This is a non-IMAX movie whose IMAX production values are meant to substitute for a substantive argument…. This movie wants to cover every base without thinking very deeply about them. So while a lot of ground is covered in 80 brisk minutes, the information presented is only abstractly useful.
Like many of these works of docu-activism (“Food Inc.,’’ which is still in theaters, being a much better articulated, more persuasively argued example), “The End of the Line’’ chases an onslaught alarmism with an ounce of advice. We’re delivered motivational optimism. “We can act now,’’ one of the scientists says, “It’s not rocket science. You just do it.’’ Presented another way, this would be convincing. Here, it still feels like the end of the world. This movie makes you feel like a comet will hit earth before widespread marine reserves are ever achieved.