Get Smart (2008)

Although I can't say that Get Smart left me more fulfilled from a comedic or artistic standpoint, the ophthalmology content definitely taught me something new! In one scene, Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) escapes a locked interrogation room by using his captor's ocular biometrics, holding up the beat-up bad guy's face to the eye scanner and lifting his eyelid.

You've probably seen this kind of scene before- remember Demolition Man (1993) with Wesley Snipes and Sylvester Stallone, or how about Tom Cruise getting an eye transplant in Minority Report (2002) to mask his identity?

What you might not realize, as I didn't, is that ocular biometrics actually does exist in many forms right now. There are two main technologies: iris recognition, which images the detailed surface of the irides of an individual's eyes; and retinal scanning, which utilizes infrared light to map the unique vascular pattern of a person's retina.

Apparently these scanners no longer exist just in science fiction movies. Retinal scanners have been used by the FBI, CIA, and NASA. Iris recognition seems to enjoy more widespread applications, notably in the UK Iris Recognition Immigration System, several US and Canadian airports, and in Pakistan for a refugee repatriation project. An interesting iris registration fact from Wikipedia:

The iris has a fine texture that – like fingerprints – is determined randomly during embryonic gestation. Even genetically identical individuals have completely independent iris textures, whereas DNA (genetic "fingerprinting") is not unique for the about 1.5% of the human population who have a genetically identical monozygotic twin.

Hey, I must have missed the ultra-cool ocular biometrics lecture somewhere along the way! I don't really recommend Get Smart ( C - ) based on the eye-related content alone, but maybe if you were totally into the old TV show, the cameos and references to it might make it a worthwhile pursuit. A plane, train, and SUV make for an impressive stunt-filled finale, too.

Here are some parting images of an iris and a retina. Enjoy!

Bolt (2008)

We all know and love the standard Disney formula: independent hero(ine) strays far from home and family, struggles to journey back with assistance from scrappy sidekicks, and along the way learns a little something about their true self. Bolt sticks to the tried-and-true, borrowing more than a few plot points from Toy Story, but ultimately delivers an enjoyable and technically astonishing experience.

As an added bonus, there are a few ophthalmology related features to address.

First, an animal control worker gets maced in the second half of the movie, resulting in toxic conjunctivitis. Nothing new here- these scenes seem to be a dime a dozen! Interesting mace tidbit from Wikipedia:

Due to the current brand-name use of the term "Mace" to refer to pepper sprays and the fact that mace is illegal in most Western countries, it is very difficult to find information on traditional mace. "Mace" and "Pepper Spray" are frequently used interchangeably.

Also, we saw the version of Bolt in 3-D, which I highly recommend. As you may have read in the reviews, Disney Digital 3-D is a huge technological leap from the old red-and-blue 3-D glasses. The animators really skillfully avoided 3-D cliches here, and used the added technology to complement the story-telling. How does it work? We got circular polarized 3-D glasses, and the movie frame rate is jacked up to 144 frames per second. The digital projector has a polarizing screen that matches the right and left filters in the glasses. The alternating left-right projected perspectives are then perceived by the viewer as a three dimensional image!

Finally, the villain in the movie, Dr. Calico (voiced by Malcolm McDowell of A Clockwork Orange) exhibits two ophthalmic features of note. He is occasionally referred to as "The Green-Eyed Man" by Bolt.

This blurry screen capture of Dr. Calico demonstrates iris heterochromia (different colored irides), and also corectopia (displacement of the pupil from its normal central position).

Iris heterochromia may occur as a congentital condition (usually inherited as an autosomal dominant trait), or it may be acquired as a result of retained intraocular foreign body, topical medications, iris neoplasm, ICE syndrome, Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis, Horner's syndrome, chronic iritis, juvenile xanthogranuloma, leukemia, or lymphoma.

The differential diagnosis for corectopia includes trauma, prior anterior segment surgery, ICE syndrome, iris coloboma, iris tumor, prior inflammatory change, iris stromal hypoplasia, posterior embryotoxon, Peter's anomaly, and ectopia lentis et pupillae.

Wonderful ophthalmology teaching points, Bolt! This movie gets a B + from me, and if you are considering watching it, I highly recommend seeking out one of the 3-D theaters to enhance the experience.