Deep Blue (2005)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Something Fishy

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

This 2003 UK/Canadian deep-sea documentary is alternately soothing and fascinating. At the beginning, it rolls through familiar images of penguins and other well-known beasts. But as it continues, state-of-the-art cameras submerge to unheard-of depths and capture some of the damnedest creatures you ever saw. These bizarre fish have evolved in such a way as to withstand the crushing darkness and crippling undersea pressure, with spindly fins and actual light sources striking every which way from their bodies. Co-directors Andy Byatt and Alastair Fothergill use their astonishing images as a rallying cry for environmental protection rather than as a scientific or educational presentation and Pierce Brosnan's sturdy narration helps their cause a great deal. Think Microcosmos or Winged Migration under water and you're there.