Voyage Of Time: The IMAX Experience

Film fans become divided when discussing the work of director Terrance Malick. The filmmaker behind "The Thin Red Line," "The New World," "Tree of Life," and, most recently, "Knight of Cups," can be divisive because of his specific style of filmmaking. His films have a flow and poetry that is often aided by contemplative voiceovers. This doesn't work for a lot of people, but for those naysayers his new film might actually be a blessing.

In "Tree of Life" -- a film about the dissolution of a family in the fifties -- Malick takes a twenty-minute break to show the creation of the universe. Complete with dinosaurs. This interlude inspired something he had been thinking about for a long time: Doing a documentary-style film that starts at the beginning of the universe and continues to the end. He wanted to show the world in all its beauty, majesty, tragedy, and confusion. He wanted to ask questions about why we are here, what the meaning of life really is, and how it all fits together. And in "Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience" he does just that.

With gorgeous cinematography by Paul Atkins and visual effects by Dan Glass, Malick takes us on a journey from the Big Bang, through the various ages of the Earth (yes, we get dinosaurs again), all the way to the future and beyond -- right up until the universe implodes on itself and, perhaps, begins again.

It's hard to really review a film like this, as it is more of an art piece than a film. I guess that's why they call it an "experience." Brad Pitt narrates the film but his narration is more introspective and not only posits questions we can't really answer, but he asks us to join him in viewing the awe and wonder of the world. Each audience member is going to bring something different to the experience and that's the beauty of it.

At 45 minutes long the film will play in a lot of science centers, so for children it will look dazzling but probably be a bit of a drag. Adults, however, will probably start thinking about their place in the world and continue those conversations long after the film is over.

Note: There is a 90-minute theatrical version narrated by Cate Blanchette that will be released later in the year.