11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"The acting... the acting.", September 7, 2004
Sedona: The Spirit of Wonder (Frances Grumman, 1998)
Sedona, Arizona is one of the most fantastically beautiful spots on the planet, and a hotbed of tourism. To capitalize on that, the town of Sedona built a SuperVue theater and commissioned a short movie about the town (one hesitates to call it a documentary) and the surrounding red rocks. First-time director Frances Grumman was behind the camera, and A&E regular Don Morrow narrated. What they put together is alternately breathtaking and breathtakingly silly.
Sedona's red rocks are rather like Ayers Rock; pictures will not do it justice. (Having not seen this at the IMAX, I'm not sure whether the hugeness of the image on the REALLY big screen changes this.) Still, for those who have been, the photography here will be a wonderful reminder of just how amazing it is down there. The aerial photography, especially, is stunning, but that's to be expected from an IMAX movie. Some of the narration (Morrow's bits, mostly), is a good overview, as well. But man, the rest of it is likely to have you balled up on the floor with laughter. The hypothesis of the creation of Sedona is all well and good, but the stock sea and lava footage really needed somewhere else to be at that particular time. The flashbacks to earlier ages in the settling of the wild country would likely have been more effective had the actors all not been wearnig modern clothes. (Well, maybe not; they seemed more like live-action dioramas than scenes.) The soundtrack is almost as bad as bits of the narration. In other words, just hit the mute button, you'll be better off. And fast forward through anything that's not scenery and other nature footage. If you do that, it's wonderful. ** ½
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
