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Alastair Fothergill’s hodgepodge of aquatic life is filled with "how’d he get that shot?" moments: a shark feeding frenzy, killer whales crashing a beach to nosh on seal pups, and phosphorescent creepies from miles below the surface all inspire more awe than anything in James Cameron’s Aliens of the Deep. Each world-bounding segment delivers a different life-and-death struggle; what’s lacking is continuity. Unless you’re on a polar ice cap or scaling down a seven-mile deep chasm in the ocean floor, you’re at a loss for your bearings. Pierce Brosnan’s smooth narration does much to buffer the brusque transitions, however, and the score by Academy Award nominee George Fenton elevates the glorious cinematography into hypnotic poetry. Never didactic, Fothergill’s message is clear: without respect and conservation from humankind, the splendor of all you see on screen will be just that, a celluloid memory. (90 minutes)
BY TOM MEEK
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