Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've been an astronomy buff ever since I was a small child. So, when I learned that the Denver Museum of Nature and Science was showing a new IMAX movie about the Hubble Space Telescope, I had to see it. The theater hadn't yet upgraded to a 3D projection system, so the version I saw was in 2D. Believe me, that was plenty good enough. It is said that Hubble is the most famous telescope ever built, and there are about 20 years' worth of fabulous cosmic images to prove it. When NASA initially announced that it was too dangerous for the Space Shuttle to make one last Hubble servicing mission to do needed repairs and upgrades, a lot of us went into mourning. And when they changed their minds, we rejoiced. The movie is partly about the 2009 servicing mission, along with archival footage from earlier missions. This part is interesting, but not particularly new to me -- the PBS science program Nova has done at least one hour-long segment which goes into much greater detail. We get to meet the seven very brave astronauts who were literally willing to risk their lives to get the job done. Space is a dangerous place, and a single careless slip of the hands can lead to a sliced glove and a fatal loss of suit pressure. Also, two space shuttles have been lost over the years, along with 14 astronauts, so they had a backup shuttle on the pad just in case a rescue mission was needed. Thankfully, it wasn't. We learn a few fun things about life in orbit, such as how to make a chicken burrito in microgravity, and how to get ready for a space walk. I discovered that, even though space is silent, the sounds of power tools can be transmitted through a space suit, to be picked up by the helmet microphone. Where the movie really shines, however, is when they show footage of the Earth from orbit, and especially when they begin to explore the cosmos. Decades of effects-laden blockbuster films have tended to jade us, but what we see in Hubble IMAX is real, as seen from the Hubble Space Telescope itself. I about lost it when the camera began to zoom in on Orion's Belt, and slowly the Orion Nebula swam into view. It was as if we were spanning lightyears, at warp speed, in mere seconds. Then the camera began to explore an enormous cosmic valley with walls of gas and dust, some 15 lightyears across, hollowed out by fierce interstellar winds and dotted with infant solar systems dubbed "tadpoles" by scientists. One particular system looked like a tiny golden gem swathed in a huge, black nest, and might well resemble our own solar system aeons ago when the planets were just beginning to form. What struck me more than anything else was how uniquely privileged our generation is, of all the generations in human history. The ancients could gaze up in awe at the stars from their campfires and make up poems and stories, but only we, thanks to telescopes like Hubble, can see such stunningly beautiful images of planets, stars, nebulae, galaxies, even the entire visible universe looking like a piece of gauze, the strands sprinkled liberally with gem dust. I was struck also by the fact that there was hardly a peep from any of the children in the audience. They were all paying rapt attention. I've never before seen any IMAX movie more than once. So far, I've seen Hubble three times. My most recent trip was to a 3D showing at a local cineplex. That was a plus. Now, as the camera zoomed, the stars actually came out of the screen at me. The 2009 shuttle footage, presumably shot in 3D, was incredibly real -- I was tempted to reach out and try to touch the astronauts' equipment as they got ready for a space walk. Archival footage, most likely converted to 3D, had a peculiar, subtle flatness to it I've dubbed 2-1/2D. It just didn't look quite right. I'm sure the producers did their very best, but the technology is still evolving. A note on the music: The film featured two familiar tunes -- "Somewhere, Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World". I would have loved to have heard, respectively, the original Judy Garland and Louis Armstrong versions. However, what appeared in the film did the job -- and I can't get the tunes out of my head. In conclusion, this movie is well worth watching, if you're into astronomy or if you have kids who are. I'm seriously looking forward to the DVD. Even in 2D, it will be worth it. For the first time, I can imagine why someone would want a giant-screen TV in their house. If ever I come into a large amount of money, maybe I'll build my own IMAX theater in the basement.