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Film: Also opening
By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 16, 2002
Erecting the Space Station
Space Station (Not rated, probably G) (47 min.) -- The vastness of outer space and the brightness of a Hollywood star are the drawing cards for this IMAX-size documentary about the International Space Station circling 250 miles above Earth. Tom Cruise narrates this occasionally lighthearted look at the U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts collaborating on the early stages of the spacecraft's construction.
Unlike other IMAX films set in space (Destiny in Space, for example), this one isn't restricted to cramped cockpits and views of our planet through windows that shrink the magnitude of the oversized screen.
Much of the footage was shot by the travelers during space walks, when pieces of the station transported by space shuttles are connected like complex toys. The mission takes precedence over the personalities involved, but hints of the humor necessary for such a trip -- playing with weightless food products, listening to Austin Powers' theme song, etc. -- make the ride more enjoyable.
From a humane standpoint, it's good that no crises arise, but that also shortchanges the film of any dramatic tension except a virtual reality example of what could go wrong, then right. The docking process apparently makes the astronauts sweat, yet occurs so slowly that the filmmakers can't take time to explain their anxiety. Still, the pitch-black vistas punctuated by silent spacecraft are alluring, proving that Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey vision was right on the mark, long before cameras could capture the real thing.
Opens Saturday and continues through Nov. 21 at the Museum of Science and Industry IMAX Dome Theater, 4801 E Fowler Ave., in Tampa. A-
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