yuehans Reviews

Deepsea Challenge (2014)

An Immersive Documentary

[8/10 · 26 October 2014]

The first thing that stands out about Deepsea Challenge 3D is that a lot of effort has gone into documenting the missions in a cinematic way. There are cameras everywhere: mounted on smaller submarines to show you the bigger ones; built into the walls; carried by divers; etc. All this is fluidly strung together to recount a fascinating story, and supported by a dramatic soundtrack.

The documentary doesn't only show you the Challenger Deep mission, but everything that has led up to it, and this includes tons of film-worthy material. We are given a track record of Cameron's almost romantic relationship with the deep, and this includes some deep sea exploration missions he has conducted using submersible robots, taking us into the monumental wrecks of the Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck.

A lot of attention is given to the design of the Deepsea Challenger itself, and the engineering exploits that were carried out during its construction and testing. Creating this one-of-a-kind "metal coffin" is an adventure in itself, especially considering that the conditions down there are in many ways more difficult to deal with than outer space.

Cameron's narration of his expedition log bears an uncanny resemblance to Jake Sully talking about Pandora, and while there are no straight-out action scenes, Deepsea Challenge 3D feels like a science fiction movie in the way it draws you in - but this time, you know that everything you see is completely real, even the crazy stuff. Some scenes are very tense and will have your jaw hanging in disbelief, such as the dramatic submersion from deck-mounted cranes in sketchy weather, or the extent of multiple systems failure during one of the manned test dives.

In the end, Cameron says he hopes this project will also inspire children to live up to their dreams, and indeed this film is likely to mesmerize most kids who see it. It sure made me feel like a kid, and it's very inspiring to witness the adventures of real life explorers.

Magnetic Rose (1995)

Great old school sci-fi

[10/10 · 16 April 2014]

Magnetic Rose has the air of a science fiction classic about it. The plot starts out simple : a space waste collection crew receive a mysterious SOS signal, and set out to attempt a rescue mission. But what they discover exceeds their wildest expectations, and the operation spirals out of control.

The short's ambiance is allegedly inspired by Ridley Scott's Alien, and the story by Katsuhiro Ohtomo is reminiscent of other SF classics when it approaches the psychology of dreams (Solyaris) and the dangers of AI (2001), but it also approaches the subject of virtual reality in a unique and interesting way. This might seem like an odd mish-mash, but in the end it all fits together perfectly.

The thick and menacing ambiance in this short is helped by beautiful, fluid animation of a rare caliber and an excellent soundtrack that deftly combines Madame Butterfly (a story element) with electronic ambiances and its own instrumental score. Once again, Yoko Kanno delivers a masterful composition.

I'm normally not a fan of Japanese animation, but this soars above the anime landscape in terms of quality and attention to detail. In fact, after having re-watched it, it's become a favorite of mine in the realm of SF. Magnetic Rose is published as part of the compilation "Memories", but I preferred to review it by itself.

Il était une forêt (2013)

An above-average documentary about the growth of rainforests

[7/10 · 4 April 2014]

The world of nature documentary films is riddled with aimless, uninformative visual feasts. Even the high-budget ones often fall prey to this purposelessness.

This documentary has the noble distinction of following a subject closely : the phases of tropical rainforest growth. It approaches the main concepts and gives interesting examples along the way. However, the vulgarization remains heavy and the vocabulary remains generic and nontechnical, so don't expect a university lecture.

The aerial drone images are impressive. Flying though the branches of majestic trees with a cinematic image quality was unfeasible before the advent of drones, and the movie delivers in that regard. (And keep an eye out for the film's biologist, hiding perched in the branches at vertiginous heights.)

Many of the scenes are also augmented with schematic-style animations. Some of it is excessive, like the awkward flocks of butterflies, but many animations were well-executed, such as seeing the roots of ancient trees as if our vision pierced the ground.

The film succeeds in giving us a general perspective on the age and complexity of rainforests. Their timescale is that of centuries, but they can be destroyed in a day : the message is clear.