The Magic of Flight: IMAX (1996)

The Magic of Flight is not a documentary about the history of aviation, it is an IMAX film about "the magic of flight." Everyone knows that IMAX films are made for panoramic IMAX theater screens, which are predominantly in science museums and similar venues. IMAX films are typically 35 minutes long and favor wide-angle panoramic scenes that are esp. majestic or impressive when navigating the skies or the marine world. So it dumbfounds me when many viewers complain that they expected a longer movie, a comprehensive history of flight, or more facts than scenery (and I find it offensive that one curmudgeon calls a U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilot a "dumb-ss"). Worse still, these agnostics completely miss the thrill and the inspiration that IMAX affords. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that watching an IMAX film, which was made for a screen that is 72 feet wide on average, on a 15-inch-diagonal computer screen or even a 42-inch-diagonal HD screen is a significantly different experience that requires the viewer to notice and even insert oneself into the wide-angle cinematography. I greatly enjoy every IMAX film I have seen (in an IMAX theater or at home) because they are about the discovery of knowledge and wonder in our world and beyond. IMAX scenery is a major hassle to shoot because of the size of the format yet it is like none other. The scripts, never frothy, are always geared to humanize the subject and to inspire a love of science and exploration. As such I guess they are written for children, who have yet to blaze their own trails in the world, not for the Barcalounger crankcase who has long since chosen a different path. The Magic of Flight gives us awe-inspiring footage of birds in flight, introduces us to the invention of powered flight by the Wright Brothers, then builds its theme of the majesty of flight around the Blue Angels squadron (clearly featured on the DVD cover art) and how pedal-to-the-metal pilots learn and feel about the flying that is their heart and soul. It's this simple: If you love flight, see The Magic of Flight. 4 stars.