How did the universe begin? How has our planet evolved over the millennia? IMAX wants to take you on an immersive journey to explore these questions. Voyage Of Time: The IMAX Experience, narrated by Brad Pitt, will be shown exclusively in IMAX theaters beginning October 7.
The movie is a unique celebration of the history of the cosmos. Voyage Of Time spans eons—from the Big Bang, through the rise and demise of dinosaurs, to our present-day world. The movie is directed by Terrence Malick—who also directed The Thin Red Line and The Tree of Life. Malick also worked with Brad Pitt previously on The Tree of Life. It is the first time Malick is venturing into the world of documentary storytelling—a labor of love that has been nearly four decades in the making.
A statement from IMAX describes the film:
The film’s panorama of awe-inspiring images will take you into the heart of monumental events never witnessed — from the birth of the stars and galaxies to the explosion of diverse life-forms on planet earth, including humankind — in immersive new ways that only IMAX can deliver. This is a cosmic experience — a hymn to the glories of nature, life and scientific discovery — in which all the elements come together to form Malick’s most original film to date.
Voyage of Time will actually be simultaneously released in two versions. Voyage of Time: Life’s Journey is a 90-minute version narrated by Cate Blanchett. It promises to take the audience on a poetic and provocative ride full of open questions. Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience is a 40-minute immersive story of the universe and life itself—to be told in a way that only the giant IMAX screen can do it.
I have found in recent years, though, that you have to choose your IMAX experience carefully. There are theaters that call themselves IMAX, but don’t live up to the experience I expect. One theater in my area has an “IMAX” theater where the screen is actually smaller than many competing theaters’ normal screens, and the sound system is dated and flaky. When I think of IMAX, I think of towering screens that curve around the sides a bit—a screen so large it engulfs your field of vision so you are completely immersed in the experience. It’s not enough to just have a slightly bigger screen and slap the name “IMAX” on it.
I love the IMAX experience, though, when it’s done right, and I love these sorts of documentary films. I am looking forward to checking out Voyage Of Time in October.
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