CyberWorld

For the "Cyberworld 2020" episode, see Understanding (TV series).

CyberWorld (also known as CyberWorld 3D) is a 2000 American 3-D animated anthology film shown in IMAX and IMAX 3D, presented by Intel. Several segments originally filmed in 2-D were converted to 3-D format. It was the first IMAX film to have CGI animation and is one of the most rare documentaries in the history of cinema that never received an official release on home video.

Plot

Phig shows the audience the "CyberWorld", a futuristic museum of infinite possibilities. Meanwhile, three computer bugs--Buzzed, Wired, and Frazzled--come and try to eat the CyberWorld through its number coding. When Phig knows about them and hunts for the destructive computer bugs, she presents various short stock clips of computer animated productions, such as scenes from Antz and episodes of The Simpsons post-converted to 3D.

In the end, Buzzed, Wired and Frazzled create a black hole (From "Homer³"), which inexplicitly leads to their deaths for all the trouble they have caused. Phig is nearly swallowed up as well, but not before her "knight in cyber armor" technician Hank reboots the entire system just as she is sucked into the vortex. The movie eventually concludes with Phig explaining to the audience that none of the events caused by the bugs ever occurred. To prove her point, she attempts to summon her battle gear, only to receive a pink bunny outfit in return (a similar trick the bugs played on her in the film's midsection).

Selected segments

• The dance sequence from the animated feature Antz
• The "Homer³" segment from The Simpsons episode "Treehouse of Horror VI"
• The music video of the Pet Shop Boys song "Liberation"
• Monkey Brain Sushi, a short film created by Sony Pictures Imageworks
• KraKKen: Adventure of Future Ocean, a short film created by ExMachina
• "Joe Fly" a short film Created By Spans & Partner
• "Flipbook And Waterfall city" was Created by Satoshi Kitahara
• "Tonight's Performance" A short film created by REZN8

Participants

• Jenna Elfman as Phig
• Matt Frewer as Frazzled
• Robert Smith as Buzzed and Wired
• Dave Foley as Hank the Technician
• Cara Pifko as Computer
• Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, and Sylvester Stallone (Antz)
• Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Harry Shearer, and Yeardley Smith of The Simpsons
• Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys
• David Geldart (uncredited) as Pete
• Richard Pearce as Joe Fly
• Ned Irving as Sanchez
• Mark Lyndon as The Praying Mantis
• Georg Hahn as The Mites
•  ? as The Firefly

Release

The first IMAX Film to have a PG rating some language from the "Antz" and "Simpsons"

Box office

CyberWorld was a box office success, grossing $11,253,900 in the domestic box office and $5,400,000 overseas for a worldwide total of $16,653,900.

Critical reception

The film received generally mixed reviews from critics. The film currently holds a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. On Metacritic, the film holds a 53/100 rating based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

Roger Ebert, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, praised the film for accurately presenting what 3D technology is capable of. He particularly singled out the size of the IMAX screens the film was projected on. He went on to write, "(The film) takes advantage of the squarish six-story screen to envelop us in the images; the edges of the frame don't have the same kind of distracting cutoff power they possess in the smaller rectangles of conventional theaters."

However, Paul Tatara of CNN.com was displeased with the film's over-reliance on 3D effects, continuing on to say, "Unfortunately, you can't escape the sensation that you might end up wearing the contents of your stomach while you watch it."

Home media

The film never got a physical release on any format.

External links

• Official website
• CyberWorld at IMDb
• CyberWorld at Box Office Mojo
• CyberWorld at Rotten Tomatoes
• CyberWorld at Metacritic