The spectacular panorama offered by the huge IMAX screen at the St. Louis Science Center is at its most dramatic in films about the glories and the danger of nature. The new movie, "The Ultimate Wave: Tahiti," that opened over the weekend, is a perfect fit for the glorious camera work and the auditorium whose screen necessitates expansion of all the senses to experience it.
Stories about Tahiti and its beautiful inhabitants have filled fantasies for centuries, and the rising popularity of surfing offers even more amazing imagery of the island's beaches, waves, mountains and jungles. The IMAX size and scope emphasizes the visuals, and watching surfers challenge the mighty waves creates fascinating images.
Kelly Slater, one of the world's top surfers, is the star, and watching him ride the huge waves is a cinematic treat. He is often accompanied by Raimana Van Bastolaer, a Tahitian surfer who says he is less interested in competition than in the joy of riding waves. Both men have amazing body control, and it often appears that they are overcoming the laws of physics, gravity and other forces of nature. Director Stephen Low has found wonderful camera positions, and tough, talented camera operators to take advantage of them. Underwater and aerial shots are glorious, and closeups put the audience face-to-face with surfers, the surf and the fish who regularly inhabit the area.
There isn't any story, of course, but it's great advertising for the tropical island and it provides thrilling scenes of people surfing, pastoral scenes of picnics and campfires replete with pretty girls in bathing suits and gorgeous scenes of the natural beauty of Tahiti. And it's fun to watch.
The Ultimate Wave: Tahiti, in the IMAX Auditorium of the St. Louis Science Center
–Joe
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Such an Epic movie – kelly takes surfing to new levels in this flick. I watch this movie once every couple weeks when Im jonesing for warm water and the waves suck in Huntington Beach