- davidahallnum5
IMAX: Hubble 3D Blu-ray Review
Updated: Apr 8, 2023
IMAX: Hubble is a 2010 documentary produced by IMAX and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio. It follows a special space mission in 2009 where a group of astronauts attempt to repair the Hubble space telescope when part of its equipment has gone awry.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: IMAX documentaries are a real treat. Not only do they know how to use 3D right and subsequently bring forth an unforgettable experience, but they also know how to make a documentary that holds up well in its own right. While I can imagine you would certainly want the big screen and the 3D for something like Under the Sea, other documentaries such as Born to be Wild hold a place in our hearts for being emotional, engaging films in general. Now, upon my first re-watch of Hubble in years, I do acknowledge that it might not be strictly better than Born to be Wild as a film. But I'd say it still holds up really well and turns out to be one of the better IMAX documentaries you'll find, and the reasoning behind that might be different from what you expect.
IMAX: Hubble's main subject is pretty self-explanatory. And while the film does show us what the Hubble has done for human civilization, the focus throughout the documentary is on the repair mission. This aspect of the film isn't exactly the best part of it, but it's none the less handled very well. We get to see the astronauts interact with each other before and during their mission, and it's wholesome enough. They also let us in on the details surrounding their mission, including what they have to do to fix the telescope, what kind of training they must go through before heading into space, how they plan to get there and back, and just how dangerous the mission actually is. It's all very engaging stuff and at times can even have you on the edge of your seat. While I'd say the exploration of technical details around space missions has been touched upon better and in more detail with IMAX's other documentary Space Station, Hubble still does it well enough to satisfy any curious folks.
However, the film also lives up to its title in a couple of other ways. Like I said, the film also let's us in on just how revolutionary the Hubble space telescope actually is. It lets us on in a brief history lesson. But for me, the film's greatest moments occur when they take the images Hubble has taken and stitch them together into a journey of space and time. This happens a couple of times in the movie, and quite honestly I should've saved this for the 3D review of the film. But when it happens, man, it's very engaging. However, the best use of these kinds of shots in the movie occurs in the last few minutes when you are taken on a trip throughout and to the ends of our known universe. This scene isn't just the most mesmerizing scene of the movie, but also the most mesmerizing scene I've witnessed in any IMAX 3D documentary. It really does make you think about how small creatures we are and if maybe there's some sort of grand purpose that brings together everything in the cosmos. And quite frankly, any documentary that manages to do that automatically earns my recommendation. Not only that, but it also reminds us just what telescope we can thank for that.
In short, IMAX: Hubble is a great IMAX documentary. It really takes you on an entertaining, but also education space adventure that'll delight both curious kids and adults alike. I know that sounds a little banal as you could say the same about something like Space Station or A Beautiful Planet. But if you're looking for an IMAX film that's as insightful and thought-provoking as it is fun to watch, Hubble is definitely a trip worth taking. While it's probably not the best documentary you'll see, it none the less stands out as one of the better and more memorable one.
OVERALL FILM RATING: 4/5
I think at this point, it's a given that IMAX 3D documentaries will always benefit excellently from the third dimension. But while Hubble is certainly no exception, I think the way 3D is used here not only puts it up as a 3D must-watch, but also maybe one of the best 3D films I've ever seen. While upon re-watch, I can officially confirm it's not better than Avatar: The Way of Water, that doesn't take away at all from how breathtaking this movie is when seen in 3D.
I think as we've been able to tell from films like Gravity and Space Station, outer space just simply works well with 3D. Not only does the lack of gravity allow things to float around and mesmerize you in the process, but the added sense of space also allows you to really feel the void of being in outer space. And this is part of what makes Hubble a real treat to see in the third dimension. Now, first off, I should point out that there are some shots in the film that occur whenever the focus is on something in the background where the 3D gets pretty soft and occasionally looks like a 2D image pushed back into the screen a little. But these shots are in no way pervasive unlike National Parks Adventures and they're not done in a way where they draw the most attention to themselves unlike Mummies: Secret's of the Pharaohs. And often times, the scenery does still appear to carry some realistic enough depth to it. Outside of these few shots though, the 3D on display is absolutely superb. You know you're in for a 3D experience when the opening credits feature a three-dimensional NASA logo and words that dissolve off into stars that disperse out into the audience.
On the ground, the 3D available, whether its in a giant room or in front of an astronaut's face, is very strong. You actually feel like you're right there with the men and women planning to board the space shuttle. There's one pretty notable scene in which the crew is practicing underwater to get ready for the zero-gravity space mission that offers plenty of neat 3D shots. It starts out with a view directly on the surface of the water in which it appears that the water is coming right off the screen (as with the 3D re-release of Jaws (speaking of which, when's that getting a 3D Blu-ray?)). And underwater, the space between people in giant suits and the equipment is strong and realistic, making the scene pretty engaging. And when the practice is done and people are being lifted out, not only does the room go incredibly far into the background, but when the future astronauts have their helmets off and are interacting with family and friends, the added sense of space helps you to feel the size and weight of everything and everyone on-screen. Even outside when the shuttle is getting ready for liftoff, the crowd views look incredible as all the individual people go far into the background, whether on the ground or on bleachers. Granted, there are a couple of top-down shots when the shuttle is getting ready to lift off that appear a bit warped in 3D, but I think that's mainly because they already appear warped in 2D. And when the shuttle does lift off, we get a view from the top-up that looks fantastic, with smoke and fire coming right in your face as the shuttle moves away from the tall structures and into the sky.
But you didn't come to Hubble to stay on the ground, though. And in space, the 3D remains ever so strong. Like I said, besides a few very soft shots, the 3D is on point. It usually stays that way when the shots seem to be taken live from the shuttle crew. There is one CGI shot on display of space that I should mention here before moving on, and it occurs to show two shuttles connecting together via a pole to demonstrate what happens if something goes wrong. In it, the camera comes up next to the pole to give us an interesting view. Inside the space shuttle, we see everything and everyone moving around in zero-gravity and it remains fun to see, especially when two men are shown handling a system of suit buckles over a small table. However, there is one missed opportunity for some good 3D pop that occurs when a man is putting together a burrito and the tortilla never even protrudes the screen. But none the less, the depth in the space shuttle scenes provides everything with decent and realistic space that makes you feel like you're really there. But when the crew gets started on the mission to repair the Hubble is when the 3D becomes truly mesmerizing. There are several shots similar to this taken from around the bottom of the Hubble telescope that allows the bottom to slightly protrude the screen, but the telescope goes farther into the screen the higher it gets. It makes the Hubble's 3D shape look much more interesting to see. And that especially comes into play once the astronauts go out on their spacewalk to repair the telescope. In many of the shots, the earth is visible in the background, which might appear farther away than it actually is, but is none the less very far away. In a couple of these scenes, they even throw in a tether which comes so far out of the screen, you'll almost swear it's inches in front of your face. In fact, there's one shot in particular of an astronaut coming up towards the camera that I feel combines all the best aspects of these outer space repair shots. Besides those scenes, are also a few shots taken from the suits of the people working on the telescope which allow for some close-ups on the interior of the telescope that the men are working on, albeit these shots only take up about a quarter of the screen.
However, the most mesmerizing scenes in the film for me are the scenes I mentioned earlier in the movie review which are whenever the film uses the images Hubble has taken to deliver a journey through time and space. During these scenes, we get a couple of shots of stars and the galaxy that have been converted to 3D and look amazing with the added depth. But what looks even more incredible than that is when the camera moves throughout space to different galaxies and clouds where galaxies are being formed. While these shots might not be all that deep per se, the individual stars all still exist in their own individual space and never seemed bunched up with other stars. However, as previously mentioned, the best usage of 3D in the movie occurs in the last few minutes when the camera takes us outside of our galaxies, soars past other galaxies, and heads over to the end of the known universe, and then moves back to give us a beautiful glimpse of thousands of stars. This scene would look like a mess in 2D. But in 3D, it absolutely makes sense, and the experience it delivers is simply indescribable, showing you just how enormous our universe truly is. It already looks incredible on my 6x4 screen at home, but I bet in IMAX 3D, it would have been something to behold.
While IMAX: Hubble probably might not be anyone's number 1 favorite film, it'd be a crime not to at least put it on their top 10. As a said earlier, good 3D in documentaries produced by IMAX are almost always a given. But Hubble's 3D stands out from the bunch not necessarily because it always provides the deepest 3D, but because it uses that 3D to deliver an engaging and mesmerizing experience that you simply cannot have with the 2D version. I could go on and on talking about the fantastic tracking shot at the end of the film and how it acts as a masterclass in how to do 3D right and in a way that'll leave an impact on your viewer. But honestly, it's something that needs to be seen to be believed. And yeah, everything else is good too. In short, IMAX: Hubble is an absolute 3D stunner. And even if you can't see it on the IMAX screen the way it was intended, the 3D Blu-ray will still provide one of the greatest 3D experiences you can have at home. What more can I say? Do yourself and favor and pick up this outstanding 3D movie.
3D RATING: EXCELLENT
Other sources that review this movie's 3D:
Tommy Boy 3D's Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAiDds8gsKE
FINAL THOUGHTS
IMAX: Hubble is not only one of IMAX's best documentaries, it might just be one of the best 3D movies ever. Usually, here is where I'd first tell you how the film itself is and then whether or not you should go for the 3D version. But here, both of those aspects go hand in hand. And they lend themselves to a documentary that not only is educational and fun, but also engaging and takes you on an unforgettable journey onto the Hubble space telescope and to the ends of the universe. It not only shows you just how much Hubble has contributed to humankind and our knowledge about outer space, but it also makes you think twice about how small we are and how beautiful our little planet is amongst the middle of the truly unthinkably huge universe. For that reason alone, Hubble is well-worth picking up on 3D Blu-ray. And if it's playing at your local IMAX theater, do yourself an even bigger favor and go see it there. Either way you go about it, it'd truly be a shame to miss out on this 3D wonder. Now the only question is how long will it be until James Webb gets its own IMAX documentary, and if it'd at all top Hubble's in terms of 3D.
DID YOU LIKE "IMAX: HUBBLE" IN 3D
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