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.
Comment
10/18/08
Aliens of the Deep (2005)
83
%
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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®... [More]
Director: James Cameron
Reviews for Aliens of the Deep
Top CriticThe crew ooos and aahs and talks like so many valley girls ("awesome," "freaky," etc.), leaving the viewer hungry for some more substantive science to back up the visuals.
01/27/05
Here we know only that Cameron and his bright-eyed young scientists (who take turns narrating) are heading to the deeper parts of the Atlantic and Pacific to observe the environment and life-forms down there.
02/20/05
Though only 48 minutes long and the 3-D effects are sometimes stunning, it has substantial passages that are curiously dull...can't hold a candle to Cameron's other 'Aliens.'
01/27/05
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.
01/27/05
We're treated to more intramural banter and golly-gee chatter among the crew than we can use, and are not given enough scientific information.
01/28/05
I want the old James Cameron back.
01/19/06
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.
05/09/05
Cameron's extrapolation of undersea exploration into the realm of outer space amounts to little more than atomic age fiction for the layperson.
01/28/05
Beyond a doubt the biggest movie ever made about shrimp, Aliens of the Deep is a technical marvel that still manages to fall somewhere severely south of marvelous.
01/28/05
Though the experience is mind-boggling, it can also spark blurry optical overload.
01/30/05
Now, not much gets answered, and some of the conclusions take a Hollywood imagination to go there, but it's sure fun to ride shotgun and see Cameron play with his expensive toys -- all in the name of research.
01/28/05
Top CriticThe final shot, in particular, is awesome, and confirms that the sooner Cameron gets back to making proper movies, instead of Boys’ Own diversions, the better.
04/01/06
Top CriticWith Imax-sized ambitions, James Cameron is the ideal tour guide for these fascinating expeditions.
01/20/05
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.
01/30/05
Last time we checked, 'Cool' wasn't in the official scientist-jargon handbook... go see this to be entertained rather than to be educated.
01/27/05
Monsters, egotistical directors, special effects -- yeah, this isn't exactly the Scientific American. But many of the sights in Aliens of the Deep are spectacular.
01/27/05
definitely worth the price of admission -- even if you have to wear the stupid glasses
01/27/05
Yes, the work they're doing is mind-boggling and important, but sometimes the images alone are more than capable of speaking for themselves.
12/11/09
Cameron and his crew have captured mesmerizing footage.
01/25/05
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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