Aliens of the Deep 3D Film, directed by James Cameron, showing at the IMAX cinema in London鈥檚 Science Museum
THERE is a huge flaw in James Cameron鈥檚 Aliens of the Deep: it鈥檚 far too short. After what seems like 10 minutes, the hour is up.
If you have ever wished you could be on a submersible exploring the depths of the oceans, this IMAX documentary is a must-see. The 3D effects, achieved with the aid of polarised glasses, make you feel as though you are in the submersible next to Cameron as a huge squid appears from the gloom, or hanging in the water just a metre away from a black smoker teeming with shrimp.
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There are formations never filmed before, such as 鈥渕ushrooms鈥� whose undersides are turned into shimmering mirrors by hot water. It all looks so real, I found myself trying to reach out and touch on a couple of occasions.
It isn鈥檛 just about the sea. For Cameron, better known for his Hollywood successes, the ocean is the first step to exploring space. 鈥淓xploration is like a muscle,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou have to use it to make it stronger.鈥� There are young scientists on board to give their versions as well, plus some spectacularly speculative special effects, the final sequence of which is reminiscent of Cameron鈥檚 science fiction epic The Abyss.
This is a feast for the eyes, but cramming so much into an hour does make it feel a bit disjointed at times. How about a 3-hour-long director鈥檚 cut?
