katparker-86462 Aliens of the Deep is what a science documentary ought to be: visually awe inspiring with an amalgamation of real and rendered scenes and perhaps most importantly- narrated or explained by someone who knows what they are saying and not just reading their lines to cash in a cheque. James Cameron is the narrator, diver and director of this amazing documentary that juxtaposes a deep ocean dive with a space mission to one of the Galilean moons. The banter between the scientists aboard the Russian mission ship and Cameron's enthusiasm is a joy to watch.

fedor8 "Yeah, hi, this is Jim... Yeah, Cameron... The genius who paired up Winslet and Di Caprio for that awful TITANIC movie... No, Mr.Markowitz, I don't have time to explain why I cast a skinny effeminate nerd, that's not why I called you, I'm a busy man... Listen, I need some scientists for an underwater documentary... A-ha... Charles, John, Mike... Well, no, actually I was thinking more of women, you see. I want this to be a politically correct film, so get me some female marine biologists. That way I have a better shot at getting a prestigious award. Have you got any?... You do? Great. A black- I mean, an African-American girl with Bob Marley hair? Excellent! What's more hip than that!? I'll get her to narrate a bulk of the movie... No, no, nevermind her credentials, I don't need them... She's just a student? Who cares... just send her and the other gals over." In making this solid documentary, James Cameron behaved more like an actor than a director, i.e. someone who is always behind the camera. The major flaw of AOTD is that we see far too many shots of Jim and his dull female science team, and too little of the fascinating deep-ocean creatures which Cameron promised. Who cares to listen to the crews go "wow!" and "unbelievable!" every five minutes? The viewer is supposed to say it or think it, not these dull scientific clowns. The narration sounds flat, usually coming in form of barely audible, weak female voices. One of these narrators is a scientist who actually left her 5-month old infant to be on this expedition. Are we supposed to be impressed by her career ambitions? How very feminist. But I suppose Cameron was so adamant about having nearly all the scientists be women that he didn't even care about separating a mother from her infant.I thought that the focus occasionally shifting on space exploration was a good idea, but there was too little of real scientific info of that nature. Too much screen time goes to waste on showing us the logistical difficulties of sending these subs down - as if anyone apart from engineers cares. Show me a fish with teeth like Edward Fox! That's what it's all about...If you want a truly awe-inspiring documentary on deep-sea critters, check out "The Blue Planet": one of the six episodes delivers what Cameron here only partly manages to do.Perhaps Cameron wants to be the next Jacque Cousteau, who was a self-centered egomaniac who pretended to only care about the preservation of nature when in fact it was exhibitionistic self-promotion that was always in the forefront. Damn, I'm tired of all these hyped-up idealists/humanists getting rich at the expense of our collective naivety.

disdressed12 wow.this is a truly beautiful piece of work.it is a documentary By James Cameron.Cameron and his crew basically explore the depth of the ocean,looking g for clues to life in outer space.they meet some very beautiful creature on their journey an some very strange ones.the movie is beautifully photographed,giving the viewer an astounding look at life under the sea.it is a slow moving film at times,ad veers off into talking about the people involved and other projects they are working on.i don't mean to be callous.i believe the people involved should certainly be introduced to the viewer,as all involved make a worthy contribution to the film.However,in a film such as this,the focus should be more on the creatures found,than the human beings.This movie sometimes plays like a National Geographic film,many of which also suffer from the same flaw.that said, this is very watchable film.just have your hand on the fast forward button. 6/10

eliw-1 This was a beautiful documentary showing the amazing creatures that exist in the deepest reaches of our oceans. The computer generated sequences were awesome and the cinematography was top notch. One thing that this documentary does is show you how exciting and rewarding science can be. Most of the scientists in this film were from UCSB which is where one of my friends studied geology. Watching this gave me a greater appreciation for the kind of work he does. Thank you Jim Cameron for moving your career in this direction; sharing with humanity how promising space exploration is and how much mystery and beauty remains to be discovered on our planet. I would highly recommend the experience of watching this movie to anyone who hasn't already.