The Wild Blue Yonder
Director: Werner Herzog
Year Released: 2005
Rating: 2.5
Strange if unsuccessful 'throw back' to one of Herzog's earlier films, Fata Morgana, taking rare footage of strange objects on Earth and using them as a part of a fictional, almost supernatural storyline - this time he combines footage of space shuttle footage (courtesy of 'poetic' NASA) and underwater imagery of aquatic life in Antarctica, with spaced-out Brad Dourif acting as narrator. The Dourif parts are daffy and disposable, and the NASA material (plus conversations with scientists) is peculiar without being especially memorable, but the footage from the Antarctic waters and the accompanying music is hypnotic and gorgeous, reminding us that there are parts of this world we will probably never see for ourselves without the use of film and some brave explorers. Even half-baked Herzog provides small wonders so many pictures fail to deliver on - even after three decades of making pictures, he's still taking chances.
