Antarctica: An Adventure of a Different Nature (1991)

Memorable, crazy movie

Admirable film.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Antarctics is a 25-year-old documentary written and directed by John Weiley (probably his most known work so far) from 1991 and as usual with IMAX it runs for roughly 40 minutes. It takes us to the coldest regions of the planet this time as we get an insight into Antarctica. Unfortunately, it is not really a nature documentary, but tells us more about how people work at the South pole these days and what it means in the larger picture. That's why I did not like it as much as I hoped. I would have preferred more animal photography. But that is just personal preference. Maybe it is exactly the other way around for you. And even if I was not blown away by this little film, I still see its value as a documentary. Back in the early 1990s, these films were still narrated by not too famous people, even if Alex Scott has a fair share of films under his belt. All in all, a decent watch. I recommend it.

Normally I love documentaries about Antarctica. The grandeur and desolation of the continent lends itself to phenomenal photography, while the animal life provides insight as to how tough the living conditions actually are.But this film was a great disappointment. I'm not really giving anything away by saying it tried to do too many things within the course of 40 minutes. Everything got short shrift: human exploration, current scientific missions, fauna, geology, weather. All of these things have been explored much better in other documentaries. This movie should have stayed to the strengths of its format: wide angle views of the desolate landscape. There is little action here, why try to create some? The sound editing was atrocious. On what is essentially a frozen wasteland, one would expect some quiet when the wind wasn't howling. But the sound editors seemingly went out of their way to add in noisome effects.The music was especially annoying. Scenes of boats and hovercrafts simply moving next to icebergs were accompanied by minor-key aural blasts more suitable for a horror movie. And I can't even comment on the cloying, near-onomatopoeic track accompanying the Adelie penguins. It must be heard in context to be believed.Not that I recommend you doing so. Four stars.

Antarctica is breath-taking. It takes you under the ice of Antarctica, it shows you the amazing fauna that can survive in such harsh climates. I have read that it has sold more than one hundred Million dollars worth of tickets. m not surprised. Certainly it is the best IMAX film I haVE SEEN: According to the Australian film commission it is the second or third most successful Australian film of any kind ever released.The story of humanities search for understanding - beyond the edge of what is known - is extraordinarily moving. The music is amazing in its own right I have a copy of a concerto based on it recorded by the London Symhony Orchestra with the guitarist John Williams. I recommend it to everyone.

The footage in this movie looks great on a big screen, however the documentary left me desiring a lot more. There are long sections with mediocre sound effects/music where the creator could have provided a lot of interesting information about penguins, glaciers, Antarctica, etc. This is supposed to be a documentary, after all!I give it 8 stars for good visuals, 2 stars for lack of content = 5 stars overall.