"The Living Sea" is an IMAX documentary from over 20 years ago and the title tells you what this is about: water. IMAX has a tendency to be frequently only visually convincing and not thematically and this one here is not even the former. The film is packed with phrases such as if we want to save the environment, we need to understand it, but there is little substance beyond that. Apart from that, I think Meryl Streep is a great actress, but not a great narrator. And I always find it irritating if they use 2 people, a star and a non-famous person, to narrate these movies, especially when they don't even go for 40 minutes. Admittedly, the subject here (sea/water) is a very general one which makes it a tough challenge to make a film with focus on that issue, but with the money they had available for this one here, I still expected something better. Not recommended.

The Living Sea is a movie that can make you understand how we fit with the ocean ecosystem. I like the underwater scenery the best, because it almost feel you are swimming with the fishes. I saw this movie in Hawaii in 1997 at Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu. It was a nice companion piece to my travel on the island.

I've only ever seen 3 IMAX films and this is one of them. I was totally blown away by the incredible sound and photography. I had to study every shot because there is so much in it.It's not actually a movie like other IMAX films (such as Across the Sea of Time and T-Rex) but more of a documentary about how we are all islanders and how we live because the sea lives. It was surprisingly effective in this sense. My fave part was the discovery of the new underwater fish and the fish that had, what looked like, thousands of little lights flashing on and off.A scene with a boat fighting waves and crashing back down onto the sea was better than anything in The Perfect Storm. The sound in this particular scene is IN-CRED-IBLE.Whenever you pass by an IMAX check to see whether or not they are showing this masterpiece. You'll love it.

This IMAX film is a breathtaking look at the workings of the world's oceans and its inhabitants. Magnificent cinematography makes this film an awesome sight on the giant screen. The magic is lost on video, however. But it is nevertheless an informative and beautifully filmed documentary. Also check out the great soft jazz/new age/pop soundtrack by Sting.