Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)
When it comes to American history, especially American expeditions, you need to have a previous interest in order to appreciate the 42-minute documentary with actors, "Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West". I did not have such and maybe that's why it did not do too much for me. The nature recordings weren't too impressive and the story is not memorable either, at least to me. I like Jeff Bridges, but somehow his voice was too monotonous here for my taste, which couldn't spark my interest in the story either. I guess this is generally really only worth for a people with great interest in the subject if they are non-Americans. They probably care more about this exploration, just like we care more about history or explorers from our countries, whichever that may be. All in all, not recommended.
mslinden82
i just saw this at the omnimax theater in duluth over the 4th of july, and, at first when my parents told me that we were going to be seeing this, i was like, oh god, this is gonna be boring. but i really liked it. i love the whole west area of the country, with the mountains and stuff, and native american history, etc. i've seen very dry boring documentary films before about this same topic, with the only difference being, i believe i will actually remember quite a bit of this one, simply because of the way it was presented. the fact that it was shown on an imax screen added to the enjoyment of this film.(this is my first "movie review" so if it sounds like a big jumbled mess, now you know why :)
Daniel Marrin
I couldn't believe how SHORT this was and yet how substantial the filmmakers managed to make it. You know, while Eyes Wide Shut, The Green Mile, Titanic, and other films are making it seem like "epic" has to mean "ass falling asleep in seat" moviemaking, this film actually manages to achieve the same kind of epic scope, adventure, sense of drama, and sheer wonder yet maintain BREVITY! Believe me, even though it's less than an hour, you're definitely getting your money's worth. What I realized halfway into the film was I wanted to come away from the film with an education about the route that Lewis & Clark took, not just its effect on the country. I think everybody knows that Lewis&Clark explored and opened up the Northwest for the United States, producing questionable effects for the Indians of the time period. However, until seeing this film, I would not have been able to tell you the rivers, nor the states that their crew traversed. I also liked the little details they took the time to put in, like that of Sacagawea and the slave being the first woman and black man officially voting for a decision of the United States of America, that being where to set up Lewis&Clark's winter base camp on the Pacific. The lack of dialogue between the characters (for the most part) is odd, but after a while, you get used to it. It's almost like a return to silent filmmaking somehow, where facial expressions made all the difference. Jeff Bridges provides a commanding and wise presence for the journey, and the score soars. ****
mrow
You get a sense of the adventure watching this 70mm presentation, I felt I had a small feeling of what it may have been like to participate in it. The narration is excellent and it is beautifully photographed. The print I saw, at a Regal (formerly an Imax) theatre, was worn and jittery and for this I paid $9 but it was still a great adventure.
AD
