WHEN THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE was launched into orbit in 1990, the first images it sent back were a huge disappointment. To NASA's embarrassment, it became apparent that one of the mirrors was crucially flawed, and a repair mission was successfully sent in 1993 to correct the problem. Since then, the Hubble telescope has captured some of the most incredible astronomical images ever seen, and four more missions have been undertaken in intervening years to maintain the instrument.

Hubble IMAX, the new 45-minute IMAX movie, glosses over those problematic early days to focus on the amazing discoveries the telescope has since made. Scientists have been able to examine distant nebulas and uncover crucial information about the origins of stars and the formation of solar systems; we've even been able to determine the rate of expansion of our known universe. At its dizzying best, the IMAX format thrusts us into the cosmos and puts us alongside these otherwise tiny, fuzzy blobs of light, throwing them into shockingly sharp focus. The rest of the time, Hubble focuses on last year's recent maintenance mission. Accompanied by Leonardo DiCaprio's dour narration, incredibly skilled technicians update the instruments in zero gravity. It's nowhere near as exciting as the images from the telescope itself—but then, little else is.