Aliens of the Deep

Ever since becoming King of the World with Titanic, James Cameron has shied away from fiction filmmaking to make documentaries that indulge his fascination with the ocean floor. Originally shown in 3-D in big-screen IMAX theatres, Aliens of the Deep utilizes the same revolutionary deep-water submersibles and robotic cameras that were employed to explore the wreckage of the Titanic in the director's Ghosts of the Abyss. Here, Cameron photographs the unusual life forms and curious geological phenomena found on the bottom of the sea, accompanied by scientists who are researching the possibility of extraterrestrial life; in fact, the search techniques explored here might be similar to those required for, say, the waters lying beneath the ice on the moons of Jupiter. And the film concludes with an imaginative--indeed, over-imaginative--CGI sequence showing what an initial encounter with life in such an outer space environment might be like. Cameron's dedication is impressive, and some of the images--of a shimmering creature that resembles a gossamer cloth, or tiny volcano-like protrusions pouring out superheated black steam on the ocean floor--are incredible. But there's also too much expository narration and many dull sequences involving the crew, and that final sci-fi scene is like the climax of a bad summer blockbuster. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include both the 48-minute theatrical version and the 99-minute extended version of the film. Bottom line: given that the film seemed a bit long at the original 48-minute length, doubling it does not necessarily make it better.] (F. Swietek)