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Instead of a history of the spectacular Niagara Falls, this IMAX presentation, whose format is, oddly enough, pan-and-scan instead of widescreen, resorts to re-enactments of Niagara's mythology. Though the film incorporates some breathtaking cinematography that emphasizes the splendor and awesome scope of the falls, director Kieth Merrill, who has helmed several other films in the IMAX library (
Wolves), focuses on the legends that prevail rather than the wonder of the place itself. We see cheesy reinterpretations of the people of Niagara, "the thunder beings who lived under the great falls," as they send a maiden, "the chosen one," over the edge in a canoe. Equally odd is a scene of Annie Taylor and her pet cat, who tackled the falls in a barrel at the turn of the century. Consequently, this is one of the lesser IMAX features. This truly extraordinary wonder deserves a better platform, yet even in this imperfect examination, its beauty and power can't be repressed and ultimately it's what we remember most after the film ends.
--Paula Nechak
From the Back Cover
Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic is the most spectacular IMAX adventure of all. From the comfort of your seat, you'll thrill to the larger-than-life vista of raging waters as you take a heart-pounding ride over the Falls and experience other death-defying stunts performed at Niagara Falls.
Created by Academy Award-winner Kieth Merrill, the film takes you back to the days when the Indians worshipped the thunder beings, 2,000 years before the first Europeans discovered the Falls. See the wonders of the Falls up close and travel back in time for a glimpse of its 12,000 year-old history.
Meet the daredevils who challenged the fury of the Falls: the Great Blondin, who completed a death-defying tightrope walk over the river in 1860, and Annie Taylor, a 63 year-old school teacher, who was the first person to go over the Falls in a barrel and live to tell the story.
No trip to the Falls is complete until you've seen Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic
CHAPTERS
1. Niagara
2. Myths
3. Magic
4. Miracles
5. Credits
