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Published on 8/29/08
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Cosmic Collisions, Adler Planetarium’s StarRider Theater
Synopsis
Collisions in space cause death and life. Earth was created when two stars hit, but life as we know it might end if an asteroid smacks our planet. Luckily, some really cool new technology protects us, and this short flick explains how.
Bells and whistles
We were a bit dismayed when the Nintendo-like controls on our armrest didn’t kick in (the Adler’s soon switching out that system). But the dome-shaped theater makes for good 3-D viewing deftly animated smashes and real telescopic footage.
Six degrees of Robert Redford
He narrates the film.
Educational rating 
The film is packed with the “whys” and “hows” of the sun’s cosmic rays, the solar system, meteor showers and more—but it’s also kid- and stoner-friendly.
Planet Earth 4-D, Shedd Aquarium’s 4-D Special FX Theater
Synopsis
The coast of Indonesia is lined with a dizzying array of sealife. While this BBC short only captures about 15 minutes of the glowing, squirming creatures (a few also in the Atlantic and Pacific), you still get a moral punch at the end—if we keep draining the ocean of its edible offerings, we may throw its ecosystem out of whack.
Bells and whistles
What is 4-D, you ask? Or at least, we hope you’re asking, because it’ll be a big surprise when you get doused, blown on or lightly hit by one of the tubes sticking out behind each armrest. These effects are timed with what’s on screen: Snakes slither by and a mess of tubes whip your ankles; a whale spouts and your attentive eyes are lacerated by a spray of water. Kids shout with glee, but you may be a bit peeved, especially if looking like a wet, whiplashed dog is not your thing.
Six degrees of Robert Redford
When Planet Earth’s narrator David Attenborough had his first film come stateside, Redford was slated to dub his voice for American audiences. It never came to be, and the British accent still resounds on this version.
Educational rating 
Planet Earth is a bit too short to give much solid information, but a rare glimpse of Indonesia’s oceans grants the viewer awareness of Earth’s wonders.
Wild Ocean 3-D, Navy Pier IMAX
Synopsis
Wild Coast in east South Africa sees millions of migrating sardines around May. The schools create mile-long, solid, dark swaths in the ocean. Sharks, birds, dolphins, whales—and increasingly—humans descend upon the sardines, devouring them. Again, the moral (but subtle) ending: think about the food chain before you reach for a sardine tin.
Bells and whistles
The film—viewed through plastic, oversized 3-D glasses—is so startlingly multi-dimensional that you hold your breath as tides splash over your head and sharks open their grisly jaws to snap off your—calm down, it’s just a movie…take off the glasses. Breathe.
Six degrees of Robert Redford
Redford is known for his advocacy in ocean conservation.
Educational rating
It’s difficult to hear the narrator through the breaking waves and the African drum soundtrack, but the ocean ecosystem is quite memorable.
Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk, Museum of Science and Industry OMNIMAX
Synopsis
With a Native American guide, anthropologist Wade Davis and his daughter raft down the rapids. Cameos by Kennedys (Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and daughter Kick) ensue, and descriptions of the drying Colorado River (depleted by dams) and drought faced by the Anasazi 700 years ago are enmeshed with heavy global-warming rhetoric.
Bells and whistles
Projected on a dome ceiling, the semicircular OMNIMAX makes the film appear 3-D. It’s especially potent during dramatic Grand Canyon vistas shot via helicopter—stunning and even inducing a wee tinge of flight nausea.
Six degrees of Robert Redford
He narrates the film.
Educational rating 
While Dave Matthews shrieks out a water-themed soundtrack, Redford skews fact by inexorably linking the Anasazi’s disappearance to death by drought. Was that also global warming that killed them, huh Redford?
For Navy Pier IMAX times, go to timeoutchicago.com/nowplaying.
