By Robert Sims, Special to TheMovieKit.com
Step 1: Buy yourself a spacesuit. This “you are there” 3D IMAX spectacular rockets you to the outer edges of the universe. Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, Hubble 3D will leave you gasping at stunning footage shot thousands of miles about the Earth by various space shuttle crews and crystal-clear images captured 10-15 billion light years away by the orbiting space telescope.
Step 2: Avail yourself to the difficulties of working in space. Director Toni Myers chronicles the Herculean efforts of the seven-member crew of the space shuttle Atlantis in 2009 to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. We’re first introduced to the crew as they dive into four-story swimming pool practice the installation of a powerful new camera on a full-scale replica of Hubble. But whatever problems they endure underwater are nothing compared to those they encounter in a working environment 325 miles above the Earth with zero gravity and subzero temperature. As strange as this may sound, there is great tension to be found in even the simplest of tasks, from trying to unscrew a stuck bolt to removing a handle. It’s impossible not to come away with a respect and admiration for the crew as they spend nine days floating above Earth fixing a telescope that continues to unlock the secrets of the universe.
Step 3: Appreciate your place in the universe. You feel so small as Hubble 3D takes you through the countless of galaxies in our universe. And it makes you wonder what, if any, life is out there. Watching this in 3D clearly enhances the experience of getting up close and personal to dying stars and new galaxies. You feel like you are floating past these beautiful celestial wonders.
Step 4: Accept that you will leave Hubble 3D wanting more. No matter how intimate this guided tour is, you never feel you have seen as much as you could of the Carina Nebula or the end of the observable universe. Still, after sitting through Hubble 3D, you won’t look up at the stars again in the same way you did before.
Level of difficulty in watching Hubble 3D: Hate wearing 3D glasses? Don’t worry about it. Running just 45 minutes, this IMAX masterpiece offers a unique 3D experience that cannot be replicated by the likes of James Cameron.