Dolphins and Whales: 3D

New from The Movie Snob

Dolphins and Whales: 3D (B+). I can't resist a good IMAX nature movie, and who would want to resist a movie about our lovable cousins of the deep? This is an enjoyable 45 minutes, with no disturbing scenes to upset the little ones (i.e., no killer whales attacking baby seals or anything like that). For many of the critters the 3D effects are not particular impressive because they stay too far from the camera to make any special impression. But there are a couple of exceptions. One particularly spectacular sequence brings you nose-to-nose with a humpback whale. You can see the individual fronds of algae waving on his white chin as he slowly cruises by. Maybe the second-best footage is not of a dolphin or whale at all, but of our beloved Florida manatees, the Pillsbury doughboys of the sea. Darryl Hannah's (Splash) monotonous narration adds little to the proceedings, but as a former mermaid she's probably bored with these magnificent animals.