Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk in 3D

In the latest IMAX 3D documentary, director Greg McGillivray and narrator Robert Redford follow environmental activists Wade Davis, Robert Kennedy Jr. and their teenage daughters on a trip through the Grand Canyon along the Colorado River. The word “adventure” is a bit of an overstatement; the 3-D thrills are, shall we say, a trifle muted. The movie’s subtitle points up its actual theme, as we are treated to a stream of gentle, well-intended, but insistent hectoring about the plight of the mighty river and the need for water conservation. There’s no arguing with that, and you can’t go far wrong filming the Grand Canyon in IMAX, but it’s hard to avoid grumbling that we’ve just plunked down 10 bucks to hear a bunch of know-it-alls lecture us on what kinds of toilets and shower heads we should have.