Coral Reef Adventure (No Rating)
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Floating along the ocean floor, tentacles wriggling, an octopus wraps its legs around a gray coral dome, blows itself up like a hot air balloon, and vacuums in the tiny organisms hidden beneath. A simple act, maybe, but it remains in the memory of marine biologist Michelle Hall long after she's back on shore. So many South Pacific reefs have changed into blanched coral boneyards like this one that any sign of biodiversity is a hopeful one for Hall, who joins her husband Howard and oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau (son of Jacques) in this IMAX film. Perhaps it makes sense, then, that while Coral may document what's happening to the reef, it ends up captivating most by showing what's squirming around within it. When a tiny pink shrimp rolls its antennae over Hall's teeth, curiously exploring, you forget about charting its movements and start empathizing with the little critter. The line between the human and marine worlds is being broken down! you think. Let us land-dwellers all join hands and dive, dive, dive! Come to think of it, maybe it's the hippie soundtrack by Crosby, Stills, and Nash that makes you want to spread some love among the fishes. But whatever it is, you'll never eat shrimp cocktail again. (Melissa Maerz)
Review by Melissa Maerz
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