Volcanoes of the Deep Sea - I left this IMAX documentary feeling as if I had sat through somebody's computer gaming session. I'm sure the liberal use of computer graphics was very good at illustrating certain points, but I'm not so sure if the rest of the audience could really tell if it was an illustration of something real or hypothetical. And yes, the CGI hyperthermophiles with cute little tentacles (realplayer required) made me roll my eyes. What actually carried this film was the real footage and the story of an aging scientist on his fifty-year quest to find the maker of curious stone markings on the coast of Spain, the paleodictyon. The ending might not be so satisfying for those who think that a simple trip down to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge will get you all the answers--in fact it may be downright disappointing to some people who like all loose ends to be tied up neatly. But if you can't get to an IMAX theater any time soon, you won't be missing much (except the pretty pictures) if you've already seen documentaries about deep sea life on public television.
