Volcanoes of the Deep Sea (2003)

Director:

Stephen Low

Writers:

Alex Low (writer)
Stephen Low (writer)

Release Date:

14 September 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Documentary

Tagline:

12,000 feet down, life is erupting

Plot:

Alvin, a deep-sea mechanized probe, makes a voyage some 12,000 feet underwater to explore the Azores, a constantly-erupting volcanic rift between Europe and North America. |

Plot Keywords:

Underwater | Evolution | Shrimp

Cast

Ed Harris	...	Narrator
Dr. Richard Lutz	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Voyage Into the Abyss (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

40 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Sonix

Trivia:

This film, along with Cosmic Voyage (1996), and Galapagos: The Enchanted Voyage (1999), were shunned by some theaters in the southern US after special interest groups felt that film's references to evolutionary theory were blasphemous.

A Disaster of IMAX Proportions

This was the worst IMAX movie I have seen to date. The script was fragmented and didn't fully explain much about the things we were witnessing. I expected to see a show about volcanoes and got a show about hot water organisms which was never fully explained or explored. The subject matter was broad and superficial, with a completely unnecessary glossing of the big bang theory and the formation of the universe. I admit the actual footage of the underwater structures/creatures was amazing, but those shots were spliced with animated/fictional segments which were not introduced as being fake and would mislead or confuse most people. All the good shots were repeatedly obscured by the faces of the explores being superimposed on a porthole so that we could share in the expression of their poorly acted surprise. When I see an IMAX I expect a tightly focused exploration of a special topic and a minimal use of fake graphics, and this one didn't have either. Save your money.