Review of IMAX Hubble (2010) by Rodney H — 23 Aug 2010

Hubble is a must-see for EVERYONE! Particularly kids in elementary school. Not that fully grown people won't get tremendous fulfillment from Hubble 3D, but this film could very well mold a child's life for the better. Yes, it IS that substantial.

For me, just the Space Shuttle launch about midway through the film was worth the price of the discounted (from standard IMAX rates) admission. The scale of the photography, true to IMAX, makes everything literally lifelike as opposed to merely a "quality reproduction" like other formats provide. But what really does it is the launch itself! When the countdown commences, you FEEL the activity in and around the Space Shuttle. You hear and feel the water dumping to dampen the ignition. You feel the ignition of the Shuttles thrusters. And you REALLY feel the ignition of the solid rocket boosters! BOOM! As the Shuttle defies gravity and speeds toward infinity you hear and truly feel the crackle of her massive boosters and again really feel the separation of the solid rocket boosters. Something I had never noticed before watching Shuttle launches was the faint shockwaves that spread horizontally outwards from the rocket plume. And something IMAX is rarely credited for, because everyone focuses on screen size with IMAX, is the SOUND. There are no theaters out there that can compare to IMAX's sound. I defy other theaters to attempt that level of volume during that Shuttle launch. Lesser speakers running the same audio track will turn to confetti. However, there is SO much more to Hubble 3D.

First of all, the telescope itself is like scientific jewelry. It truly is. If you appreciate engineering/machining/gadgets, etc., you will love seeing the Hubble Telescope in IMAX 3D. Next to actually seeing it in person, how will you EVER get so intimate with this technological marvel? And it truly is something to behold.

Then there's the intimacy with the astronauts. They appear to have come a long way from drinking Tang for sustenance.

I sha'n't fail to briefly touch upon the images Hubble has returned. Seeing such incredibly huge and finely detailed images relayed to the large screen by state-of-the-art projectors is something not to be missed. The 3D aspect adds depth impossible to comprehend in 2D renderings. 3D flights through space at 1,500,000,000,000 (1.5 Trillion) miles per hour and through a nebula cloud at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour were unimaginable prior to this. Such dazzling images and sense of scale are unique to this format and make this film one not to be missed. By anyone. See this film!