Blue Planet

Filmed in IMAX, Blue Planet is an exhilaratingly beautiful look at Earth from a vantage point that most of us will never personally have: outer space. Part environmental cautionary tale and part tour (on a truly grand scale), the program features footage taken by astronauts during five separate space shuttle missions. Seen from a distance, the thin blue line of atmosphere ringing the planet doesn't look like all that much--but it's our barrier between life and death. Blue Planet examines the powerful physical forces on Earth which have historically shaped the planet: shifting tectonic plates, hurricanes, and volcanoes, and chronicles the damaging effects of the most powerful physical force yet--humankind--taking cameras from the disappearing rainforests of South America to the smog-ridden freeway congestion of Los Angeles (where 8 million people operate 6 million vehicles). Originally projected on a screen some three stories tall, Blue Planet necessarily loses something in the translation to the small screen, since shots are held longer than we are accustomed to, making for a more stately pace than the MTV generation is likely to tolerate. Still, the visuals are both extremely clear and breathtaking, and the Dolby Surround soundtrack glorious. The pluses far outweigh the one minus. Highly recommended. (Available from: Finley-Holiday Film Corp., P.O. Box 619, Whittier, CA 90601; (800) 345-6707.)