While watching Cameron get in touch with his inner Jacques Cousteau won't be to everyone's taste, fans of the director and oceanography gearheads should swoon to the immersive, visually spectacular images of the ocean floor.

| Sep 16, 2014

Cameron is much better at explaining the science involved in his mission than he is in revealing what makes him tick. But he does point to one common denominator between his two careers: insatiable curiosity.

| Sep 16, 2014

It's so high on the thrill of discovery that it might even win over people who can't stand the guy.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 16, 2014

Adjust your documentary-watching gauge closer to Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and further away from "Werner Herzog discovers one of the last unspoiled places left on earth," and you'll have a perfectly enjoyable time.

| Sep 16, 2014

If the three hours of filming Cameron did in the Trench yield little obvious drama, the story of how the Deepsea Challenger reached those depths makes up for it.

| Sep 16, 2014

All in all, Deepsea Challenge 3D is a grand, thrilling, and inspirational ride.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 16, 2014

Less explored in all the ensuing back-patting is the question of whether Cameron is, in fact, sincerely interested in learning more about the world around him or whether this mission is merely intended to stroke his own ego.

| Original Score: 1.5/4 | Aug 29, 2014

Also known as Voyage to the Bottom of James Cameron's Ego...the film is like a scientific version of extreme sports with Cameron as the ultimate achievement junkie... It's impossible not to be absorbed and awed.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 29, 2014

[James] Cameron... encourages a we're-all-in-this-together camaraderie among his team. The fact remains, however, that he is the only one who actually gets to go on the big adventure, and that most of his associates are being paid to indulge his whims.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 22, 2014

Sea exploration is his passion, and Cameron's technical proficiency and deep sense of curiosity and adventure are profoundly impressive.

| Aug 21, 2014

Thankfully, Deepsea Challenge is saved by the extraordinary 3D pictures Cameron captures at the base of the mysterious Mariana Trench.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 20, 2014

I think it's a very solid documentary.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 20, 2014

The film is a hymn to the spirit of adventure and to the quest for scientific knowledge of our planet.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 20, 2014

For anyone even vaguely interested in our earth, the film is a window into literally unchartered waters

| Aug 16, 2014

...has the careful polish of a campaign ad and the imposed narrative of your average National Geographic special.

| Aug 14, 2014

...mostly the story of planning for the dive...not a film to be seen because of eye-popping cinematography...On Titanic Cameron was risking money and reputation. Here he was risking his life.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Aug 12, 2014

It's too melodramatic in places but Deepsea Challenge is still an appealing documentary that shines the spotlight, both physically and metaphorically, on a very dark place.

| Original Score: B | Aug 12, 2014

Engrossing undersea expedition is kid friendly.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 11, 2014

The film seems to gloss over meaningful logistics of the expedition - such as funding, design and assemblage of the bathyscaphe Deepsea Challenger - as well as the scientific discoveries made from the specimens it collected.

| Aug 8, 2014

Although he didn't encounter anything other than barrenness, he did bring back to the surface 100 new species of microorganisms. I hope National Geographic appreciates the effort.

| Original Score: B+ | Aug 8, 2014