Who's seen "Coral Reef Adventure"?

BlueGirlGoes · Jul 29, 2003

I saw it in Atlanta last month and was so wowed that I'm going to see it again in Kansas City for my birthday. It's just a wonderful film, the best IMAX I've ever seen.

Is anyone else as taken with it as I am? I've been recommending it to everyone.

http://www.coralfilm.com

5615mike · Jul 29, 2003

Yes, saw it earlier this month. Very well done. Really makes you think about trying to do more to help this valuable eco system.

Soggy · Jul 29, 2003

EDIT: Just kidding...I got this confused with another Coral Reef IMAX.

drbill · Jul 29, 2003

Saw it in San Diego a few months ago and was less than impressed. It was the first IMAX film I'd ever seen (no theaters on Catalina) and I was disappointed.

The topside story about saving the reef was, IMHO, contrived and not well done. The segment on the deep dives and the DCS hit really took away from what I had hoped would be a focus on the marine life itself.

I've dived in all the areas the film covered and expected to see a lot more footage of the marine life. While the story line may have been good, especially for the non-diving audience, it took too much away from what I really had hoped to see. Besides, if the viewing public "gets" the message as poorly as they did with "Finding Nemo" (clownfish sales up 400%), it may have been a wasted effort.

Your mileage may vary.

Dr. Bill

Diver Lori · Jul 29, 2003

I'm with Dr. Bill on this one too. I thought it contrived and a bit hoakie in places. The hyperbaric chamber sequence with her crying outside was a bit melodramatic and fake if you ask me. I thought the IMAX film "The Living Seas" from 1996 was much better as I recall. (Great score by Sting too)

The best IMAX film I've ever seen was from about 10 years ago and forgive me for forgetting the title....but it was about rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

Rick Murchison · Jul 29, 2003

Enjoyed the photography very much. A visual feast.
Rick

BlueGirlGoes · Jul 29, 2003

Ah yes, the story line! Your criticisms are fairly on target, but I didn't even absorb the story. I was just lost in the imagery, which I thought was mindblowing.

Yes, people will buy (and kill) clownfish regardless of this film. Remember 101 Dalmatians a few years ago? Sparked a puppy boom on the breed, which is unsuitable for children. Most of them wound up at the Humane Society, IF they were lucky. I'd like to blame Disney, but there are just a lot of stupid people out there.

raviepoo · Jul 29, 2003

The story might not have been high art, but the message is important. The film makers were a bit heavy-handed. Hopefully they managed to get their point across to all those folks who will only see a coral reef on the IMAX screen.

I had a problem with the depiction of a diver going to 350 ft within a few days of suffering a serious hit. Wouldn't it be kind of foolishto do that kind of diving so quickly?

The scene at the end with the divers flying across the reef after seeing that huge aggregation of sharks made me feel like a little kid.

docmartin · Jul 29, 2003

enjoyed but thought the older "the living seas" was better. i also was annoyed by the contrived story as some of the others.

Rick Inman · Jul 30, 2003

I enjoyed the imagery as well, but the stuff with Jean-Michael Cousteau... oh, come on. Does the guy really need another commerical for his resort? Just a little too cutesie for me.
But I did think the music they matched with the drift dive was perfect.

Who's seen "Coral Reef Adventure"?

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