The Movie

I have certain expectations when seeing a movie originally created for IMAX theaters. I expect to see breathtaking nature shots, sweeping panoramic aerials, dizzying bursts of speed, unusual point of views, and most of all, I expect to learn something from it. Unfortunately, Momentum delivers only a few of these expectations. Don't get me wrong; Momentum certainly has its moments. I was definitely taken by some of the more beautiful scenic shots throughout the movie. The problem is, there just aren't enough of them to make this radically short movie (20 minutes long) worthwhile. I imagine this movie looked wonderful in a big IMAX theater back in 1992, but it just doesn't work on the small screen.

Momentum attempts to give a whirlwind tour of Canada's most beautiful locations while taking a few pit stops along the way to see, well, other things. And while I loved seeing the giant Canadian ice crusher looming toward the camera, the high altitude turns in the icy mountains, and the frigid ocean slapping against the rocky coastline, I could have done without the talking construction workers on top of an unfinished skyscraper, the random pictures of people's houses, and the out-of-the-blue eight-second shot of doctors conducting a surgery.

IMAX films should have some sense of purpose. And frankly, I couldn't figure out what this movie was trying to convey. By the title, I expected to see an impressive montage of objects and people in motion amidst the beautiful backdrop of Canada. And in the beginning, that's what you get, but the movie quickly changes pace and begins showing clips of odd, everyday scenes that seemingly have nothing to do with what this movie is about. (Whatever that may be) And just when you start to think you might be getting into the movie, it ends. Talk about a momentum breaker. (Pun intended)


The DVD

Video: Momentum is presented in 1.33:1 full screen. The movie was originally filmed at 48 frames-per-second to create a more life-like image on the enormous IMAX screen. Unfortunately the age of the source material (10-years-old) lends a hand at slightly deteriorating the picture quality. Colors are bright and accurate but the film overall had an old-movie look to it. A slight graininess is present throughout the film, and moderate doses of edge enhancement can be seen in certain scenes. Momentum looks fairly good considering its age, but I still expect more from an IMAX movie.

Audio: Sadly, Momentum is only offered in Dolby Digital Stereo. It's too bad, because a 5.1 audio track would have been greatly appreciated in the ice crushing scenes at the beginning and end of the movie. But on the bright side, the score leaves much to be desired, so maybe not hearing it in all six speakers isn't a bad thing.

Menus: There is only one menu screen, and it looks as if it were designed back in 1992.

Extras: The only extra feature offered is a "Making Momentum" featurette that shows the tactics used in making the movie. The featurette is somewhat informative, but did not offer enough behind-the-scenes information to satisfy this reviewer's lust for knowledge.

Final Thoughts

Momentum is short, random, seemingly without purpose, and not very entertaining. I often found myself waiting for the good stuff to come along, except it never really did. I'm guessing Momentum was meant to be an elegant artistic expression as much as a large format exhibition movie, however it never really committed to either, and as a result ended up cluttered and uneventful. I love IMAX features, and am a total sucker for beautiful landscapes and fantastic aerial shots. So it's unfortunate that Momentum was unsuccessful at finding its purpose in life, which like all movies, should be to entertain.