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Even flowery dialogue can't diminish the wonders of the Baja California peninsula, done justice in the stunning vistas of the big-screen format.
By PHILLIP BOOTH
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 15, 2001
The film, another scholarly, National Geographic-like observation on animal and plant life, goes on to detail the wonders of the Baja California peninsula, a 700-mile-long region of Mexico whose waters are home to more than 900 species of fish and marine mammals.
The movie, unlike those PBS specials of yore, is souped up with the high-resolution images, stunning you-are-there vistas (some shot from a helicopter) and pristine sound afforded by IMAX technology. The film's director, Soames Summerhays, and its producers make a strong case for the region as a true physical -- if not spiritual -- oasis.
Enormous, majestic gray whales fill the waters, as do dolphins, sharks, moray eels, manta rays, corals, sponges and jellyfish, all observed close-up. Beneath the sea, striking colors are revealed: sunshine yellow, electric blue, pink, orange, purple. Along the coast are elephant seals, breeding and giving birth after a 3,000-mile migration from the north Pacific; as many as 500,000 terns, responsible for catching 65 tons of fish daily; gulls by the tens of thousands; and ospreys.
The musical bombast, provided by the Prague Philharmonic and a rock guitarist, is a little off-putting, and so are the occasional bits of "we all are one" philosophy.
"You begin to understand them," Ortega is heard observing about the sharks, moments before one or two make menacing moves in her direction. Sometimes, the visuals tell as much of the story as is necessary.
Ocean Oasis
Grade: B
Director: Soames Summerhays
Cinematography: James Neihouse and Bob Cranston
Rating: Unrated
Running time: 38 min.
Playing at the Museum of Science and Industry, Tampa.