By Michelle Mellor
The Jordan Commons just got hotter.
“Wildfire — Feel the Heat” is the latest IMAX movie to strike the Super Screen Theatre and provides an interesting and exciting look at firefighters and the fires they risk their lives to extinguish.
Andre Braugher narrates this giant-screen production from Discovery Pictures that takes a closer look at wilderness fires set by nature as well as fires purposefully set to clear hazardous overgrowth.
The film begins with a panoramic view of a forest being struck by lightning bolts as a storm approaches.
After a tree ignites and bursts into flames, the audience is taken along on firefighting planes and helicopters to fight the fire’s fury.
Not only does the audience go behind the scenes to see the rigorous physical training that wildland firefighters undergo, but also joins elite crews of men and women to experience the danger and thrill of raging wildfires.
The film covers nearly a dozen wildfires throughout southern California, the northwestern United States and Australia to provide an extensive view of the power of fires and the forces required to stop them.
The film also utilizes eleven specially designed exterior mounts to give the audience authentic and breathtaking views.
One of the most impressive scenes is jumping alongside smokejumpers through the skies, smoke and treetops to make an abrupt landing in the heat of a fire.
The portrayal of the human element of firefighting also gives the documentary additional depth.
Watching exhausted firefighters working to eliminate fire before it destroys homes shows the bravery and heroism these men and women possess.
The film is an excellent look into the fury of fire. The large-screen format surrounds the audience with 80-feet-high flames advancing at 60 mph, providing an adventurous experience only possible with IMAX.
“Wildfire — Feel the Heat” is an exciting and informative documentary that audiences of all ages will enjoy.
The film is not rated.
Three stars.
