Ghosts of the Abyss
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Movie Reviews of Ghosts of the Abyss
Movie Review: A Titanic Tribute!
Summary: 5 Stars
Director James Cameron does everything on a mammoth scale. After viewing this DVD, I wish I had seen the 3-D version. This is an exhaustive search of the remains of the Titanic. The inner portions of the ship are explored with two mini robots and the two submersibles with the director, actor Bill Paxton and the crew members aboard. This is at over 2.5 miles deep. Paxton adds some human humor/drama with the crew, but the real star is the ship. Starting from the stormy surface waters to the calm, eerie depths of the North Atlantic, Cameron leaves nothing out. There are still glasses and plates peacefully resting where they were left on that fateful night. Brass beds lay intact. Particular rooms of celebrity passengers are found with items left as they were. This is miraculous, as the ship spun wildly around in its' decent, spewing debris everywhere. Stained glass is still intact everywhere and the robot lights cast magical colors and shadows throughout. Cameron puts everything in perspective by frequently superimposing transparent actors dressed in period clothes strolling the deck. These "ghosts" add true scale to the Titanic. The 90-minute version adds more information about the sea-life existing around the Titanic with comments from Dr. Lori Johnston. More of the Captain's personal life is explored as well as life aboard the state of the art research vessel. The `making of' feature, "Reflections of the Deep" is interesting and includes some more information, but not a great deal more insight. "The ROV Experience" is more for the technically minded, but fun to experience. For extras, not much beats this collection, but glorious excess is what James Cameron is all about and he does justice to the Titanic.
Footnote: Towards the completion of the exploration, the crew heard about the attacks of 9/11. This was an all too eerie coincidence considering the massive tragedy of the Titanic that had been waiting decades to be explored.
Movie Review: A Stunning and Unique Documentary
Summary: 5 Stars
Years after the filming of his blockbuster motion picture, director James Cameron returns to the wreck of Titanic. It's a big expedition with a large research vessel, two deep submersibles, and two ROVs nicknamed Jake and Elwood. Actor Bill Paxton is also along, presumably to help put a human face on the difficulties of making a 12-hour dive down to Titanic laying in her grave 12,000 ft below. I was really surprised by this film. Cameron spares us the usual filler in Titanic documentaries that spend more time on stills of the construction and controversies surrounding the great ship than they do in actually exploring the wreck. But the really stunning thing is the way Cameron blends shots of the Titanic as she appears today with how she appeared back in 1912. This makes it easier to see how Titanic looked then, and also makes us feel the loss of this then brand-new machine even more. As if this wasn't enough, Cameron then places people in the spaces on the ship, bringing home in a dramatic way the magnitude of the loss of life on Titanic. Added to this is a misadventure with one of the ROVs and Bill Paxton's ever-present anxiety. The result is an absolutely unique documentary. I'm not sure every single minute of this movie works, but in total the experience is amazing. Extras include a really neat sequence where you can shift which camera you're watching at any given moment. There's also a documentary on the "cowboys" who attach the lift line to the submersibles. The DVDs include both a 2-D version of the original IMAX 3-D movie, and an extended version that works much better.
Ghosts of the Abyss effectively shows the true scale of Titanic herself, and the magnitude of the (unnecessary) loss of life as well as the loss of a beautiful ship. This is an excellent movie.
Movie Review: Worth the expense!
Summary: 5 Stars
Although IMAX movies are traditionally a few dollars more than a regular movie, this one is worth every penny. I was a bit leery of seeing this movie in 3-D as I have not had great experiences with 3-D IMAX movies in the past (a movie about flying had me running for the restroom), but aside from a few opening scenes at the actual launch of the submersible, I completely forgot that I was watching a 3-D movie. Having been a Titanic buff since it was found on the ocean floor, I must admit that this is one of the better "documentaries" I have seen on the actual wreakage. Other documentaries show some beautiful shots of the ship, but none help identify the different sections, who was there, what it looked like in it's glory and so on. The way that James Cameron and his crew cut in actual photos overlaying the wreck and animated different scenes had an amazing, ghostly effect that brought the beautiful ship to life, if only for a brief moment. If you loved the movie, I would also recommend the book, as it recaptures some of the key points in the film, as well as affords some extra commentary by some of the greatest Titanic historians and experts in the world.
I hope that James Cameron will consider releasing this film on DVD eventually (not sure how 3-D will work on regular film, but I'm sure it will still be amazing) and even include some of the extra footage that was cut out of the film. If you are at all interested in the Titanic, you MUST see this movie!
Movie Review: Some infos ...
Summary: 5 Stars
Walt Disney Pictures in association with Walden Media have announced the Region 1 DVD release of Ghosts of the Abyss for 27th April 2004 with a retail price of $29.99. This cinematic experience premiered on the large screen Theatrical IMAX format and is the quest by director James Cameron to go back to the resting ground of the actual Titanic equipped with state of the art technology with a team of top underwater explorers and filmmakers. Actor Bill Paxton also accompanies Cameron on this astonishing underwater voyage. On 2-disc DVD Ghosts of the Abyss includes both the 60 minute Theatrical version of the film and a 90 minute extended version showcasing unseen footage, especially made for this home entertainment release. The second disc is entirely devoted to bonus materials.
Disc One:
Original Theatrical Version: (60:44 minutes)
Extended Version with Unseen Footage (91:44 minutes)
1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
THX-certified Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Disc Two:
"Reflections From The Deep" - Look back on the challenges of creating this groundbreaking cinematic experience. Includes unseen footage from their risky dives to the ocean floor and revealing interviews with Director James Cameron, star Bill Paxton, and the entire crew.
"The ROV Experience" - An innovative multi-angle feature. Choose from different cameras as you dive to the floor of the ocean's floor, and ultimately see the grand staircase any way you want.
Movie Review: One of the best current works done on a tradegy of years ago.
Summary: 5 Stars
I first came across this work when it was showing at the IMax theaters in Southern California. It is very interesting to all ages because of the technology and how it was accomplished several hundred feet below the ocean.
I wanted a video because I wanted my 8 year old Granddaughter to be able to see what I saw when I attended the movie in 2004.
What is left of the Titanic has been eaten away through the years of being at the bottom of the ocean. However, we were able to see some hats and items left on dressers in the various state rooms that had an open door.
Ghosts of the Abyss
Two men designed and built what they called "BOTS", small crafts that carry 1 or 2 people lying down with a trailing lifeline. These Bots could then travel through the ship viewing what is left in certain areas.
The colors of the ocean down deep are truly beautiful and the detail is explained very carefully by the voices of the two men as they go down into the deep and enter the ship.
I recommend this video because of the tremendous information that is shown starting with when the ship left the port in England and traveled to Ireland then across the ocean to where it sunk after hitting the large chunk of ice.