Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Ninan HKIS I watched this movie for my World Religions class, as we have been studying Islam. Prior to the film, though I had knowledge about the Hajj and what is is, it wasn't until after watching the movie that I really realized how huge and amazing it is. "Journey to Mecca" is a great movie showing Mecca from a different perspective and telling the true story of Ibn Battuta's long journey to Mecca.Ibn is a rich and religious law student in Tangier in 1325, when he decides to go on the Hajj. Ibn has to travel from Morocco across the North African desert to get to Saudi Arabia, and along the way, he is attacked by bandits, he becomes dehydrated, he is rescued by the desert Bedouins, and eventually joins a caravan of thousands of people on their way to Mecca. Joining Ibn, is the Highwayman, paid for protecting Ibn. Through their travels Ibn and the Highwayman become friends. Upon finally reaching Mecca, Ibn experiences the Hajj like it was 700 years ago.I personally found the movie really cool. First of all, it was filmed so beautifully, the shots were amazing. I also liked how the filmmakers combined the story of Ibn Battuta with modern Mecca. Ibn Battuta's story was one that I had never heard before so it was really interesting learning about someone so crucial to the spreading of Islam. I really appreciated that the movie was not that long as well.

Raid Sara This was a great movie and for me, it was a wonderful first experience with an IMAX film. The only disappointing thing about it was the short length of the film. The imagery was stunning, especially the aerial shots of Mecca. The story was great and even more impressive when you think about how much knowledge you gain from such a short film. The characters were believable and sincere. The shooting style was unique. It took me a moment to realize the story changed gears when showing present day Mecca.All in all, I highly recommend. If nothing else, go watch it so more movies like this will be made.

chicojk I think I understand Artemis' frustration insofar as very little exists in cinema on Ibn Battutah, one of the world's most influential travelers, unequaled among great explorers in my mind since the 14th Century. A 3 hour Hollywood epic would certainly do his Rihla ("travels") justice but I have to say by focusing on IB's departure from home on his first pilgrimage to Mecca this Imax film blew me away with its stunning imagery and music as well as its open spiritual approach to the Hajj. The aerial shots of pilgrims meandering across various deserts were enough to blow my mind. And as a non-Muslim, to witness the rituals inside the Great Mosque was an unforgettable and touching experience. Perhaps a devout Muslim would be more technical in his/her appreciation of the film. I saw the film at a festival in Paris (where it won Public Prize) and noticed how moved the Muslim audience was, which made up about half of the audience when I attended. I highly recommend this film. Imax films can be spectacular visually but predictable in subject matter, rarely extending beyond animal or sport topics. This one delivers the spectacle you would expect and applies it to a moving dramatic line that enlightened and moved me.

Anthony Journey to Mecca tells the story of a young lawyer from Morroco - Ibn Battuta who traveled from Morocco to Mecca and later to China about 700 years ago. He traveled more than 4,000 kilometers over desert by himself, dealing with bandits, wars, and the Sahara on the way.The images in this HUGE Imax film of the Sahara, Mecca and Arab culture are stunning and memorable. I have to say it was one of the first IMAX film where I really felt moved (along with Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure). The explanation of the Haj are clear and informing.This was apparently a very hard movie to film. They had to get approval by the King of Saudi to shoot it. Also none of the crew were allowed to view the Kabba so they had to hire and train a local crew specially for the task.The result is a stunning experience of a movie. Excellent story, excellent movie… Highly recommended