"Through the power of IMAX 3D, Hubble 3D will enable movie-goers to journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings, and accompany space-walking astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in NASA’s history. The film offers an inspiring and unique look into the Hubble Space Telescope's legacy and highlight its profound impact on the way we view the universe and ourselves. Hubble 3D is an IMAX and Warner Bros. Pictures production, in cooperation with National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The film reunites the Space Station 3Dfilm making team, led by producer/director Toni Myers. Hubble 3D blasted off exclusively to IMAX and IMAX 3D theaters on March 19, 2010." The film's itinerary takes the viewer past Saturn's aurora, the Helix Nebula in the constellation of Aquarius, the "Pillars of Creation" in the Eagle Nebula, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the beautifulButterfly Nebula. The HST has provided data and imagery so detailed that scientists and film technicians have been able to put viewers "inside" the images during two extended CGI fly-throughs. In the most awesome sequence, gaseous clouds billow while million-mile-an-hour stellar winds blow through a cloud canyon in the Orion Nebula some 90 trillion miles across. These data-driven animations were created by the Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute and the Advanced Visualization Laboratory at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.
Filming
Footage seen within the movie was compiled from multiple sources, including IMAX cameras taken into space on Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Missions by the SpaceShuttle. This allowed the camera to shoot footage of the satellite close-up and during maintenance. IMAX cameras were taken to the Hubble Space Telescope on STS-61 and most recently on STS-125 which carried an IMAX 3D camera. The IMAX 3D camera contained a mile of film, though this allowed for only 8 minutes 30 seconds of footage to be recorded.
Critical reception
The film has received positive reviews. Review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes reports that 86% of critics have given the film a positive review, based on 37 reviews, giving the film a positive review. The site's consensus reads "Offering a stunning, expansive viewing experience, Hubble 3D takes advantage of IMAX and 3-D technology like no other film." Review aggregation website Metacritic reports a score of 79 out of 100 from 13 critical reviews, indicating 'generally favorable reviews.' New York Times critic Neil Genzlinger largely concurred, but added "... such ponderous, cliché-heavy narration. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers it, which might lead you to expect something moderately hip; instead it’s that same old leaden drone, which back when space flight was new perhaps conveyed suitable awe but these days just makes you feel as if you’re in a junior-high civics class."
