This is not the disappointing Sandra Bullock-Ben Affleck romcom of 1999 of the same name moved to the Imax theatre, but a 10-year-long effort to capture the fury of lava at 1300 degrees, the lashing of winds so strong they rip apart a brick building like a piece of tissue paper.

Now imagine that effect and that horror magnified and played out on the IMAX screen, 16m tall and 23m wide, that far exceeds your field of vision, and 4 different speakers that deliver every subtle sound. Even discounting the gripping footage, the viewing experience, far better than what you can get at any 3-D movie, absorbs you into the movie and makes you feel like you’re right there in the middle of the action.

Director Sean Casey shooting a F3 Tornado. Credit to National Geographic and Graphics Films

And what an adventure this turns out to be. This is not the imaginings of some teams of CGI artists in a comfy Hollywood studio. You get to follow 3 teams of scientists spread across the world, as they embark on quests to unearth the mysterious and age-old forces that result in catastrophic damage, and lives lost.

One team dedicates their lives to forecasting potential eruptions of an active volcano near Plymouth, the capital of Montserrat in the Caribbean. Another attempts to predict earthquake activity along a fault line that runs through Turkey. A third, like Helen Hunt’s characters in the movie Twister, chase down tornadoes brewing in Oklahoma, United States hoping to film and record the formation of a twister for research purposes.

Pyroclastic flows and rock tumble down the sides of Soufriere Volcano in Montserrat, February 2003. Credit to National Geographic and Graphics Films

Guest-of-honour, Ms Penny Low, Member of Parliament for the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, was present to grace the movie screening on May 26. Also at the event was Director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS), Prof Kerrie Sieh, as well as the Chief Executive of the Science Centre Singapore (SCS), A/Prof Lim Tit Meng. Prof Lim also announced that the SSC will be collaborating with the EOS to set up a permanent 500-square-metre gallery dedicated to the Earth Sciences.

Forces of Nature will be showing in the Omni theatre from Mar 9 till Aug 31, so don’t miss out on the chance to experience one of the most realistic simulations available in Singapore. Tickets go for just $10 per adult, not much more than a weekend movie ticket!