Theatres are seeing a resurgence of three-dimensional films at the theatres e. g. horror re-make 'My Bloody Valentine' and 'Coraline', though for years they have been playing steadily on IMAX screens.

'Under the Sea 3D', the latest 3-D IMAX offering is more appropriate for a science museum than the big screen, but the issue at stake is that oceanic movies in actual science museums are far more interesting than this documentary.

With only 40-minutes of screen time, despite a sea snakes segment, thrilling scenes in which the ocean seems to be coming through the screen, there is very little that is new, as we get to see predictable nods to dying coral reefs and obligatory shots of the great white sharks, and not enough time to build-up a narrative, or provide insights into life on the ocean floor.

'Under the Sea 3D' focuses on coastal regions of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Triangle of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to capture footage of a wild array of sea life, showcasing a few species rather than following one animal species from birth to death. However, thankfully, Jim Carrey's amusing and informative narration is minimalist rather than manic in its approach.

The main drama of this documentary on nature comes from sea creatures performing their hunting and mating tasks, with the Australian giant cuttlefish getting a good deal of screen time doing both. The film wraps up with some cute scenes of Australian sea lions.

Despite the breath-taking beauty of this IMAX adventure, its message about the impact global warming is having on these exotic creatures, it is just not worth the trouble. You'd be better off at home watching 'Planet Earth' rather than spending time with this 3-D IMAX film!

But, children will delight in its vibrant colors, its frequently playful tone - for example, the sea lions with their expressive eyes are simply too cute for words.

Giant chunks of coral seem plop right into your lap, while a great white shark swims close enough to your face for you to count its piercing teeth, as countless black-and-white-striped catfish cascading over each other while feeding, undulate toward you in delicate waves. The ethereal, iridescent reef squid, delicate leafy sea dragons that look more like plants than animals, flamboyant cuttlefish communicating with each other by changing colour, from deep red to bashful beige and back again, are a mesmerizing sight to behold.

'Under the Sea 3D' may delight the children, but as for you, there is little to entrance you except for a few wonderful visuals!