Rating: 
Summary: Extraordinary Photography, but Barely Passable Documentary.
Review: "Ghosts of the Abyss" documents the 2001 expedition of the Russian research vessel Keldysh to explore and film the wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic where it has lain on the ocean floor since 1912. Director James Cameron, whose fascination with the Titanic appears undiminished since the success of his blockbuster film, joined a team of historians, scientists, engineers, and cutting-edge technicians on this first-ever attempt to penetrate the wreck. Actor Bill Paxton accompanied the crew and narrates most of this film. The crew is transported 2.5 miles into the ocean's depth in a pair of deep-sea submersibles, Mir I and Mir 2. Two small, maneuverable "bots", designed by Mike Cameron, take us inside the decaying shipwreck. The ship's exterior is illuminated by Medusa, a huge ROV containing a bank of lights that was positioned just above the wreck.The images of the Titanic itself are extraordinary, especially those inside the ship. It was probably a mistake to superimpose modern reenactments on them, however. Bill Paxton's narration is poor. The occasional commentary by James Cameron and Charles Pellegrino is better. The modern technology used to transport the crew to the ocean floor and capture these images is interesting, but begs for more knowledgeable and organized commentary. So does the wreck, itself. The screen is too often cluttered with multiple images, which are difficult to discern. Basically, "Ghosts of the Abyss" is a poorly produced documentary on an interesting subject. But it's worth seeing for the cinematography alone, which is why I'm giving it four stars. Dubbing is available in French, and captioning is available in English. The Extended Version: The DVD contains both the Theatrical Version, which is one hour long, and an hour-and-a-half Extended Version. Basically, there is more of the same in the extended version. For example, there are 6 additional minutes about the attempt to rescue the malfunctioning bot. If the bots interest you, this is worth seeing, but it was understandably considered extraneous to the theatrical version of the film. Subtitles are available in French, and captioning is available in English on the Extended Version.
Rating:
Summary: Great, better on a big screen w/o corr. glasses
Review: "Ghosts of the Abyss" is a 59 minute, 3-D, movie to the wreakage of the R.M.S. Titanic with Bill Paxton and James Cameron, Bill Paxton starred in James Cameron's directed 1997 "Titanic". The viewer has to wear the 3-D glasses to get the effect. Try to sit in the center of the aisle if you see the movie, as you are not suppose to turn your head in order for the 3-D to work. The movie is dedicated to Walter Lord, (RIP), whose book "A Night to Remember" was made into the 1958 film starring Kenneth Moore and it is the other "Must See" movie about the Titanic. "Ghosts" is about as near to exploring the remains of the ship, 2 1/2 miles beneath the surface, as most of us will get. It's very expensive, and can only be done in July, Augest, and early September, weather permitting. Also, the ship is rapidly rotting away. The film uses two robot submarines,(named "Jake" and "Elwood"), that were invented by James Cameron himself to film the interior of the ship. Although it may sound phoney, "Jake" and "Elwood" seem to have real personalities, almost like Star Trek's "Data". They show parts of ship, that would be too risky to film, as shown in the movie, when one of the robots gets caught up in the wreakage, as well as being under a falling "rusticles" debris avalanche. Bill Paxton is supposed to be "everyperson" when he gives his thoughts looking at the ship, but, he can be a bit tiresome to listen to. For example; while he's inside the submarine, he expresses his worries about going to the wreakage, outside the sub a diver, (in a wetsuit), is getting drenched hooking, and unhooking, the vehicle to a cable that puts it in the water, and then brings it back on board the mail ship. Film of the Titanic underwater today has footage of the movie "Titanic" added on to it. For instance, we see the remains of the ship's brige, as well as footage of the actors portraying the people as they reacted to the iceberg warning, as though it was the night of April 14, 1914. Something happened durning the making of this movie, that I won't give away, but, it is a shock to the viewer at the time it occurs. I saw the movie at a regular movie-plex wearing corrective glasses. I am sure I would have enjoyed the film better at an IMAX theater, but, the nearest one is 150 miles away. I also wear corrective glasses. A person who has 20/20, or who wears contact lenses, would probably enjoy the film more. In my opinion, it's a tragedy that the lookouts on the Titanic did not have any binoculars, probably due to some stupid mix-up. History would doubtless turned out different. Try and see this movie, but if you can, view it at an IMAX theatre, if there's one nearby.
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary Photography, but Barely Passable Documentary.
Review: "Ghosts of the Abyss" documents the 2001 expedition of the Russian research vessel Keldysh to explore and film the wreck of the R.M.S. Titanic where it has lain on the ocean floor since 1912. Director James Cameron, whose fascination with the Titanic appears undiminished since the success of his blockbuster film, joined a team of historians, scientists, engineers, and cutting-edge technicians on this first-ever attempt to penetrate the wreck. Actor Bill Paxton accompanied the crew and narrates most of this film. The crew is transported 2.5 miles into the ocean's depth in a pair of deep-sea submersibles, Mir I and Mir 2. Two small, maneuverable "bots", designed by Mike Cameron, take us inside the decaying shipwreck. The ship's exterior is illuminated by Medusa, a huge ROV containing a bank of lights that was positioned just above the wreck. The images of the Titanic itself are extraordinary, especially those inside the ship. It was probably a mistake to superimpose modern reenactments on them, however. Bill Paxton's narration is poor. The occasional commentary by James Cameron and Charles Pellegrino is better. The modern technology used to transport the crew to the ocean floor and capture these images is interesting, but begs for more knowledgeable and organized commentary. So does the wreck, itself. The screen is too often cluttered with multiple images, which are difficult to discern. Basically, "Ghosts of the Abyss" is a poorly produced documentary on an interesting subject. But it's worth seeing for the cinematography alone, which is why I'm giving it four stars. Dubbing is available in French, and captioning is available in English. The Extended Version: The DVD contains both the Theatrical Version, which is one hour long, and an hour-and-a-half Extended Version. Basically, there is more of the same in the extended version. For example, there are 6 additional minutes about the attempt to rescue the malfunctioning bot. If the bots interest you, this is worth seeing, but it was understandably considered extraneous to the theatrical version of the film. Subtitles are available in French, and captioning is available in English on the Extended Version.
Rating: 
Summary: Great footage...
Review: ...of the wreck of the Titanic the way you've perhaps seen it many times before, but you had no idea what you were looking at... until now! If you're "a fan" (if that's what you call it), or interested in the myths of the wreck asleep 3800 metres below the surface - then watch this. Ghosts of the Abyss, as mentioned, explores deeper into the wreck than anyone has ever done before - and is amazing to watch. And you get to "see" what you're looking at because of the great computer-animation added, the pictures and footage of the Titanic "now and then" are mixed, a superb effect.
Some uninteresting material is also to find on the dvd, when for example one of the tiny "camera-submarines" (whatever they're called) gets stuck inside the wreck. If it's supposed to be funny the way they make a big scene out of its' rescue, well, I don't know. But it's a waste of time, and a little disrespectful considering the tragedy behind the old wreck.
Also Bill Paxtons' narration is sometimes a little too dramatic, "The Titanic never quite leaves you blablabla...". I don't want to act unsensitive here, but these should've been Kate Winslets' lines in an earlier movie.
Other than that, an interesting and impressive documentary!
Rating: 
Summary: Worth the expense!
Review: Although IMAX movies are traditionally a few dollars more than a regular movie, this one is worth every penny. I was a bit leery of seeing this movie in 3-D as I have not had great experiences with 3-D IMAX movies in the past (a movie about flying had me running for the restroom), but aside from a few opening scenes at the actual launch of the submersible, I completely forgot that I was watching a 3-D movie. Having been a Titanic buff since it was found on the ocean floor, I must admit that this is one of the better "documentaries" I have seen on the actual wreakage. Other documentaries show some beautiful shots of the ship, but none help identify the different sections, who was there, what it looked like in it's glory and so on. The way that James Cameron and his crew cut in actual photos overlaying the wreck and animated different scenes had an amazing, ghostly effect that brought the beautiful ship to life, if only for a brief moment. If you loved the movie, I would also recommend the book, as it recaptures some of the key points in the film, as well as affords some extra commentary by some of the greatest Titanic historians and experts in the world. I hope that James Cameron will consider releasing this film on DVD eventually (not sure how 3-D will work on regular film, but I'm sure it will still be amazing) and even include some of the extra footage that was cut out of the film. If you are at all interested in the Titanic, you MUST see this movie!
Rating:
Summary: How to find an IMAX theater, (Part 2)
Review: Amazon.com does not allow websites to be listed in a review, so if you want find an IMAX theater, look up: "IMAX and 15/70 Motion Picture Information" at a search site. That should lead the person to the address of a nearby IMAX theater.
Rating: 
Summary: Ghosts of the Abysmal
Review: An unbelieveably pretentious pseudo documentary. While the deep underwater photography is stunning and the technology that makes it possible revolutionary, the mysterious poetry of the fallen vessel is constantly interrupted by prosaic banality and inane chatter especially from actor Bill Paxton who keeps repeating "Oh, wow" and "I can't believe it's the Titanic!" Well, duh, Bill, yes it is. That's what the documentary is about.
Everyone acts like studying the rusting remains of a sunken ship is similar to finding a cure for cancer or the solution to world hunger. Would that they had spent half the budget of this self-promoting puff piece on a donation to AIDS research. The theatrical release version seems long enough but the extended version proves to be endless. It's the precious version with all of the boring parts left in. Hovering in the background, pulling the strings, is the grand godfather of Titanic obsession James Cameron who seems embarassed at times by all the forced excitment. Ironically, just as the illusions about the Titanic being unsinkable came back to haunt its creators and bury them in watery graves, this documentary too may prove to be one of the saddest moments in the history of human egomania.
One star for photography. And one star for robotic machines that make techy noises.
Rating:
Summary: Last Chance To See The Unsinkable Ship...
Review: Being my first time watching a movie in IMAX format, I was truly blown away from beginning to end with this movie. While watching Cameron's masterpiece "Titanic" was chilling from the beginning to the end, his work on "Ghosts of the Abyss" was all that and a little more. Being an avid Titanic buff now for over 15 years, it was wonderful to finally see even more of the beautiful "Wonder Ship" that has enthralled generations for over 90 years. Anyone else will be hard-pressed to get this deep into the ship and out-do Cameron and his work, considering the rapid deterioration of the vessel. We will never again get the opportunity to see into this Edwardian time capsule the same way again, and we have James Cameron to thank for this awe-inspiring ride.
Rating:
Summary: A Titanic Tribute!
Review: Director James Cameron does everything on a mammoth scale. After viewing this DVD, I wish I had seen the 3-D version. This is an exhaustive search of the remains of the Titanic. The inner portions of the ship are explored with two mini robots and the two submersibles with the director, actor Bill Paxton and the crew members aboard. This is at over 2.5 miles deep. Paxton adds some human humor/drama with the crew, but the real star is the ship. Starting from the stormy surface waters to the calm, eerie depths of the North Atlantic, Cameron leaves nothing out. There are still glasses and plates peacefully resting where they were left on that fateful night. Brass beds lay intact. Particular rooms of celebrity passengers are found with items left as they were. This is miraculous, as the ship spun wildly around in its' decent, spewing debris everywhere. Stained glass is still intact everywhere and the robot lights cast magical colors and shadows throughout. Cameron puts everything in perspective by frequently superimposing transparent actors dressed in period clothes strolling the deck. These "ghosts" add true scale to the Titanic. The 90-minute version adds more information about the sea-life existing around the Titanic with comments from Dr. Lori Johnston. More of the Captain's personal life is explored as well as life aboard the state of the art research vessel. The 'making of' feature, "Reflections of the Deep" is interesting and includes some more information, but not a great deal more insight. "The ROV Experience" is more for the technically minded, but fun to experience. For extras, not much beats this collection, but glorious excess is what James Cameron is all about and he does justice to the Titanic. Footnote: Towards the completion of the exploration, the crew heard about the attacks of 9/11. This was an all too eerie coincidence considering the massive tragedy of the Titanic that had been waiting decades to be explored.
Rating:
Summary: IMAGINATIVE USE OF BOTH IMAX AND 3-D MEDIUMS, GREAT FOOTAGE
Review: First a disclaimer: I couldn't stand the movie Titanic, barring only the CGI of the sinking mishap. If you cared about the special FX, you'll be blown away by this documentary. Always an innovative technical director, Cameron uses both Imax and 3-D mediums imaginatively. At one point, he splits the screen into four panels of four different scenes that are suspended in space before us to create an epic sense of stereoscopic involvement. What makes this expedition different from Cameron's 1995 dive (the one used in "Titanic") though is a pair of robotic camera devises that can explore the narrowest corridors and hidden corners of the wreck and, of course, give us a 3-D, 70mm view on the big, big Imax screen. In the Imax documentary tradition, he offers several dramatizations of historical moments, some color with his expert crew and one genuinely suspenseful sequence in which a robot camera appears to become fatally snarled in the wreckage. The film is somewhat long, so the 3-D glasses may weigh in on your nose (or it may just have been me) but it's a great watch if you have the chance.
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