Aliens of the Deep
(2005)
review by Suspiriorium

There’s not too much in the way of a narrative really – basically Cameron gets together with a group of scientists, including assorted Astrobiologists, marine animal physiologists, seismologists & planetary scientists, & they dive in a group of small submarines to the deep abyss, where they discover life forming around hydrothermic vents. These are volcanic regions where plumes of super-heated water are released from the ocean floor, & support life systems that are completely unreliant upon the suns energy. The idea being that exploring & understanding these areas will be of enormous advantage when searching for life in water elsewhere in the solar system – beneath the ice caps of Jupiter’s moon Europa, for example.

This is only the second time I have been to Imax, & the first time I’ve seen a film in its 3D format, & I have to say that the effect is stunning. I’m always a big sucker for a gimmick, but often traditional 3D cinema – with the red/green-tinted glasses – looks rather naff, & the process leaves everything looking a sludgy grey colour. I don’t know quite how the Imax 3D system works, but the tinted glasses are very subtle (that is, the tinting is subtle – the glasses themselves are comically huge in order to match the giant Imax screen) & this means that the colours are very bright, vivid & natural. I was completely blown away by just how effective the 3D was – I simply would not have believed how real it looked. I had to resist the temptation to reach out & try to touch some of the images floating inches in front of my eyes, because it would have made me look completely stupid. It’s actually a shame that pretty much everything shot in this format is a documentary or novelty show, except for occasional 3D versions of CG films. It’s almost like going back to one of the early magic lantern shows, & I love the idea that one day full dramatic features will be made this way. The thought of a full-on horror movie in Imax 3D is simply mind-boggling.

And it must be said that the strengths of Aliens of the Deep are largely visual. There’s a real Boys Own sense of wonder & adventure about this journey into the deep, & some of the footage of the strange creatures who live down there are breathtaking. Ultimately, Aliens of the Deep is all about the experience of watching it, & words cannot do that justice. It really is almost like being there - in fact, without the potential mortal danger, it is in some ways an improvement. Aliens of the Deep is not without it’s weaknesses though. Inevitably it has to appeal to large (& family) audience, so the actual science is mostly kept at a low level – this is entertainment first, & education second. You get the impression that this group of scientists do nothing but sink to the bottom of the ocean (at great expense), & then point with astonishment at whatever they find down there. Plus there is also the rather alarming sight of James Cameron’s goatee in apparently completely physical presence, but the size of 4 double-decker buses, grinning at you from across the room. Perhaps the biggest weakness is the finale, with a silly underwater meeting with an alien city reminiscent of The Abyss.

Despite the flaws, if you can live with the fact that this is all for the sake of the sensation, rather than as a serious informative documentary, the eye-popping experience is one worth taking. As for Cameron, a complete convert to the digital way of thinking, his next feature is to be a sci-fi actioner called Battle Angel, due to be shot in 3D. After seeing this, I’m actually really quite excited about the prospect.