Titans of the Ice Age 3D at IMAX
a review by Nalini Haynes
Titans of the Ice Age is a 45 minute spectacular available in 3D in the full massive screen at IMAX. A documentary narrated by Christopher Plummer, visuals juxtapose real skeletons either on display or being recovered by archaeologist with CGI footage of these massive creatures living and dying. The occasional image of the Earth is inserted to demonstrate shifts in its orbit around the sun or climate change demonstrated with ice coverage of the planet’s surface.
Close ups of massive skeletons show incredible detail including texture so vivid the viewer can almost feel the ridges of immense curved tusks of mammoth adults, the mounds and valleys of the mummified baby mammoth’s head and body. Lean back and be amazed at the ferocious expression of a sabre cat skeleton whose fangs possibly inspired vampires.
Dire wolves take the centre stage, feeding from a carcass before they are threatened by massive sabre cats – was this scene possibly inspired by Game of Thrones? GoT fans need to see dire wolves reconstructed from historical evidence and their nemeses the Lannisters – I mean the sabre cats.
Images of tar pits that might be prehistorical shift to reveal present-day archaeologists working – where? in the middle of some ancient forest? – surrounded by buildings in Los Angeles. Other subtle detail of the archaeologist’s work was very interesting; the observant viewer will get a lot out of this short film.
The only dinosaur doco I’ve seen that tops this one for visuals was Walking With Dinosaurs, which was a ground-breaking TV series. WWD didn’t have 3D or the massive screen (of which I’m aware) but they built actual mechanical puppets rather than CGI. Titans has the advantage of cramming more change into a shorter space of time, more visuals to inspire potential archaeologists, the stunning 3D and the enormous screen.
This fast-moving documentary with stunning visuals aims to inform and entertain children with short attention spans. While adults may be left wanting more, this short film is worth seeing for the visuals alone. Must-see holiday viewing.
Titans of the Ice Age 3D opens on Thursday 20 June at IMAX in Melbourne.
The trailer and IMAX’s blurb are below.
Titans of the Ice Age 3D will be presented in IMAX 1570 FILM
Titans of the Ice Age 3D transports viewers to the beautiful and otherworldy frozen landscapes of North America, Europe and Asia ten thousand years before modern civilization.
Dazzling computer-generated imagery brings this mysterious era to life – from saber-toothed cats and cave bears to dire wolves and woolly mammoths – giants both feared and hunted by prehistoric humans.
The Ice Age marks a dynamic chapter in the development of the human spirit, a great test of survival, a “trial by ice” that would compel our ancestors to seek understanding and meaning in nature. These inventions and discoveries – art, language, clothing, the taming of fire – born of the Pleistocene, were tools that defined and civilized the human species.
Ironically, our spirit of ingenuity and survival instincts would ultimately provide us with the power and knowledge to alter the very forces of nature that once shaped our existence. And the consequences, from species devastation to global warming, have become the great challenges in the modern era.
The Ice Age takes a thoughtful look at the relationships between the Earth, her resources and inhabitants, and our role in a changing world. As the planet now warms by our own hand, jeopardizing thousands of species, how can we tap into the same great human capacity for innovation to solve today’s emerging threats?
