3 ½ stars


Youll see some strange, gentle wonders in Aliens of the Deep, the latest from director James Cameron, whose career remains submerged but in a good way.


You may remember the classic Titanic from 1997. But you may not recall Camerons The Abyss, which involves fictional undersea aliens. This sort of blends The Abyss and Camerons earlier documentary Ghosts of the Abyss, about the real wreck of the Titanic.

We journey deep underwater with him for a lovely 3-D adventure that requires us to don special goggles that put us right in the midst of the action. These are creatures, as the explorers comment, that have been part of an underworld community for eons, and will continue to thrive underwater for eons more, never seeing the sun.

The crew, which includes marine biologists and NASA researchers, visits locations in the Atlantic and Pacific where molten rock has created chimneys, or hypothermal vents, that release super-heated chemicals from volcanic activity on the ocean floor. Still, among these dangerous-looking smokestacks, a variety of life abounds -- youll see millions of shrimp feeding on the nutrients that are coming out of the vents. And the shrimp are thriving in the incredibly hot water.

These are creatures that dont depend on sunlight and photosynthesis; rather, they depend on chemical energy, or chemosynthesis. Some scientists believe that life on other planets could thrive in a similar fashion without sunlight -- in a brief fictional setting, we see Camerons imaging of what those extraterrestrials and their environment might be like.

Once again, some of the footage is taken by the robotic camera named Jake that was among the eyes for Ghosts of the Abyss.

I could have watched at least 45 minutes more of the frail-looking, pale shrimp, crabs, and an ethereal jellyfish thats simply gorgeous to watch. The 3-D effects make it all the more fun -- people in the audience cant help but reach out to touch what seems to be right in their faces.

Before you put off seeing this beautiful film, remember that the Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science is among only 29 other IMAX theaters to open this new movie. More than 3,000 tickets have been sold already, so reservations and early arrival are encouraged. The movie does have a limited run.

It's rated G, and its not overly long, so -- if theyre old enough to sit through a slower-moving but eye-catching film -- you can take your small fry, too.

Rated: G, suitable for all audiences.

Running time: 45 minutes.

Directors: James Cameron and Steven Quale.