Titanic 3D: Ghosts of the Abyss

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details about Titanic 3D: Ghosts of the Abyss' classification and consumer advice lines
• a review of Titanic 3D: Ghost of the Abyss completed by Young Media Australia (YMA) on 2 April 05.

Overall comments and recommendations

Titanic 3D: Ghosts of the Abyss is a documentary with some never-before-seen footage of the wreck of the Titanic and describing the many new technological advances used to gain information. In some ways, the overall effect is very similar to the initial scenes in the major motion picture of Titanic (1997). While the 3D effects are worthwhile underwater, they were somewhat ineffective above water. Titanic 3D: Ghosts of the Abyss will appeal to a mature, serious audience and may find special favour among historians and scientists.

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) and the associated consumer advice lines.

YMA review

This review of the movie Titanic 3D: Ghost of the Abyss contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• use of violence
• material that may scare children
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie's message

A synopsis of the story

Titanic 3D Ghosts of the Abyss is a collaborative, unscripted, effort between historians and scientists who, with new technology, and in ways never done before, descend over 12,000 feet to the bottom of the North Atlantic to explore the wreck of the Titanic, the so-called Unsinkable Ship.

Using two specially designed mini robots Jake and Elwood the crew gets a glimpse into the past, and sees first hand the brass bed that Molly Brown slept in, Henry Harper's bowling hat that still lies where he left it over 90 years ago, not to mention the lead-light dining room windows that lie at the bottom of the ocean, perfectly intact.

The expedition uncovered evidence of locked gates confirming the theory of why some third class passengers did not survive. The documentary uses images from the movie as well as photos of the deceased, and takes viewers on a behind the scenes tour of the technology used to get the information they are able to retrieve from the Titanic. As a final offering a plaque is placed on the deck of the Titanic, dedicated to the 1,500 people who lost their lives.

Use of violence

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

The film shows one scene from the motion picture Titanic (1997) where chaos is overtaking the decks as people push and shove their way to get to the boats. One shot is fired.

Material that may scare children

Under eight

Children under eight are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations, the death of a parent or child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

Much of the documentary may be potentially frightening for young viewers:

• the majority of the film takes place not only underwater but along the murky, dark, ocean floor; in surroundings that Bill Paxton himself describes as creepy.
• within the shadowy depths, the faces of those that died and the ghost-like images of the actors that played them, can often be seen walking or playing on different parts of the wreck.
• when one of the men from the documentary crew is trying to help get the submarine stabilised, he is thrown about and dragged underwater by the rough waves. He is OK, but there are a few tense moments.
• a small child's tearful good-bye to her father as she is being placed in a lifeboat that he cannot enter.
• third class passengers locked behind gates screaming for someone to help them.
• a family going back to their cabin once they realise they cannot escape and they will not survive. The mother slowly removes the life-jackets from her children.
• people screaming in terror as the ship begins to break apart and sink.

Aged eight to thirteen

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

Children between the ages of eight and thirteen may also be frightened by the above-mentioned scenes.

Over the age of thirteen

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

Although not frightened by the above-mentioned scenes, some children over the age of thirteen could still be quite disturbed by them.

Sexual references

There are no sexual references in this movie.

Nudity and sexual activity

There is no nudity or sexual activity in this movie.

Use of substances

As the Titanic is sinking, a scene shows a number of men who have no hope of survival, sitting in a main room playing poker, drinking and smoking.

Coarse language

There is no coarse language in this movie.

The movie's message

The movie probes into the past to see what can be learned and better understood from the events surrounding the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912. It serves well to remind us about what can happen when warnings go unheeded.

Some issues and themes that parents may wish to discuss with their children are: social status, heroism, vigilance, the mistakes that were made which sealed the Titanic's fate and how these mistakes might have been prevented.