It's not usual for documentaries to ingest the sci-fi genre, but in this case it's an eye pleasing and mind boggling excursion, beautifully realised and seamlessly integrated into the film.
Aliens of the Deep (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:60
Fresh:50
Rotten:10
Average Rating:7/10
Consensus: An amazing array of images from beneath the sea.
Runtime: 47 mins
Genre: Education/General Interest
US Box Office: $8,261,010
Synopsis: Academy Award®-winning director James Cameron combines his talents as a filmmaker with his passion for exploration in all forms in "Aliens of the Deep," an Earthship Production presented in IMAX®... Academy Award®-winning director James Cameron combines his talents as a filmmaker with his passion for exploration in all forms in "Aliens of the Deep," an Earthship Production presented in IMAX® 3-D by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media. Inspired by concepts from the field of astrobiology—the study of life on other worlds—Cameron explores the idea that the bizarre creatures living in the extreme environments found on the ocean floor might provide a blueprint for what life is like elsewhere in the universe. The director is joined in the journey by a team of young marine biologists and NASA researchers who share his interests and excitement as they consider the correlation between life under water and the life we may one day find in outer space. "Aliens of the Deep" presents the dramatic and visually stunning highlights of a series of expeditions to deep-ocean hydrothermal vents, where super-heated, mineral-charged water gives life to some of the strangest animals on Earth—6-foot-tall worms with blood-red plumes, blind white crabs, and an astonishing biomass of white shrimp, all competing to find just the right location in the flow of near-boiling water. This adventure brings the audience face to face with what it might be like to travel far into space and encounter life on other worlds. "Aliens of the Deep" was directed by James Cameron and Steven Quale. The film was produced by Andrew Wight and James Cameron. Ed W. Marsh served as Creative Producer. Buena Vista Pictures distributes. The film opens in IMAX® theaters on January 28. --© Disney Pictures [More]
Director: James Cameron
Director: James Cameron
Producer: Andrew Wight
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
Reviews for Aliens of the Deep
Some great shots of some odd (alien) deep sea fish and a good tie into space exploration, but other than that, the 3D isn't that great and reaction shots go too long.
Like many IMAX films, it's worth a look for the razzle-dazzle photography, but don't expect much in the way of serious science.
Both dazzling underwater ballet and a welcome salvo for clarity in the current backlash against evolution.
Aliens of the Deep has a few moments of awe but its overall message is utilitarian, using ocean exploration as a stepping stone to outer space adventures.
When the cameras focus on the weird geography and strange beings of the ocean depths and on the expressive reactions of those observing it all through the walls of their vessels, they capture a wonder you feel privileged to behold.
[Though] he's like the Joe Garagiola of the deep...Cameron's unadvisable whims are excusable: as a coffee table book, Aliens of the Deep is a beaut.
An adventure that -- right up until the end -- is a magnificent journey of scientific discovery and exploration.
It presents complex ideas simply with amazing visuals to wow those from eight to eighty.
It's visually stunning, but [James Cameron] can't resist going slightly too far with its premise.
Much of the allure of the film comes from Cameron's easygoing, rather unscientific approach to the project.
Last time we checked, 'Cool' wasn't in the official scientist-jargon handbook... go see this to be entertained rather than to be educated.
The first two-thirds of Aliens of the Deep offer a fascinating peek into earth's mysteries.
Not a scientific documentary so much as a journey to an alien world, and basically what we want to do is peer out the portholes along with the explorers.
It's a fascinating, kid-friendly journey, minus some clunky dialogue and the injection of Hollywood-style hypothesizing about what Europa's aliens might look like.
[Cameron] speculates that the ocean's depths contain mysterious life unlike anything else on Earth.
Cameron's extrapolation of undersea exploration into the realm of outer space amounts to little more than atomic age fiction for the layperson.
Latest News for Aliens of the Deep
February 22, 2008:
James Cameron Gives Fans an Avatar Update
First, the bad news: Someone's been circulating fake promo art for James Cameron's Avatar lately. Now for the good news: Cameron has given the good folks at Ain't It Cool News... More...
November 17, 2005:
New Line & Walden Team Up for an All-New "Earth" Expedition"
Variety reports that New Line Cinema and Walden Media will partner up for an all-new and new-fangled rendition of Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth,"... More...
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