Into The Deep . Newcity Chicago . 10-27-97

Into The Deep

DIRECTED BY: Howard Hall

REVIEWED: 10-27-97

The last ocean-exploring Imax film I saw had a score by Sting. With the pretty pictures and music, it attained what I believed at that time to be the highest calling of the Imax technology: It shut the kids up for forty minutes and gave the adults beautiful pictures and soothing music during the moments when they woke up from the stupor induced by plush seats and heavy air conditioning. Although the music wasn't quite as good for "Into the Deep," the 3-D undersea exploration now playing at Navy Pier, I actually found it to be a gripping theatrical experience. Even though my family, including a 13-year-old brother, was in town, and even though we'd spent the better part of the weekend visiting various tourist haunts, I could not fall asleep no matter how hard I tried. Just as my eyes would droop, a crazy lobster would be molting his shell down there in the forest of giant kelp. My breathing would slow -- only to be quickened by the marauding attack of the sea star, or the spawning frenzy of the squid, or the teeth-cleaning rituals of the sea lions. By the end, I was tired, but exhilarated. There's always the spin cycle down at the laundromat, I guess.

--Frank Sennett

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