Las Vegas shows? Yes. Do I recommend it? Yes! Yes! YES!!!!

If you have never seen a Cirque Du Soleil then the movie Cirque Du Soleil: World Away will be a chance to check out what the fuss is all about. If you have seen a Cirque show before then you will experience a collection of the highlights from some of the shows. This tale begins when a young woman Mia (Erica Linz) walks into a circus only to be whisk away to a magical circus. There she checks out the star attraction aerialist (Igor Zaripov) and becomes enamored with his skills of flight. Through a series of passages they end out in another dimension only to discover the multiple tents of the Cirque Du Soleil crew. I have seen my fair share of Cirque Du Soleil shows and recognized some of the bits taken from seven of the shows that were running in Las Vegas in 2011: O, Mystére, Ká, Love, Zumanity, Viva Elvis, and Criss Angel Believe. This movie is like experience the highlights of this type of circus that pushes the boundaries of human capability that defies the laws of gravity and physics. With the 3D projection it is the next best thing to actually being at a Cirque Du Soleil show. Be wowed and check it out.

By Dr. Wilson Trivino

This movie is all about a girl named Mia who meets a guy called The Aerialist and they go on a huge adventure, but will never give up until they find each other. It is really nice how they care about each other throughout the movie. I think they should have more talking to each other or other people. I really like the movie because it is in 3D. It makes it look so real that I would want to reach out and touch it. There were also so many acrobats that were doing things that seemed like they are going to kick you in the face. It is really cool and I hope you like it too. The main characters in the movie are Mia and The Aerialist. They are both my favorite characters because they don't care what they come up against each time because they love each other and will not rest until they find each other. My favorite part of the movie is when they are doing one of the shows and they are falling off walls on to trampolines and got back on the wall. They must be really brave to do all of those stunts. The cast was amazing and I wish I could do that too. I would recommend this movie for ages 8 and up because younger kids would probably think it's boring. In fact, it is kind of boring at the beginning, but I keep an open mind and they do acrobat things that catch my attention. I hope you like the movie as much as I did. Anthony Aranda, age 10, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.

Contrary to what Shankru_Spam_Begone has written (dude, you have not seen the film!), there are no "audeicen reaction shots" because everything was photographed when the respective theatres were empty.. There is little CG work — this is all straight, through-the- lens work, and it is freaking incredible. They have chosen the best from eight or nine of Cirque's shows, lovingly photographed them, and stitched them together in such a way that you don't care how thin the story is, you're just enthralled by the sheer magic of the visuals.

And there are so many to by enthralled by: Cirque has this amazing capability of taking the most disparate things, putting them together in a single scene, and making it work. The scenes from O underscore this best, although the ones from Ka come close. (BTW: again, contrary to what Shankru_Spam_Begone writes, there are no scenes from Dralion). It is a visually lovely film that, at times, makes you wonder at the kind of people who can put something this enchanting together.

See it. You will not regret it. Even the 3D work is awesome: perhaps the very best the genre has given us because Cameron wisely takes us *into* the scene instead of pushing it out at us.

Put this on your must-see list.

The art of circus performing is a tradition that continues to defy the test of time. One circus that continues to remain popular with the public is Cirque du Soleil, the show that combines acrobatics with artistic imagination. Cirque du Soleil has taken on a number of themes over the years from dragon celebrations to Michael Jackson tributes, yet many have missed the opportunity to see these shows come to life. This weekend people around the country/world have the opportunity to see a show for themselves as Cirque Du Soleil: World's Away 3D released. So sit back and relax as I dive into the artistic into James Cameron latest production.

Let's start this review off with the biggest strength of the movie, the visuals. Worlds Away is a breath taking experience of mind blowing sequences that show off the imagination of the performance theater. Audience members will be excited to see the performers pull off aerial ace performances as they flip and soar through the air amidst brilliant settings. What makes this movie even more entertaining is that the stunts are not just people showing off their training, but are actually being used to tell a story and describe the emotions of the act. Some performances are elegant displays of finesse, combining ballet and interpretive dancing to wow and amaze. Others are all about power and gravity challenging stunts that build suspense at whether or not the person will fall to the constantly moving environment. My favorite in particular involved a Japanese anime like act, where performers "fought" on a gyroscopic platform that involved them adapting to the environment, which kept it interesting. Amidst these entertaining performances are some performances that are more strange than entertaining. These skits involve oddly designed characters whose purpose was unknown to me. I'm sure there is some symbolic nature to these scenes, but unfortunately I was unable to decipher the meaning behind these interludes, or at least understand what each character represented. Regardless these scenes can still be entertaining, but don't expect them to be as flashy as those shown in the trailer.

Another factor that adds entertainment to this movie was the musical score. Those who have seen the show before, will be familiar with the beautiful harmonies the orchestra creates. Each scene has its own song accompanying it, designed to mirror the feelings the performers were trying to act out. Performances that were softer and more elegant, used a slower track where flutes, violins, and vocals dominated. Scenes that were more aggressive, darker, and more suspenseful took on the entire orchestra relying on the drums and strings to paint the challenging nightmare the world had to offer. If you don't care about the music matching the scenes, it doesn't matter because the orchestra work is still ear pleasing on so many levels. Fans of the series may recognize some of the tracks, but for newbies like me, you may just find yourself bobbing to the beat.

So we have the stunts and the accompanying music, but is there anything else that will impress the audience. I believe the visuals might also be another aspect that will grab your attention . The costumes are indeed artistic and interesting to see, but usually fit the scene well. Unfortunately my lack of artistic understanding denied me the full appreciation of their design, and might confuse other audience members as well. Despite the confusion though, the setting itself is beautiful. The artificial rivers and ponds, the misty trees of the forbidden jungle, and the industrial wasteland of a steam punk nightmare are polished in every detail. Some of the scenes also included some artificial creatures that were even more impressive to watch. My favorite was the giant snake that coiled itself around the forest as the two protagonists dance their way through the air. This beast moves as it was an animatronic reptile, but one can see the strings as the puppeteers work their magic to make it move. I feel though that many people will enjoy the world the designers have created for the audience.

So what should I warn you about this movie? One thing is that the story is rather basic and very straightforward. It's a romance story that involves travelling through multiple worlds, with each having a tale of their own that provides an obstacle for the main plot. Unfortunately the deeper elements of the story require a little more thought than I was able to understand, but those who can interpret symbolism will be just fine. Another thing I noticed is the constant amount of flashing lights in this movie. These lights add more life and excitement to the scenes, however those with seizure disorders are going to need to stray from this movie. Perhaps the other thing to warn you about is that this movie seems to be only available in 3-D so it could be a more expensive purchase depending on your theater. Was it worth the 3-D? Frankly I could have done without it, but it added a smidge of detail that can be appreciated.

Was Cirque De Soleil worth a trip to the theater? It really depends on if you have already seen a show. If you have, then not really as I discovered some of the details were cut from the movie. Plus at the show you get a little more involved than you do in the theater. However, if you've never been to a show, then totally go see this one, as the visuals and sound are made for the theater. What are my scores for this movie? Check them out below: Fantasy: 7.0 Movie Overall: 6.5