James Cameron takes us down into the depths of the sea once again, this time even deeper than in his 2003 IMAX film on the Titanic, "Ghosts of the Abyss," to study the "alien" creatures that live in the extreme conditions found thousands of meters underwater in earth’s oceans. As he does this he draws parallels to what might exist on other planets and moons where similar conditions exist.

Visually this film is a treat. To see some of these oddities on such an enormous screen and in 3-D is fantastic. The 3-D technology of 2005 is pretty good but not necessarily consistent. In some instances you feel as though you could reach out and pet the ugly stonefish floating in front of you. Other scenes, however, are a bit more jumbled. If possible, sit in the center seats and in the middle of the theater. You will need to wear oversized 3-D glasses.

The visuals both real and fictional are spectacular enough on their own to recommend this film. There are some amazing shots of underwater volcanic chutes and the creatures that thrive around them, along with some dramatic shots of the underwater vehicles themselves. But somewhere along the way Cameron became convinced that he is a scientist. The frequent close ups of his awestruck face, as he pilots one of the deep sea submersibles, and his constant comments about going where no man has gone before get to be annoying after a while. You wish that there were more emphasis on the sea life and less focus on Cameron and his team. Some of their language seemed a bit staged and affected, as though they were trying to add"Battlestar Galactica" flair to all of this.

Most of what appears in this film I had seen on the National Geographic Channel. But shown on IMAX there is a difference. The extra-terrestrial element is fun and makes you wish that you could somehow fast-forward history a bit to see what indeed we will find on Europa and on other planets and moons. My criticisms aside, this is an enjoyable experience and it is great to see the IMAX format thriving because it really delivers a very special experience in size and clarity. IMAX is well suited for this sort of project and is the next best way to experience the abyss.