As director of the two highest grossing movies ever (Titanic and Avatar), James Cameron has the clout and wealth to pursue both of his dreams: exploring the ocean floor and the fantasy realms inside his head. James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge chronicles Cameron's record-making trip to Challenger Deep, the deepest known spot on Earth. Cameron is a celebrated polymath—and no one celebrates that fact more than Cameron himself—and he leads the team as designer and pilot of the Deepsea Challenger vessel, which dove nearly seven miles into the Mariana Trench on March 26, 2012. Although this documentary flopped during its brief 3D theatrical run, its combination of enthralling imagery and ideas make it similar to Cameron's earlier IMAX and TV underwater reality adventures. The film suffers from some forced, scripted, cornball emotion (a young actor portrays James as a boy obsessed with cardboard subs and Jacques Cousteau), but eventually delivers an authentic emotional wallop. Cameron's uncontained ego and tyrannical management style are on full display here, but science buffs may be able to overlook the vanity project aspect and enjoy the thrilling discovery of the unknown. A strong optional purchase. (T. Fry)
James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge
Millennium, 91 min., PG, DVD: $19.99, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $24.99 Volume 30, Issue 1
James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge
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