Directed by Sean MacLeod Phillips, the 2007 film Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure takes the art of documentary making to another level.  Narrated by Liev Schreiber, this film was also produced by National Geographic.  The setting for this film occurs approximately 82 million years ago during the late Cretaceous Period. 

This film is about a group of paleontologists who are trying to uncover the remains of some kind of prehistoric creature.  It is also about the adventures of the sea as we follow along a Dolichorhynchops called ‘Dolly’.  After losing her mother & her two brothers, poor Dolly is left to survive on her own.  We follow her as she encounters numerous creatures along the Kansas Inland Sea such as: the long-necked plesiosaurs, giant turtles, enormous fish, ferocious flippered crocs, fierce sharks, & the mosasaurs.  Eventually she becomes a mother & has three of her very own.  Unfortunately, age catches up to Dolly & she eventually passes away as a result.

One aspect of the filmmaking which made this movie remarkable was the direction they chose to film it in.  Instead of filming it normally, they decided to film it in 3D.  As a result, it’s the stunning imagery & the amazing visual effects that make this movie truly extraordinary.  For example, since the movie is in 3D, they let you use a pair of 3D glasses for the movie.  Therefore, when you see the Tylosaurus or the Pteranodon, it feels like they are face-to-face with you.  I liked the 3D here much more as the picture is way better than the old style mixing of red in one eye & blue in the other.

The other aspect of the filmmaking which I thought was amazing was the photography.  I give credit to the photographers who have to go underwater to get the phenomenal shots they do because they are literally putting their lives at risk in order to get the shots they need.  I have often wondered how they are able to pull off such shots & not get attacked by an underwater creature.  Having said that, the shots they managed to get underwater with the light beaming from the top are simply astonishing.

My overall reaction is that while I did enjoy this film, I’m not sure if I would recommend it for a couple of reasons.  First, if not for being filmed in 3D & in IMAX, you could have just seen this type of documentary on TV for free.  In other words, the 3D saved this film, in my opinion.  Second, even though it’s in IMAX, which means that while the screen is bigger & the sound is better, the better quality equals a heftier price tag.  I had to pay $5 to the parking meter + $8.95 for admission into the film.  There’s also food, which I ate somewhere else instead of the theater since it’s super expensive inside the theater.  The manager tried to reel me back in by offering the next movie, Wild Ocean, for $5 instead of $8.95 as part of their special called ‘Take 2 Promo’.  He also tried to reel me back in by mentioning that The Dark Knight was going to start that evening & that I could see it for $15.  Finally, the film was only 40 minutes long.  For me, I was curious because this was the first time I had ever been to an IMAX movie.  I don’t know if I would recommend this for everyone unless you are willing to spend money on gas, parking, admission, & food.  In the end, you have to ask yourself, “Is it worth it?”

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