'Sea Monsters' rule the oceans in new IMAX film
After seeing "Sea Monsters 3D: A Prehistoric Adventure," you may not want to take a dip in the ocean anytime soon.
Thankfully, the creatures featured in this new IMAX film playing at the New England Aquarium in Boston swam in the Earth's oceans 82 million years ago and aren't terrorizing beachgoers on Martha's Vineyard.
"Sea Monsters," which features sea-dwelling dinosaurs, fits in perfectly at the aquarium, said the museum's marketing manager Paul Marsh. Along with the film, the aquarium will kick off a new exhibit where children can get close to some slithery and hairy beasts.
Combining a child favorite -- dinosaurs -- with underwater life, Marsh believes the movie, which opened Friday, will be a hit.
"The kids who come to the aquarium are the perfect age for dinosaurs. They really love dinosaurs," Marsh said. "They are really considered marine reptiles, but most people see them as dinosaurs."
Wearing special 3-D glasses, viewers will really see sea monsters come to life, Marsh said.
"They are awesome on the screen," Marsh said. "All the animation in the movie looks very real. They look so real, it looks like they are jumping right out of the water at you."
On the trip to see the IMAX feature, visitors can also check out the aquarium's newest exhibit, "Killer Instinct," where they can take a good peek at some pretty scary creatures.
"We let people get really close to tarantulas, scorpions, snakes, snapping turtles and a baby American alligator," Marsh said. "They won't be able to touch them, but they will be able to get really close to them."
After getting to know them, Marsh said, guests will see these critters are not as scary as they appear.
"Sea Monsters," which was made by National Geographic, provides an educational experience for viewers along with the special effects, Marsh said.
"I thought it was just amazing, perfect for whole families," Marsh said. "Adults get something -- it has the science -- and the animation, the CGI, is perfect for the kids."
The film features a family of Dollies, or Dolichorhynchops, a long-snouted reptile that looks something like a mix between a seal and a dolphin. The Dollies navigate waters filled with hazards like sabre-toothed fish, prehistoric sharks and giant squid.
Director Sean Phillips said the reality of ancient sealife provides more material for a film than he could ask for.
"The real science shown in this film is exhilarating as it allows us to understand and explore a vanished world more fantastic than any 'monster movie' fiction," Phillips said. "Combine this reality with such an immersive medium (of IMAX) and it makes for one hell of a great movie experience."
The dino-sea creatures also encounter lizard-like reptiles called Platecarpus, which swallowed prey whole like snakes do, and Styxosauraus, a creature with a 20-foot-long neck and paddle-like fins as big as a grown human.
The most feared creature in the prehistoric sea, however, was the Tylosaurus, which grew to as be as much as 45 feet long and had four rows of teeth for crushing its prey.
Creatures in the film were based on research done by paleontologists, who study prehistoric life. Scientists did not have to search the ocean floor for the remains of these ancient sea-faring dinosaurs. With sea levels dropping significantly since that time, the skeletons can be found on what is now dry land in places as far inland as Kansas.
Full sets of bones cannot always be found. Some creatures in "Sea Monsters," such as the ancient sharks, were based on teeth found in the central United States. Just finding the jawbone can provide a lot of information, too, such as what the dinosaur ate.
Occasionally, whole skeletons are found with their dinners still inside. A 17-foot-long predatory fish known as Xiphactinus was found with a 6-foot-long fish inside, which it had swallowed whole.
The film is narrated by Liev Schreiber, a Tony Award-winning actor who also has appeared on the big screen. The film also features an original score provided by Peter Gabriel, Richard Evans and David Rhodes.
"Sea Monsters 3D: A Prehistoric Adventure" plays five times daily, at 10 a.m., noon, 2, 4:10 and 6:15 p.m. through Nov. 4. Tickets cost $9.95 for adults and $7.95 for children up to age 11. If purchased with an admission to the aquarium, the movie costs $5. Aquarium members receive a $1 discount.
Charlie Breitrose can be reached at 508-490-7461 or cbreitro@cnc.com.