IMAX - Alaska: Spirit of the World gives us a look into Alaska's past and present day life, human and animal. Narrated by Charlton Heston and lasting 40 minutes, this documentary brings spectacular cinematography into your living room.

IMAX - Alaska: Spirit of the World, begins by telling us about how the last Ice Age, approximately 18,000 years ago, helped form the land and life of Alaska. Asia connecting with North America across the Bering Sea allowed herds of bison, moose, caribou, woolly mammoth and the people that hunted them to come to, what we now know as, Alaska.

The Inupiat tribe, also, known as Eskimos, are descendants of the people who made that crossing. We're given a glimpse into the Inupiat lifestyle by being shown how they still hunt whales, leaving no portion of it unused. They, also, believed the Northern Lights were children, yet to be born, playing in the heavens. The Inupiats have another name for glaciers...white thunder. The name comes from the sound of the glaciers, some as tall as 30 story buildings, breaking off and falling into the sea.

This documentary tells us how, in 1897, the great Klondike gold rush started. Approximately 1/4 of a million people attempted to find gold, with half never making it to the gold areas, hundreds of deaths and only 400, or so, getting rich.

In IMAX - Alaska: Spirit of the World we see moose, caribou, bison, beaver, wolves, bald eagles, sea lions and a red fox. With all of these talked about, so briefly, I felt cheated on not getting to know each species better.

Brown bears were highlighted and shown (discreetely) mating, at play and rest. It was fun watching them trying to catch salmon and the description of each type of "hunter" was cute. The pouncer, "wait"er and thief were fun, but the one that got a giggle from me was the diver. This bear would submerge his whole head, with his rear end sticking up in the air, trying to catch a salmon when it would swim by.

Polar bears were featured, also. IMAX - Alaska: Spirit of the World showed young adult males playing, a mother and her two young cubs and a lone mature male.

The highlight of the animal world, was the adult black bear that was shown. With all animals scurrying from his path and leaving waters edge, he takes to the water as if he owns it. Then, this fierce looking, big bear promptly starts romping and stomping in the water, having a great time. The moose watching him has great facial features, almost, showing human like disbelief and amusement at this big bear at play.

I felt cheated by IMAX - Alaska: Spirit of the World. There was so much shown and so many facts, that I never really got to grasp onto anything and enjoy it. (other, than the black bear) This should have been made into at least two, if not three, separate shows. I'm giving it 3 stars, just due to the visual feast of a place I've never been. This would make a better show for children, than other Imax:Travel documentaries, I've seen. It has no violent animal deaths and no out in the open mating scenes. Children will like the clown like antics of some of the animals, as well. Adults, get your ear plugs or shut off the sound...so many facts and trivia will be thrown at you by Charlton Heston's, sleep inducing monotone, that your head will spin.


Other Imax:Travel Reviews

IMAX - Africa: The Serengeti

Mystery of the Nile

IMAX - Mountain Gorilla

Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: DVD