By Bethany Peterson/nw news editor
Sharks move a bit slow on the Omni screen at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. But with a turtle for a tour guide, what else should viewers expect?
The turtle offers commentary on the various animals as he guides viewers around the underwater world.
Sharks are “not exactly my best friends. Actually, they dine on my best friends,” as the turtle puts it.
Hammerheads, great whites and whale sharks are a few of the shark species introduced as the kings of the ocean with a job equivalent to that of a lion on shore, balancing out the food chain.
Other marine animals are introduced to add context and dimension to a shark’s life.
Huge schools of fish pull maneuvers that remind audiences of Finding Nemo. But this is real life, not an animated cartoon.
The giant stingrays are given an elongated segment because of their family relation to sharks, and the film includes some really good footage of sawfish, a relative of the ray.
Facts are provided by the turtle-guide. Some of the information is standard, but much of it is fun and not commonly known.
The film is kid-friendly with no nightmare material. In fact, action-loving audiences will be disappointed at how little action the film has.
Other than one scene of a shark swallowing an already dead shark or a couple of sharks considering harassing a dolphin pup, the film relies on musical tension to raise the danger level.
The film also has long sections with only music and an animal swimming placidly across the screen.
However, the footage is good quality, and many images are unusual. Dwelling on these sequences brings out a certain beauty that might not be noticed in a faster-paced film.
The producers used this usually overlooked serenity to get across their “save the endangered sharks” message. The preservation theme is definitely evident but done in a thoughtful and unobnoxious manner.
Sharks is playing at the Omni Theater from now until summer. Tickets are $7 for adults and $6 for children and seniors and can be purchased at the museum entrance or online at fortworthmuseum.org.
