Under the Sea in 3D... and Me

One rare feature that I like here in Manila is the presence of 3D cinemas. It was my dream to watch at least one movie in 3D. And the most popular is SM Cinema's IMAX Theatre.

There are only two IMAX Theaters: one located in SM Mall of Asia and the other in SM North EDSA. The latter is nearer from where I live. So, I decided to finally make my dream come true.

Two movies were shown in the IMAX Theater: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and Under the Sea. I have already watched the Harry Potter so I picked the documentary movie Under the Sea costing at PhP 250.00. It's good to be aware of our oceans and other sea creatures. As a kid, I've always appreciated the beauty of the sea. Dolphins used to entertain my trip to Cebu as they jumped in arches near the barge. But that was a long time ago; now, I don't see them anymore.

In SM, there was a really spacious customer lounge for IMAX viewers. The floor was carpeted and it was furnished with stylish sofas. At the corner was a bar selling popcorns and softdrinks. I sat on one of the sofas and immediately made friends with a mother and a child. When it was already 3:30 PM, an SM staff escorted us to the cinema.

We were given really big black glasses at the entrance. Those were supposedly called 3D glasses. I have always known that it was used in 3D cinemas, but I never really got the answer on the concept behind it.

And wow! IMAX is completely different from your ordinary cinemas. The highlight of it all was the huge white screen on front. The sound system was very immersive, too.

A trailer of A Christmas Carol surprised me. There was a falling snowflake that seemed to pop out of the screen. Wow! Even the trailers are in 3D!

As the movie started with some fishes being shown, I experimented with the 3D glasses. When I removed it to see, the movie image on the screen was blurred. The images clear out when I put my 3D glasses on. So, I guess that is how those special 3D glasses work. Amazing!

I was so happy at my new experience. There was one time when they showed two blue seasnakes. They were swimming together as the camera focused in. At one time, the face the camera and it would seem that they could bite me. Of course, I instinctively avoided the "bite". Hahaha!

The movie showed not just seasnakes, there were also cuttlefish, sharks, jellyfishes, crown jellyfish, and sea turtles in their natural habitats. I was amazed at the beauty of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. There was even one big fish that seemed to look at me. And being in 3D, my mind told me it was real that I reached out my hand as if to touch it.

Of course there's also a little bit of Chemistry in it. It said that corals and the shells of Nautilus are made up Calcium Carbonate. Carbon Dioxide is required to make it. However, we pollute the environment with so much carbon dioxide that it causes a great climate change. Too much carbon dioxide hinders the generation of calcium carbonate. As a result, the corals bleach white and then die. The nautilus cannot make shells either. So, their species dwindle. How sad...

By the end of the documentary, I discovered a new species called the "dragon fish". It is such a beautiful creature that it turns "camouflage into art", as what the narrator put it. Indeed, its body resembled seaweeds of different colors. Sadly, their species are also on the brink of extinction.

But a spark of hope was given to the hearts of the viewers as the narrator said, "However, it will still change. But that change must come from us." :)

At the end of the documentary, a group of sealions could be seen gathering around the camera. They were obviously curious about it. They were so cute. Their innocent faces were popping out of the 2D screen. And in their eyes were a sense of purity and love. I reached out my hand as if to touch them. I was touched at how carefree they were. They were playing with each other and with the camera. At that moment, I wished that I was as free as those sealoins: to be able to radiate that kind of purity in my eyes, and to touch other people's hearts.

That 45-minute documentary was really worth my time and money. I went home very happy and fulfilled at being able to fulfill one of my dreams, and to learn something new about a beautiful world that is hidden under the sea. :)