'GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS' IMAX trip to Titanic hits small screens

DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Real life doesn't always have the pacing or the romance of fictionalized history. And that's certainly the case in "Ghosts of the Abyss," a documentary about James Cameron's expedition to view the Titanic -- the mighty ship whose demise he chronicled in his 1997 Academy Award-winning blockbuster "Titanic."
And yet "Ghosts" has its own charms for kids who thirst after the real thing. Bill Paxton, who played a contemporary explorer searching for a missing jewel in "Titanic," narrates this documentary from the passenger's point of view.
The film gives a close-up look at the complicated state-of-the-art technology needed to tackle such a dangerous expedition, whose prize lies more than two chilly miles beneath the ocean's roiling surface. And the passengers on this underwater voyage, mindful of the hubris that led to the 1912 tragedy, seem highly aware of the risks they are taking. At one point, as Paxton narrates, he goes over a mental checklist, making sure he has a last will and testament in place as well as life insurance. "These are the kinds of things you think about," he says.
The DVD cannot reproduce the dramatic in-your-face quality of the version of "Ghosts" originally in IMAX theaters. Instead, it offers a 91-minute version of the original 60-minute theatrical release. A second disc includes interviews with Cameron, Paxton and the highly knowledgeable crew.
Kids may find themselves particularly fascinated with the remotely operated vehicles -- small, mobile camera systems that travel through the Titanic, sending back video images. They were designed and built by Cameron's brother, Mike, who helps make this journey a family affair.