Review: 'Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away'

 

If I could do with my body half the things the performers in Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away do with theirs, I would be very happy indeed. But my one patented acrobatic move is “walk through the grocery store picking up snacks,” and I’m not sure that would cut it with these acrobats and aerialists and gymnasts. Does that flexibility and creativity mean they’re great actors, though, and Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away a great movie? Meh … not so much.

The biggest flaw of Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away is that it’s not really a movie at all. It’s more like a super-long commercial for the Canadian entertainment company, which boasts an ever-revolving array of shows in Las Vegas, like “The Beatles LOVE,” featuring the famed British group’s songs, and “Kà,” with death-defying, circus-themed stunts—both of which are featured here. Director Andrew Adamson supposedly thought of the film’s girl-falls-in-love-with-an-aerialist theme and then picked various Cirque du Soleil performances to complement the narrative, but I call a little bit of bullshit on that one. In a film without any dialogue and with a plot that jumps from circus tent to circus tent, with Cirque du Soleil performers in each one, how can the movie really stand on its own? It wouldn’t be a movie if the Cirque du Soleil performances weren’t providing its backbone.

Once you get that harsh truth out of the way, though, Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Awayreally is pleasant enough to watch. Thanks to the Fusion 3D technology of James Cameron—the kind he used in Avatar, remember?—the colors are rich and lush, and there’s an added depth to many scenes and backgrounds. Overall, the 3D—instead of meaning that performers pop out of the screen in hokey, contrived ways—is more dazzling than it is ridiculous.  

The film focuses on the instant love sprouted when the innocent Mia (performer Erica Linz) visits a vintage-style circus (with sword swallowers, fire breathers, that kind of thing) and falls for the hunky, handsome Aerialist (performer Igor Zaripov). After locking eyes, they fall into another universe, where Mia is guided by a weird, somewhat maniacal clown (performer John Clarke) through various realms in her attempt to reconnect with the Aerialist. Along the way, as they go from tent to tent, performers do their thing, shocking Mia (there’s no dialogue, but you can tell she’s perturbed because of how often she furrows her brow) but simultaneously inspiring her. Could she be a performer, just like them? Would that mean she and the Aerialist could be together?

The film benefits most from a surreal, dreamy quality; the performers’ contortions and movements, ranging from ballet to yoga, juxtaposed with the bright color palette and emotive soundtrack, really do make you feel like you’re in another place and time. If Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away is anything, it’s undeniably immersive. Some of the best scenes include the Wheel of Death, humongous wheels that careen back and forth with performers balanced along them, and an underwater scene set to the Beatles’ “Octopus Garden.” So much visual stimuli! So much!

Nevertheless, there is another detriment to Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away—its total lack of danger. If you were to see any of these shows live, there’s always the sense that something could go wrong, be done differently, or improvised on the spot. With the film, however, there’s a finiteness to everything; the thrill is gone. So while Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away feels like another universe, it’s not one in which anything can happen—you’re following a set path, and you can’t alter that structure at all, and soon enough you’ll realize you just paid $15 to watch a really long advertisement. A pretty, pretty advertisement, for sure—but do you really want to pay to watch something that will try to sell you another thing? Hmm.