Vastness of space eclipses IMAX

By STEVE PERSALL

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 31, 2000

The immense filmmaking process has met a subject it can't capture, the dark and empty outer reaches.

Mission to Mir is a familiar history lesson and a fine tribute to superpower cooperation that sometimes feels like a waste of IMAX space.

The film is a 40-minute tour of the Russian space station Mir, which has circled Earth since 1986. U.S. astronaut Norm Thagard became the first American to join the project, in 1995. The title is misleading: Footage from four missions to Mir is included, centered around NASA sending astronaut Shannon Lucid on a space shuttle flight later that year to relieve Thagard of duty.

After a brisk recap of space exploration to that point, the space shuttle Atlantis blasts off, offering the usual god's-eye view of Earth. No tension develops until Atlantis readies to dock with Mir, then it's quickly past. Mostly, the film is a tour of cramped conditions and zero-gravity playtime.

Mission to Mir could be a decent documentary on TV, where the sensory possibilities aren't as great. It could be a nice primer for IMAX rookies, or just another notch on the belts of NASA fans.

The immense IMAX format would appear to be perfect for displaying the vast reaches of outer space. Yet the gigantic image is often dominated by darkness. Either it's the framing of old newsreel footage that can't be blown up to IMAX proportions, or the shadow of spaceship windows as astronauts point cameras outside. Then, there is the darkness of outer space to consider.

Even the deceptive speed of space flight blunts the IMAX experience. The space station zips around the Earth, but its massive size and lack of anything to gauge its progress make it appear that it is standing still. IMAX can convey vertigo and velocity on or near the ground. The higher you go, the more the process misses.

August Schnellenberg's grim narration attempts to build suspense, but headlines already blew the ending. A few irreverent touches, such as the Eagles' Hotel California underscoring the Mir's tight quarters, are out of place and not fully realized. The song ends before the lyric about checking out any time you like but never being able to leave, presenting viewers a setup without a punch line.

A few interesting nuggets emerge, mostly from rare looks at the Russian space program and its relatively primitive landing tactics. The rest is American flag-waving as usual, in a movie that too often forfeits the IMAX space race.

REVIEW

Mission to Mir

• Grade: B-
• Director: Ivan Galin, James Neihouse
• Cast: Shannon Lucid, Norm Thagard, voice of August Schnellenberg
• Narration written by: Toni Meyers, Graeme Ferguson
• Rating: NR, probably G
• Running time: 40 min.
• Continues through March 15 at IMAX Dome Theater, Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E Fowler Ave., Tampa

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