IMAX: Space Station (Single Disc Blu-ray 3D / Blu-ray Combo)

This 3-D Blu-ray has footage so crystal clear of astronauts floating in space thinly attached to protrusions of the Space Station that I cringed in my chair and felt a visceral terror come over me as I looked out at the vastness of space in which they were working. We're so fragile! The 3-D is overpoweringly real-seeming because I knew these scenes were actually shot at the Station and at the launching and preparation locales; I felt (though of course I knew better)I might be in danger of plummeting to the Earth so beautifully pictured below.Yes, this is a short film, but it's worth every penny for those who can give serious consideration to this amazing accomplishment of mankind. The scenes inside the Station, the many demonstrations of weightlessness, the occasional humor such as the weightless passing along of a woman along with the cargo as everyone (including the woman) smiled riveted my attention on the fact that this is an outpost of humanity in the vast isolation that surrounds us. How easy to feel small in that context.The scenes inside the Station are so clear, I felt I could reach out and touch things, a feeling that gave me a better understanding of the living and working conditions in such cramped space. This film and the 3-D Hubble film are ones I feel are proud and vital additions to my collection.This endeavor is a technical miracle, and the filming of it in such sharp detail is a blessing. That humans from different political divisions, philosophies and agendas could cooperate to bring this to pass is a strong and hopeful sign that humanity recognizes its essential homogeneity. Someday we may all be able to come together after all.I recommend this film highly if you want to feel what it might be like in space and are interested in man's progress to the stars. I viewed it on my 55" LG 3-D TV with passive glasses and with my home theater sound on. As we used to say in the '60's, "What a trip!"

It is as close to being on the space station as one can get without actually being there. My curiosity has been satisfied. No need to apply to become an astronaut and going through all the crazy stuff they're put through. This video saved me from all that.

"Space Station", IMAX's latest space video, is Tom Hanks loving tribute to the ISS now in orbit. Don't look here for controversy about the program, or to a debate about whether it should have been built in the first place. Instead, it is a visually spectacular tribute both to the astronauts (who did much of the filming) and to the multi-billion dollar, multi-national project itself. There is nothing in here that would upset the NASA PR machine.Having said this, it is a film to sit back and enjoy the awesome footage taken both from the inside and from the outside of the station. The visual quality of the film looks good even on a small television and must have been awesome on the big IMAX screens. One especially memorable scene was when they placed a camera (too) close to the Russian Proton rocket that launched the first station component. The flame, roar and flying debris (some of which nearly destroyed the $40,000 IMAX camera) attest to the power of that large rocket. Interior shots of the station show the large amount of internal space, far more than the little small spacecraft that we sent into orbit and on the moon, and the sheer joy of floating around weightless.A good supplemental film described how they made the film, including interviews with a former NASA astronaut who participated in the filming.Overall, though it is more a NASA-sponsored PR piece than a penetrating look at the station program, the visual spectacle make it a must buy for any space fan

IMAX's Space Station 3-D (2004) is 47 minutes of 70mm, 30 fps stereo bliss. It has the deepest depth and most resolute resolution I've seen in any 3-D film. Every shot is layered for depth, and every shot is deep. The in-your-face shots are truly in your face. When an astronaut goes EVA reaches out for a handle on the station, his separation is so keenly felt the entire audience reaches out in the theater to take hold with him. It was actually filmed in outer space by the astronauts. When the astronauts are training in an under-water tank (on earth, that is) you feel the consistency and thickness of the water. Water has presence, and so does the suction of the black void that is outer space. SPACE STATION 3-D is a sensation-inducer. You actually feel the 3-D when watching this film. See it in the theater if you can. Call your local IMAX and DEMAND it. The physical sensation one gets from the three-story tall IMAX screen is not captured in the downsized blu-ray, unfortunately, but it's close.SPACE STATION 3-D is the best 3-D documentary ever made, and technically one of the best 3-D films ever made. It's all authentic. There's no CGI. The absence of CGI isn't noticed, the stereo photography is so good. Moreover, the IMAX blu-ray is the best 3-D transfer I've seen thus far. I don't see how it is possible to top it. Don't hesitate. BUY IT NOW.

This is a thriller which does not rely on nonstop action, but rather is more in the tradition of the old thriller mysteries with suspense. There is certainly some action, but no gore. Rather than poking you in the eye with 3D it uses depth. Yes there is some popout where the boy throws a ball up into your face much like the paddleball scene in The House of Wax, but it integrates into the story naturally. The depth in many scenes contributes to the feeling that the hole discovered in the basement is really bottomless. Many 3D movies have shallow depth, which contributes to making people think it does not contribute to the story. The hole is a mystery which is eventually resolved. This movie is in the best tradition of thrillers and pays homage to the early 3D movies.