Customer Reviews

Island of the Sharks (Large Format)

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4 star:		(1)
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Island of the Sharks is more about Cocos Island then the amazing schools of sharks that surround this remote island's plankton rich waters. Howard Hall/IMAX crew used the services of the best dive operation (UnderseaHunter...) to capture the underwater beauty of this remote "island oasis" 300 miles SSW of Costa Rica. As fate would have it, El Nino and La Nina cycled during the filming of this movie. They captured the powerful changes that nature wrought through fabulous imagery, and through patience and perseverance managed to capture on IMAX animal behavior that can not be adequately described within this text. The scenes of bait balls created by Marlins is simply spectacular, the schools of hammerheads are filmed with great perspective shots, the night hunts of the White Tip sharks are thrilling, and the overall attention to the details/descriptions of the environment make this a very special movie. The haunting coral bleaching caused by El Nino followed by the spectacular recovery during La Nina is truly one of natures most spectacular events. The photography is superb, the narration adequate. For those interested in the underwater world, those who have been scuba diving at Cocos, or for those simply curious about the natural world, this is one IMAX film NOT to be missed. Hats off to Avi Klapfer and his UnderseaHunter operation for supporting this type of work.

Island of the Sharks is a spectacular look at the ocean around the island of Cocos. Many creatures are photographed here, including: shark species, manta rays, fishes, and quite a few invertebrates. A very startling scene, and one of my favorites, involves a male blenny searching for a mate. However, a very large mantis shrimp threatens all fishes that pass within the area. A female blenny detects the males signal, and searches the sand flats for him. When the tiny female reaches the male, he rebuffs her instantly. The female blenny backtracks in the wrong direction, and is swallowed whole by the waiting shrimp. Excilirating photography! However, this is only a single scene out of many that make this one of the very best films about the ocean. Completely trashes another well known but sub par Imax film called "The Living Sea."
The transfer to DVD of this epic is acceptable. It is very good for a restoration from the Imax screen, which is usually very hard to do. Some scenes of the film are grainy, but this is expected from an Imax restoration. However, most of the picture is clear, and can be enjoyed in full glory. If you love the ocean and it's marvels, rent it or buy it on DVD!

Amazing photography. Make sure you watch the special features on how they made it.
Also - if you have younger children - check out Captain Jon Explores the Ocean, also available on DVD from Amazon.

I buy and watch a lot of underwater documentaries but I have to admit this is but far the best of them so far. Cocos Island has always been my dream diving spot in the world. These guys put together a fantastic video. Quality of the shots are incredible. I strongly recommend anyone who is interested in underwater life.

When I pounce on a DVD titled "Island of the Sharks," I expect your typical documentary footage of film crews going into shark cages underwater, and luring sharks to break the surface and chomp on sides of beef dangled over the side of the boat. That didn't turn out to be the case here.

A better title for this DVD might have been simply "Cocos Island," because while the hammerheads of this island are shown, they are by no means the main attraction. It's a good documentary in and of itself, with amazing IMAX photography and a look at the many varities of marine life that inhabit the coral reef around the island. It just wasn't what I was expecting, based on the title.

Nicely filmed, good sea and island bird life coverage including the seasonal El Nino effects, BUT...the narration is often drowned out by the sound track's musical score--a fault I lay directly on the studio sound staff, sloppy mixer level management, and asleep-at-the-wheel Quality Control people. The narration overall was only "adequate" as the woman doing it spoke as if "too removed/uninterested/laid back" from what she was narrating, a weak script to read from, and spoken softly as well adding to the narration shortfall. Otherwise...this is visually a good DVD of the sea and bird life of the Cocos Islands.

What beauty, and what a pleasure to watch! Narrated by Linda Hunt's articulate voice, this film is full of fantastic underwater scenes that took a great deal of talent, and patience, to capture. A real treat that my entire family appreciated.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

i loved it. it was interesting. it was cool too.