Adrenaline Rush

Originally made for IMAX theaters--where the overwhelm-the-audience gimmick is the driving force--the 37-minute Adrenaline Rush combines action sequences of helmet-cam skydiving and base-jumping (parachuting from buildings, bridges, and cliffs) with pauses for obligatory "educational content" about the biology of adrenaline. Unfortunately, the visceral impact of the airborne footage is lost somewhat on the small screen and the auditory overkill of 5.1 Dolby Surround on the soundtrack (loud random swooshing noises, "extreme, dude!" music, and laughably ominous, booming-bass-voiced narration) becomes quickly grating. In addition, the film is frequently lacking in details (we're told, for instance, that the first successful use of a parachute was in 1797 Paris, but nothing more about it). Still, some truly awe-inspiring footage from an almost-mile-high cliff jump, coupled with a fascinating attempt by skydiving experts to build and test a Leonardo Da Vinci parachute design, make the piece intermittently interesting. DVD extras include a 30-minute "making-of" featurette and 20 minutes of additional aerial footage. Optional. Aud: P. (R. Blackwelder)