Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away

Fans of Cirque du Soleil will appreciate this visually stunning if also overlong feature film graced with gorgeous cinematography. Writer-director Andrew Adamson imposes a feeble plot on material drawn from seven Cirque productions, as Mia (Erica Linz) searches for a handsome aerialist who slips from the trapeze and is literally swallowed up by the sand of the Big Top, following him to a netherworld where he's been taken captive by a bunch of acrobatic savages. Many episodes ensue—one takes its inspiration from samurai movies, while others go underwater—featuring impressively athletic groups of dancer-gymnasts. All of this is delivered with swooping camera moves and beautiful lighting effects (not to mention abundant bungee cords), set to a musical background that often consists of Beatles songs. The result is basically a pop ballet spruced up with acrobatic effects that is better when it serves up familiar tunes than its bland symphonic score, which sounds like inferior Tchaikovsky. Eventually, of course, the lovers come together for a pas de deux that sends them airborne for lots of twirls and ersatz pirouettes. As sheer spectacle, Worlds Away is an eye-catching film, but it's also a pale reflection of an actual Cirque live performance. A strong optional purchase. [Note: Blu-ray extras include “A Day in the Life with Erica Linz” featurette on the performer (14 min.), a “making-of” featurette (3 min.), a brief promo for the Vegas shows, and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a film that offers a mixed experience.] (F. Swietek)