"Anima Mundi" is similar to the two earlier collaborations of filmmaker Godfrey Reggio and composer Philip Glass, a visual and aural feast of imagery that is pulled together in a way that makes a statement but also works as a piece of cinematic experimental art.
"Koyaanisqatsi" is the feature that launched this series, followed by the less successful "Powaqqatsi." "Anima Mundi," though shorter in length by two-thirds, shows Reggio and Glass are back on track, this time observing animals, fowl, fishes and other living organisms and micro-organisms in their natural habitats, often in closeups so startling that the audience may feel it is looking into a creature's soul. ("Anima Mundi" is Latin for "Soul World.")
If Glass' music is a bit less tuneful this time around, it is no less forceful. And the shots of the various creatures used here, some comic, others majestic and all unique, make for a mesmerizing half-hour.