CyberWorld

It is not necessary to use a lot of words when analyzing a film you really like. This is the case with "CyberWorld," one of the most impressive 3D movies I've seen. "CyberWorld" has some of the best special effects I've seen a movie has used. The animation was incredible to see because it is new and fresh. I didn't know what to expect from a movie that was playing at an IMAX theater; however, upon leaving the movie I was smiling because it was an out of this world experience that I will treasure for many years to come.

Watching "CyberWorld" was like taking a trip down memory lane because I remember watching each of the movies and television shows. I can only say you do not know what you are missing from a true movie experience if you don't try the IMAX experience. The IMAX experience is among the best I've ever seen and nothing has or will come close to the experience I had. To the credit of the animators and director, they made me feel like I was inside the film as part of the cast.

I always look for a plot in every movie I see because I feel that is the crux of everything. While "CyberWorld" lacked story, it made up for it with the effects and the host voiced by Jenna Elfman. I urge everyone to see "CyberWorld" because it appeals to all ages and contains incredible special effects.

"CyberWorld" is a 40 minute adventure nobody should miss.

Cyberworld is truly unique in the sense that it not only provides the animation content in 3D, but it also provides the movie experience in 3D thanks to IMAX's incredible technology.

Here's a brief synopsis of the movie: You enter into a surrealistic 3D gallery where the host guides you through several unreal samples of 3D animation. Unfortunately, the gallery is being destroyed by computer bugs and it is up to the host to stop them before the entire gallery collapses.

From the technological point of view, this movie is astounding. The animation is realistic and in some cases, surrealistic. The artists who helped to compose this movie have really pushed the limits of the software and hardware capacities available to create a movie that is stunning to the eye.

From the creative point of view, this movie has a few flaws. The galleria bridge between each sequence was very well thought out, but the transition between some of the sequences seemed a little abrupt at times. Not to mention that there was a rather heavy emphasis on the theme of bugs.

Overall though, this is a truly unique experience in movies that is well worth discovering. Never been to an IMAX movie before? Maybe it's time you find out what IMAX is all about by seeing this movie...

I remember watching the psychedelic computer graphics in "Tron" (okay, so I'm dating myself) and thinking, "Wow, this is pretty cool". These days you get better graphics on a Gameboy at 1/100000th the cost. Many years later I was stunned by the cutting edge morphing technology in "Terminator 2". Now you can do the same thing to your travel video on your PC. Last night I saw the new wave of computer graphics - 3D animation. In 1998, IMAX producers Steve Hoban and Hugh Murray put out a call to computer animators around the world for submissions that would be adapted to the IMAX 3D format. They narrowed the 250 + submissions down to eight selections based on several criteria: how they looked, whether they could be readily adapted for the 3D process and suitability for the intended audience (several vivid lead-in video game segments were excluded because of their extremely violent material). The finalists range from the familiar - the 3D sequence from "The Simpsons" - to the obscure - "Monkey Brain Sushi".

In order to give the film continuity, and tie the different elements together they created Phig (voiced by Jenna Elfman) the sassy, irreverent animated host of Cyberworld. She takes the viewers on a tour of the facility and provides some comic relief. There is also a subplot involving some buggy software in the program - caused by a trio of troublesome code munching Cyber Critters - and Phig's efforts to stop them before they crash the system, but more on that later.

The animation would be amazing in its own right, but when transformed into 3D it is spectacular. While all the segments are exceptional, I did have several favorites: "The Krakken" plunges the viewer into a stunningly detailed and rendered aquatic environment, that reminded me of my trip to the Barrier reef (minus the monsters with the big, sharp, pointy teeth.). The Pet Shop Boys' "Liberation" meanwhile, could not be more different - a surreal piece, it is a cross between a Dada exhibit, an escher diagram, and one of those strange dreams you have after guzzling a twelve pack of "Jolt" and studying for 36 hours straight. Being a Simpsons fanatic I also enjoyed the "Homer3" sequence, which takes on a new dimension (no pun intended) on the big screen. The movie is also beautifully scored, taking full advantage of the IMAX 3D surround sound system. Now that I've told you a little about "the what" I will now try to explain a bit of "the how".

After reading through the fifty pages of production notes for the fourth time, I realized that any in-depth discussion of the technology would put anyone but computer science grads to sleep (and even they'd need a cup of coffee). The basic animation sequences are standard computer graphics that have been translated for stereoscopic viewing - two images projected simultaneously to mimic human vision. The Cyber Critters, however were created with SANDDE, a revolutionary new technology (created by Intel and IMAX), whereby animators don 3D goggles and draw the characters by free hand. They can immediate view the results in real time virtual space. The end-result is characters that resemble traditional cell-style animation, except they also happen to be three-dimensional.

I especially appreciated the fact that although the film is fast paced, I did not get the same queasy feeling I did at "Alien Adventure" and "Encounters in the Third Dimension", two other 3D IMAX films.

I'm not generally given to hyperbole, but Cyberworld 3D's immersive experience is hands down the best 3D movie I have ever seen (until next year of course.). Even better, it is suitable for everyone.

"CyberWorld" is one of the most impressive 3D movies I've seen because the special effects are outstanding. The animation was incredible to see because it is new and fresh. I didn't know what to expect from a movie that was playing at an IMAX theater; however, upon leaving the movie I was smiling because it was an out of this world experience that I will treasure for many years to come.

Watching "CyberWorld" was like taking a trip down memory lane because I remember watching each of the movies and television shows. I can only say you do not know what you are missing from a true movie experience if you don't try the IMAX experience. The IMAX experience is among the best I've ever seen and nothing has or will come close to the experience I had. To the credit of the animators and director, they made me feel like I was inside the film as part of the cast.

I always look for a plot in every movie I see because I feel that is the crux of everything. While "CyberWorld" lacked story, it made up for it with the effects and the host voiced by Jenna Elfman. I urge everyone to see "CyberWorld" because it appeals to all ages and contains incredible special effects.

It is not necessary to use a lot of words when analyzing a film you really like. This is the case with "CyberWorld," one of the most impressive 3D movies I've seen.

"CyberWorld" has some of the best special effects I've seen a movie use. The animation was incredible to see because it is new and fresh. I didn't know what to expect from a movie that was playing at an IMAX theater; however, upon leaving the movie I was smiling because it was an out of this world experience that I will treasure for many years to come.

Watching "CyberWorld" was like taking a trip down memory lane because I remember watching each of the movies and television shows. I can only say you do not know what you are missing from a true movie experience if you don't try the IMAX experience. The IMAX experience is among the best I've ever seen and nothing has or will come close to the experience I had. To the credit of the animators and director, they made me feel like I was inside the film as part of the cast.

I always look for a plot in every movie I see because I feel that is the crux of everything. While "CyberWorld" lacked story, it made up for it with the effects and the host voiced by Jenna Elfman. I urge everyone to see "CyberWorld" because it appeals to all ages and contains incredible special effects.

If you get the chance to "CyberWorld," take it because you won't be disappointed.