CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: JOURNEY OF MAN
A film review by Christopher Null
Copyright 2000 filmcritic.com
filmcritic.com
Siegfried and Roy got an IMAX, so naturally this had to happen.
The venerable performance troupe Cirque du Soleil (with two concurrent Vegas shows to their credit) hits the big screen -- the big big screen -- with a big-budget, dazzling, 3-D IMAX production called Journey of Man. While ostensibly there's a story to hold this thing together (that being the life journey of a kid from infant to old man), the film is really just a vehicle to show off the acrobatics of the troupe to those unwilling to shell out the $80 or so for a glimpse of the real thing.
As it turns out, the movie really does feel a lot like the genuine "journey of man" -- assuming your journey has a lot of bungee jumping, synchronized swimming, and cube dancing in it. If you've seen a Cirque du Soleil show before, you'll know what I'm talking about, as the stunts are the same as they are on stage. Only here, the settings are different. Watch a fetusy-type person swim through the water to enjoy some water dancing. Watch a tyke in the jungle enjoy a little bungee dancing. Watch a grown man see some people painted to look like statues do some balancing tricks on a big tadpole. And watch the old guy look on as some N*Sync lookalikes do some flips in his house.
Yeah.
This is all well and good, but unfortunately a 100' screen and 3-D effects add nothing to the visual display of the theatrics. In fact, I'd say Journey of Man would have been better if it was smaller and in 2-D. As it stands, the movie is often out of focus and frequently leaves you to hone in on little but the extreme strain on the performers' faces -- something you aren't meant to be paying attention to.
The film is padded with long, helicopter shots of landscapes, the gibberish prattling of typical otherworldly Cirque characters, and some truly strange moralisms ("Each of you was born with three keys..."), as narrated by Ian McKellen. The end result at 38 minutes is not much longer than a sitcom, and it's not much deeper, either.
Ultimately, all of this, coupled with having to put up with an audience full of idiots snickering at the scantily clad performers may make you wonder why exactly you're shelling out 10 bucks. I did, and I wasn't even paying.
RATING: **
|------------------------------|
\ ***** Perfection \
\ **** Good, memorable film \
\ *** Average, hits and misses \
\ ** Sub-par on many levels \
\ * Unquestionably awful \
|------------------------------|
MPAA Rating: G
Director: Keith Melton Producer: André Picard, Peter Wagg Writer: Steve Roberts, Peter Wagg Starring: Ian McKellen, Nicky Dewhurst, Brian Dewhurst, Anait Karagyezyan, Chris Van Wagenen, Kenny Raskin, Cully Smoller, Mikhail Matorin, Yves Decoste, Marie-Laure Mesnage
http://www.cirquedusoleiljourney.com/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=filmcriticcom&path=subst/video/sellers/amazon-top-100-dvd.html Movie Fiends: Check out Amazon.com's Top 100 Hot DVDs!
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