National Geographic does a documentary with a good dose of cutesy storytelling from the Queen Latifah narration. It starts with a momma polar bear and her two cubs emerging from their den for the first time. They have to navigate the new climate along side a baby walrus within its herd. It's nothing new to tell a nature story from a humanistic manner. Sometimes, it works well like the death of the cub. Other times, it's rather too cute. On that note, I don't like Queen Latifah's narration. It may be old fashion but nature documentaries always sounds better British. I also don't like the music which has singing in it. When it gets to a fart fest, the show takes a giant step down. I appreciate the attempt at something new but most of this is rubbing me the wrong way.
26 Reviews
Beautiful work of art and love
HotToastyRag4 November 2020
From National Geographic comes the beautiful documentary Arctic Tale, which follows a polar bear and walrus as they raise their babies. You'll only spend ninety minutes watching it, but the filmmakers spent fifteen years creating it, so make sure to appreciate all their hard work. You might be distracted by the cute animals and the beautiful scenery, but keep in mind this isn't a Hollywood movie with special effects to make the polar bears do whatever they want. Nature documentaries take an incredible amount of care, patience, and work.
Narrated by Queen Latifah, you'll see a polar bear mother and her two babies learning how to survive amidst the shrinking ice caps. In the good old days, it probably would have held audiences' attentions to merely focus on the cute white fuzzies, but as Queen Latifah so succinctly says in Last Holiday, "enough is never enough" and there's an parallel storyline to help those who get bored. A walrus mother and her little pup also struggle with the warmer water and longer swims between ice landings. This movie definitely promotes the message of climate change, and it doesn't shy away from teaching children the dangers of global warming. If you're not in the mood for something with such a tragic undertone, try renting March of the Penguins instead.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, one of the animals dies, and you might want to warn your child beforehand or skip the scene entirely.
Narrated by Queen Latifah, you'll see a polar bear mother and her two babies learning how to survive amidst the shrinking ice caps. In the good old days, it probably would have held audiences' attentions to merely focus on the cute white fuzzies, but as Queen Latifah so succinctly says in Last Holiday, "enough is never enough" and there's an parallel storyline to help those who get bored. A walrus mother and her little pup also struggle with the warmer water and longer swims between ice landings. This movie definitely promotes the message of climate change, and it doesn't shy away from teaching children the dangers of global warming. If you're not in the mood for something with such a tragic undertone, try renting March of the Penguins instead.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, one of the animals dies, and you might want to warn your child beforehand or skip the scene entirely.
Fun and touching
martin_sn18 June 2007
I watched this film at the Seattle International Film Festival; it is a beautifully made documentary on life in the Arctic. The filmmakers followed the life of a Polar Bear cub and a Walrus as they learn about life from their mothers and have to deal with the catastrophic changes in the Arctic Weather caused by Global Warming. The film has a broad appeal, particularly amongst Children, who will find the movie funny, exciting, sad, and touching quite a few people in the movie theater were sobbing by the end. This fits well with "March of the Penguins" in the way it "dramatizes" the footage and humanizes the wild animals, however it does this in a way that serves the story and helps people sympathize with the plight of the Arctic Wildlife.
Animal life in the arctic
TheLittleSongbird10 May 2021
'Arctic Tale' for me was very difficult to rate and review. There was no doubt about me seeing it in the first place, being a long-term lover of documentaries and loving the animals included and depicted. The Arctic is a very familiar habitat in documentaries with it being explored frequently, but never feels old because it and its inhabitants (also frequently seen) are timeless. Queen Latifah is a bit take and leave for me and part of me thought is she a good fit.
Seeing 'Arctic Tale', it is a long way from bad. There are many fantastic things here and much of the footage is captivating, not to mention that it is impeccably made. 'Arctic Tale' also struck me as wildly uneven, with the narration (writing more than the delivery actually), music and the uncertain target audience being issues. It is a long way from being one of the best nature documentaries out there and is not a milestone, but it is also a long way from being one of the worst and there is no doubt that it had very good intentions.
Will start with what 'Arctic Tale' does well, which is a lot. The production values are absolutely impeccable all round. This is another fine example of an environment that is exquisite to look at but very harsh with its challenges, photographed vividly and beautifully. This is much more than cute animals in beautiful environments like the advertising may suggest. Absolutely loved the animals, which were a great mix of adorable, sympathetic and dangerous. Celia is impossible to resist and any scene depicting any kind of parental love is enough to warm the heart, will agree that the male polar bear veers on the sadistic side but not in a way that unbalances things.
The footage takes the breath away, evoking a wide range of emotions while also being educational (if not innovative). Did appreciate that it didn't have human scenes that choppily interrupted the flow, and appreciated too that it did address the issues with global warming and its consequences (though it could have gone further with it). This is actually very important to address and to me it does need to be addressed more if some are seemingly not taking its seriousness in. The story is very cute and touching, making one effortlessly root for the animals. While the narration was patchy in writing, Latifah actually brings sass and sympathetic edge to the delivery.
For my tastes though, the writing of the narration was too schmaltzy and tried too hard to be hip with some now very outdated language, there are also parts where it felt on the preachy side and that there could have been a lot less of it. As a result it did make me question the target audience, there are times where it does have story content that aims and does succeed in doing so in being accessible to children and then has information in terminology and tone that is more understandable for adults.
Didn't care for the music that much either, it was too overpowering, occasionally spelled out the emotions too much and needed a gentler touch to fit more with the more intimate parts rather than one that was trying to be more cinematic than needed. It was also too modern and like an attempt to appeal to a wider audience or something. Also thought that 'Arctic Tale' plays it too safe, the conflict could have been bigger and bolder (not enough of the pull no punches approach here) and there is a sense that it was trying to be careful not to offend. Admirable but it did mean that in terms of exploring the facts properly and addressing the global warming it was a bit too sketchy.
In conclusion, beautifully made and well intentioned but doesn't quite reach full potential. 6/10.
Seeing 'Arctic Tale', it is a long way from bad. There are many fantastic things here and much of the footage is captivating, not to mention that it is impeccably made. 'Arctic Tale' also struck me as wildly uneven, with the narration (writing more than the delivery actually), music and the uncertain target audience being issues. It is a long way from being one of the best nature documentaries out there and is not a milestone, but it is also a long way from being one of the worst and there is no doubt that it had very good intentions.
Will start with what 'Arctic Tale' does well, which is a lot. The production values are absolutely impeccable all round. This is another fine example of an environment that is exquisite to look at but very harsh with its challenges, photographed vividly and beautifully. This is much more than cute animals in beautiful environments like the advertising may suggest. Absolutely loved the animals, which were a great mix of adorable, sympathetic and dangerous. Celia is impossible to resist and any scene depicting any kind of parental love is enough to warm the heart, will agree that the male polar bear veers on the sadistic side but not in a way that unbalances things.
The footage takes the breath away, evoking a wide range of emotions while also being educational (if not innovative). Did appreciate that it didn't have human scenes that choppily interrupted the flow, and appreciated too that it did address the issues with global warming and its consequences (though it could have gone further with it). This is actually very important to address and to me it does need to be addressed more if some are seemingly not taking its seriousness in. The story is very cute and touching, making one effortlessly root for the animals. While the narration was patchy in writing, Latifah actually brings sass and sympathetic edge to the delivery.
For my tastes though, the writing of the narration was too schmaltzy and tried too hard to be hip with some now very outdated language, there are also parts where it felt on the preachy side and that there could have been a lot less of it. As a result it did make me question the target audience, there are times where it does have story content that aims and does succeed in doing so in being accessible to children and then has information in terminology and tone that is more understandable for adults.
Didn't care for the music that much either, it was too overpowering, occasionally spelled out the emotions too much and needed a gentler touch to fit more with the more intimate parts rather than one that was trying to be more cinematic than needed. It was also too modern and like an attempt to appeal to a wider audience or something. Also thought that 'Arctic Tale' plays it too safe, the conflict could have been bigger and bolder (not enough of the pull no punches approach here) and there is a sense that it was trying to be careful not to offend. Admirable but it did mean that in terms of exploring the facts properly and addressing the global warming it was a bit too sketchy.
In conclusion, beautifully made and well intentioned but doesn't quite reach full potential. 6/10.
stunning visuals overcome schmaltzy presentation
Buddy-513 September 2009
"Arctic Tale" is a National Geographic nature documentary blown up to widescreen proportions. Exquisitely photographed by Adam Ravetch (who, along with Sarah Roberston, also served as co-director of the film), the movie follows the exploits of an adorable polar bear cub named Nanu and an equally irresistible baby walrus named Celia as they learn to cope and survive (with more than a little help from their mommies) in the harsh conditions of the Great White North.
Weaknesses first. "Arctic Tale" suffers from a failing common to many nature documentaries aimed at a general audience - namely the tendency to sanitize and whitewash some of the harsher realities of life in the wild to avoid offending the sensibilities of an often squeamish audience. We don't mind oohing and ahhing over a cuddly little bear, all bleary-eyed and squinty, finally emerging from the dark den of her childhood to the bright light of day - but being compelled to watch her tear some other poor defenseless creature to pieces in order to perpetuate her own survival would be something else again. Similarly, it's one thing to anthropomorphize an animal; it's quite another to do so on the level of a Disney cartoon (the animals here do just about everything but talk). Thus, not only do we get cutesy, folksy narration (voiced by Queen Latifah) that sounds as if it were written for an audience of restless first-graders (which it may very well have been) but a sappy theme song that sets a schmaltzy tone from the outset. The movie also goes in for such corny effects as playing "We Are Family" on the soundtrack as we're introduced to a tight knit community of sunbathing walruses - or treating us to a full-out flatulence contest among the members of that same group. For some reason, the movie seems to feel that we just wouldn't be all that interested in the lives of these creatures if we weren't somehow convinced that, underneath it all, they're JUST LIKE US.
Not that we aren't treated to the darker, kill-or-be-killed, survival-of-the-fittest side of nature as well, though rest assured the "kills" are kept at a discreet enough distance to avoid traumatizing the little ones - or even the more weak-stomached and fainthearted members of the adult audience, for that matter.
On the positive side, the movie makes a poignant case for the tremendous threat global warming poses to these wonderful creatures and offers proof positive as to just how quickly the rapidly-changing climate is shattering the fragile ecosystem that serves as their home. Ravetch manages to get his camera into amazing places, so much so that we often wonder just how genuine some of the "story" we are witnessing actually is (the movie was culled from over 800 hours of footage gathered over a period of fifteen years, not the mere twelve-month-long period the plot line would suggest).
Yet, if you can get past the pedestrian commentary, you'll find in "Arctic Tale" a visually stunning, frequently thrilling and occasionally heartbreaking story of struggle and survival, one filled with enough urgency and passion to get us up and over most of the teeth-gritting stuff.
Weaknesses first. "Arctic Tale" suffers from a failing common to many nature documentaries aimed at a general audience - namely the tendency to sanitize and whitewash some of the harsher realities of life in the wild to avoid offending the sensibilities of an often squeamish audience. We don't mind oohing and ahhing over a cuddly little bear, all bleary-eyed and squinty, finally emerging from the dark den of her childhood to the bright light of day - but being compelled to watch her tear some other poor defenseless creature to pieces in order to perpetuate her own survival would be something else again. Similarly, it's one thing to anthropomorphize an animal; it's quite another to do so on the level of a Disney cartoon (the animals here do just about everything but talk). Thus, not only do we get cutesy, folksy narration (voiced by Queen Latifah) that sounds as if it were written for an audience of restless first-graders (which it may very well have been) but a sappy theme song that sets a schmaltzy tone from the outset. The movie also goes in for such corny effects as playing "We Are Family" on the soundtrack as we're introduced to a tight knit community of sunbathing walruses - or treating us to a full-out flatulence contest among the members of that same group. For some reason, the movie seems to feel that we just wouldn't be all that interested in the lives of these creatures if we weren't somehow convinced that, underneath it all, they're JUST LIKE US.
Not that we aren't treated to the darker, kill-or-be-killed, survival-of-the-fittest side of nature as well, though rest assured the "kills" are kept at a discreet enough distance to avoid traumatizing the little ones - or even the more weak-stomached and fainthearted members of the adult audience, for that matter.
On the positive side, the movie makes a poignant case for the tremendous threat global warming poses to these wonderful creatures and offers proof positive as to just how quickly the rapidly-changing climate is shattering the fragile ecosystem that serves as their home. Ravetch manages to get his camera into amazing places, so much so that we often wonder just how genuine some of the "story" we are witnessing actually is (the movie was culled from over 800 hours of footage gathered over a period of fifteen years, not the mere twelve-month-long period the plot line would suggest).
Yet, if you can get past the pedestrian commentary, you'll find in "Arctic Tale" a visually stunning, frequently thrilling and occasionally heartbreaking story of struggle and survival, one filled with enough urgency and passion to get us up and over most of the teeth-gritting stuff.
Consider that Movies are meant to move people. - Arctic Tale does that.
adamrav4 September 2007
The movie is all real, and based on 15 years of experience and observation in the Arctic. Everything in the movie has been fact checked in three separate sources by National Geographic, who demands strict scrutiny. The movie will make you laugh and cry. It educates and entertains. It is a fine story. Queen Latifah delivers her narration very straight. she is warm and funny. The movie is different then what your used to because it presents itself as a story, it reveals itself from the point of view of the animals like a story book. It does not stop the story to describe scientific facts and explanations, instead the facts and information are part of the story naturally. This allows the film to tell a story that involves it's audience, putting them into the here and now with the animals.
This movie is designed for young people and families. Just because it does not use scientific language that would clutter the beautiful imagery does not mean that the story is not authentic.
gather up some kids and go to Arctic tale. You will be moved by this movie.
This movie is designed for young people and families. Just because it does not use scientific language that would clutter the beautiful imagery does not mean that the story is not authentic.
gather up some kids and go to Arctic tale. You will be moved by this movie.
A Nutshell Review: Arctic Tale
DICK STEEL8 September 2007
In 2005, March of the Penguins brought us to the Antarctica, and introduced the life cycle of the emperor penguins to the mass audience. And Happy Feet was quick on its erm feet to seize the initiative and make an animated feature on our non-flying friends. Now, we journey to the opposite pole to visit Polar Bears and Walruses, but somehow, the former proved to be a logical choice for promotional posters. Having the worlds #1 brand use them in their advertisements, and as I recall one cheeky ad involving a bear shaving excess fur, you would have thought that this would make another documentary worth sitting through.
But Arctic Tale is not March of the Penguins. Narrated by Queen Latifah, it relied on similar themes and tactics in its narrative though, featuring the circle of life, and cute offsprings that you just want to cuddle (before they become big and aggressive enough to tear you apart), but apart from those, it's a totally different ball-game altogether. For starters, the focus on Walruses allowed some kind of parallels to be drawn with the Polar Bears, with the common starting point for both species, the threats that they both face in terms of survival, and how intertwined their lives are actually, because one is prey to the hunter.
It's amazing how the footage seen in the documentary were captured. As the end credits rolled, you do see stills on how up close and personal the filmmakers get to the action. But what amazed me more is how a story can be weaved from the footage shot, without being too contrived or artificial about it, despite relying on composite characters created. What I liked too is the observation on the animal species themselves. While the Polar Bears are more independent and don't hunt in packs, the actions of the Walruses, while they live as a community, do not demonstrate that they'll behave likewise when faced with a predator. Their all "man" for himself attitude do seem quite selfish, especially when a reliance on strength in numbers will probably help. But that's the way the circle of life rolls.
While it played out rather straightforwardly, what I thought was a missed opportunity was the very superficial glean on probably an important message these days - climate change, for the worse. With the rising temperatures, the polar caps are melting and shrinking, posing a direct challenge to the animals' habitat and a threat to their survival. The white, snow covered land mass they are living on, are slowly disappearing, and living off a grassland covered rock, doesn't seem to cut it, at least, not for the Polar Bears. Arctic Tale presents the effect of this change, but doesn't address the climate concerns.
Perhaps that's best left as a topic in itself. As far as Arctic Tale is concerned, it has presented and preserved, the way of life of the Polar Bears and Walruses. While not as compelling a story as March of the Penguins, it does serve its purpose, but nothing more. If compared, this one rates a notch lower.
But Arctic Tale is not March of the Penguins. Narrated by Queen Latifah, it relied on similar themes and tactics in its narrative though, featuring the circle of life, and cute offsprings that you just want to cuddle (before they become big and aggressive enough to tear you apart), but apart from those, it's a totally different ball-game altogether. For starters, the focus on Walruses allowed some kind of parallels to be drawn with the Polar Bears, with the common starting point for both species, the threats that they both face in terms of survival, and how intertwined their lives are actually, because one is prey to the hunter.
It's amazing how the footage seen in the documentary were captured. As the end credits rolled, you do see stills on how up close and personal the filmmakers get to the action. But what amazed me more is how a story can be weaved from the footage shot, without being too contrived or artificial about it, despite relying on composite characters created. What I liked too is the observation on the animal species themselves. While the Polar Bears are more independent and don't hunt in packs, the actions of the Walruses, while they live as a community, do not demonstrate that they'll behave likewise when faced with a predator. Their all "man" for himself attitude do seem quite selfish, especially when a reliance on strength in numbers will probably help. But that's the way the circle of life rolls.
While it played out rather straightforwardly, what I thought was a missed opportunity was the very superficial glean on probably an important message these days - climate change, for the worse. With the rising temperatures, the polar caps are melting and shrinking, posing a direct challenge to the animals' habitat and a threat to their survival. The white, snow covered land mass they are living on, are slowly disappearing, and living off a grassland covered rock, doesn't seem to cut it, at least, not for the Polar Bears. Arctic Tale presents the effect of this change, but doesn't address the climate concerns.
Perhaps that's best left as a topic in itself. As far as Arctic Tale is concerned, it has presented and preserved, the way of life of the Polar Bears and Walruses. While not as compelling a story as March of the Penguins, it does serve its purpose, but nothing more. If compared, this one rates a notch lower.
An important film *spoilers*
maryraymond12317 July 2016
When I started watching this movie I had no idea what it was about. At the end of the movie, I was in tears. This film shows the effect that global warming has on the polar bear and seal. Global warming is a real threat to our environment! Hats off to the people who risk their lives filming these animals so that we understand the affect global warming has on our environment. Renewable energy is important. I loved the ending when the children gave tips on how to prevent global warming. Something as simple as turning off the lights after leaving the room can help. This film also personalizes the animals by showing the love love between the "family members." I loved the music as well. This film was well done!
Doesn't Come Close To March Of The Penguins
fwomp11 August 2008
Global Warming is a real threat. The majority of scientists across the globe agree on this (there is a small dissenting group but nothing compared to those that believe in the theory). And wildlife filmmakers Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson believed there were ways to prove it. So they embarked on a fifteen year odyssey to film the lives of two creatures: Nanu the polar bear and Seela the Walrus.
The arctic is where these two live, and the arctic is the battleground most climatologists point to whenever they are asked for proof of global warming theory. It is important to let our children know that this area is in dangeras are its animalsthanks to the changes in global climate. And children are who this G-rated film is directed at.
There's the cuddly polar bear scene when Nanu is born with her "brother", and the protective nature of walruses as they fret over their young. And there's the bathroom humor of the walruses as they eat clams and then expel flatulence in roaring surround sound.
But there's also some things that might frighten the very young. Nanu and her ilk are meat eaters; in fact, they love walrus and seal meat. Some bloody carcasses are seen on several occasions, so parents who haven't discussed life-cycles with their young ones should beware. The fact that the movie-makers didn't give Nanu's "brother" and Seela's "auntie" a name should also give you pause (crewman 19!).
To help aid in the marketing of this film, you'll often hear "From the people that brought you MARCH OF THE PENGUINS..." but don't be fooled. Neither director nor the writers involved here were affiliated with March of the Penguins. Both films were aided with production dollars by National Geographic Films but that's about it.
Although March of the Penguins held more astonishing film footage, this film can boast some exquisite shots of its own. Following polar bears around as they swim in the open ocean and watching walruses suckle their newborns was something I found phenomenally well filmed. The vanishing ice flows are also pointedly shown as months into what should have been the arctic winter turns into open seas instead of frozen waters.
Queen Latifah (HAIRSPRAY) does a great job narrating. Never over-the-top, her tone was perfect for the settings. Always.
But I think Morgan Freeman did a bit better job during March of the Penguins. All-in-all, it's a superior documentary that stands head and shoulders above this one. But that shouldn't shame Arctic Tale at all. It's a decent documentary.
Just decent.
The arctic is where these two live, and the arctic is the battleground most climatologists point to whenever they are asked for proof of global warming theory. It is important to let our children know that this area is in dangeras are its animalsthanks to the changes in global climate. And children are who this G-rated film is directed at.
There's the cuddly polar bear scene when Nanu is born with her "brother", and the protective nature of walruses as they fret over their young. And there's the bathroom humor of the walruses as they eat clams and then expel flatulence in roaring surround sound.
But there's also some things that might frighten the very young. Nanu and her ilk are meat eaters; in fact, they love walrus and seal meat. Some bloody carcasses are seen on several occasions, so parents who haven't discussed life-cycles with their young ones should beware. The fact that the movie-makers didn't give Nanu's "brother" and Seela's "auntie" a name should also give you pause (crewman 19!).
To help aid in the marketing of this film, you'll often hear "From the people that brought you MARCH OF THE PENGUINS..." but don't be fooled. Neither director nor the writers involved here were affiliated with March of the Penguins. Both films were aided with production dollars by National Geographic Films but that's about it.
Although March of the Penguins held more astonishing film footage, this film can boast some exquisite shots of its own. Following polar bears around as they swim in the open ocean and watching walruses suckle their newborns was something I found phenomenally well filmed. The vanishing ice flows are also pointedly shown as months into what should have been the arctic winter turns into open seas instead of frozen waters.
Queen Latifah (HAIRSPRAY) does a great job narrating. Never over-the-top, her tone was perfect for the settings. Always.
But I think Morgan Freeman did a bit better job during March of the Penguins. All-in-all, it's a superior documentary that stands head and shoulders above this one. But that shouldn't shame Arctic Tale at all. It's a decent documentary.
Just decent.
NOT a Documentary
masterfool22 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Saw this movie in Cali. at an advanced screening sponsored by the Regional Air Quality Management Board.
My biggest problem with this show is that they play it off as a documentary, when it is NOT.
Even the Tagline: "A real adventure in the coolest place on earth" implies documentary.
The truth is, while every shot WAS taken in the arctic, and was NOT staged, the characters Nanu and Sela were "composite characters" comprised of MANY different animals that were filmed by the directors over their time in the arctic. Basically, the story was made up.
Furthermore, many of the shots that we see were "stock footage" (this is obvious, as the quality is SIGNIFICANTLY lower). Also, the editing was poor, and only a child would think that the scenes truly played out the way they were portrayed.
The sound is also poorly edited, and, while I can not be SURE, I would guess that many of the sounds did not occur as shown in the film (pull my flipper??!!) Also, I think Queen Latifah's lines were poorly written, and she is a poor narrator to boot.
Basically, I think that the issue being tackled here is FAR too important for the directors to FABRICATE a story to show it. Tell it the way it is. If you can't follow 1 bear and 1 walrus, DON'T pretend you did. We can STILL get the point that global warming is hurting the arctic, and that we can prevent it . . . you don't have to make things up to tell us about it!
My biggest problem with this show is that they play it off as a documentary, when it is NOT.
Even the Tagline: "A real adventure in the coolest place on earth" implies documentary.
The truth is, while every shot WAS taken in the arctic, and was NOT staged, the characters Nanu and Sela were "composite characters" comprised of MANY different animals that were filmed by the directors over their time in the arctic. Basically, the story was made up.
Furthermore, many of the shots that we see were "stock footage" (this is obvious, as the quality is SIGNIFICANTLY lower). Also, the editing was poor, and only a child would think that the scenes truly played out the way they were portrayed.
The sound is also poorly edited, and, while I can not be SURE, I would guess that many of the sounds did not occur as shown in the film (pull my flipper??!!) Also, I think Queen Latifah's lines were poorly written, and she is a poor narrator to boot.
Basically, I think that the issue being tackled here is FAR too important for the directors to FABRICATE a story to show it. Tell it the way it is. If you can't follow 1 bear and 1 walrus, DON'T pretend you did. We can STILL get the point that global warming is hurting the arctic, and that we can prevent it . . . you don't have to make things up to tell us about it!
protect the homes of Arctic animals.
e-51445-7103522 March 2020
On the land of the Arctic, animals have to fight the cold and lack of food. They hunt, nest and reproduce. We see the loving interaction and teaching skills between polar bear mothers and babies, and walrus mothers take good care of their babies. Global warming has caused baby polar bear Nanu to struggle to survive the lack of food, warning us to protect the environment and protect the homes of Arctic animals.
A dumbed down March of the Penguins
ah-melody3 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Let me start off by saying that this movie contains some amazing footage. The images on their own tell a beautiful story, and also illustrate the effects that global warming is having on the arctic Eco-system. The videographers should be very proud of their footage. However, the narration and the tacked on story totally demean what could have been a great thing.
Unlike Morgan Freeman's sparse, but insightful narration in March of the Penguins, Queen Latifah proves to be an intrusive and irritating guide into this world. Her voice over mostly consists of the kind of hip hop language that has been out of date since about 1993. We are almost never given a moment in which the images are allowed to tell their own story. On top of this, there is a 3 minute sequence of fake Walrus farting that makes us think we are watching Norbit instead of a film about animals trying to survive. In addition to this, there are several other instances of obviously artificial sounds that the film makers try to pass of as being part of the natural environment.
One of the worst elements of the movie is the demonization of the male polar bear. All of the other characters are presented as desperate for food because of the effect the melting ice has on their hunting habits. The narrator condones them in whatever they do to make sure they don't starve. The male polar bear is not looked on with the same sympathy. He is presented as a sadistic villain who wants to eat and destroy other innocent creatures. However, like the characters that we are supposed to like, he too just wants to eat and survive. This highlights what is perhaps the films biggest flaw; it is afraid to portray humans in a negative light, even though we are the real villains. More intelligent films, such as Happy Feet, put humans in the villain role, and as a result got some unfair reviews by people who were uncomfortable. Arctic Tale is obviously self-conscious about this.
The movie leaves us with footage of small children talking about taking "baby steps" like driving a hybrid and recycling. Well, if this is an urgent crisis, we should be taking more than baby steps.
Once again, this movie has some amazing footage, and is well intentioned. Its good that people are paying more attention to the issues presented than they have in the past. However, the way the film is executed is more of a doping of the massed than an educating.
Unlike Morgan Freeman's sparse, but insightful narration in March of the Penguins, Queen Latifah proves to be an intrusive and irritating guide into this world. Her voice over mostly consists of the kind of hip hop language that has been out of date since about 1993. We are almost never given a moment in which the images are allowed to tell their own story. On top of this, there is a 3 minute sequence of fake Walrus farting that makes us think we are watching Norbit instead of a film about animals trying to survive. In addition to this, there are several other instances of obviously artificial sounds that the film makers try to pass of as being part of the natural environment.
One of the worst elements of the movie is the demonization of the male polar bear. All of the other characters are presented as desperate for food because of the effect the melting ice has on their hunting habits. The narrator condones them in whatever they do to make sure they don't starve. The male polar bear is not looked on with the same sympathy. He is presented as a sadistic villain who wants to eat and destroy other innocent creatures. However, like the characters that we are supposed to like, he too just wants to eat and survive. This highlights what is perhaps the films biggest flaw; it is afraid to portray humans in a negative light, even though we are the real villains. More intelligent films, such as Happy Feet, put humans in the villain role, and as a result got some unfair reviews by people who were uncomfortable. Arctic Tale is obviously self-conscious about this.
The movie leaves us with footage of small children talking about taking "baby steps" like driving a hybrid and recycling. Well, if this is an urgent crisis, we should be taking more than baby steps.
Once again, this movie has some amazing footage, and is well intentioned. Its good that people are paying more attention to the issues presented than they have in the past. However, the way the film is executed is more of a doping of the massed than an educating.
A touching movie with a good cause that delivers the message!
edan3327 September 2008
I don't see this as a standard documentary, or a documentary at all. This movie is about the lives of animals in the Arctic. Tough life as it is, and ones that become impossible because human race forgot that we have neighbors.
The movie doesn't try to teach you anything that most of use don't already know, but its doing a great job in creating a loving, compassionate emotions to the wonderful animals of the arctic that fight harder and harder every year just to survive. The story is sweet and touching, and the images are beautiful and make your love flow.
The only reason I give this movie a top rate is because (and I've waited the whole movie to see if they would) at the end it lets each of us help the arctic animals in their fight in the changing climate. The movie is doing so by giving the viewer simple, understandable tips for reducing energy consumption.
No one is asking for any donations here, or special effort, but only giving us suggestions for making minor changes in our way of life so these wonderful arctic creatures don't have to suffer any drastic changes in theirs and so they can avoid extinction. I would like my grandchildren to enjoy fresh films about arctic life and instead of watching movies like this as an evidence to the lives of species that are long gone.
Show it to your children, your friends, and everyone you can, to make them re-discover the love to nature we all buried under so much work and stress...and do something about it!
The movie doesn't try to teach you anything that most of use don't already know, but its doing a great job in creating a loving, compassionate emotions to the wonderful animals of the arctic that fight harder and harder every year just to survive. The story is sweet and touching, and the images are beautiful and make your love flow.
The only reason I give this movie a top rate is because (and I've waited the whole movie to see if they would) at the end it lets each of us help the arctic animals in their fight in the changing climate. The movie is doing so by giving the viewer simple, understandable tips for reducing energy consumption.
No one is asking for any donations here, or special effort, but only giving us suggestions for making minor changes in our way of life so these wonderful arctic creatures don't have to suffer any drastic changes in theirs and so they can avoid extinction. I would like my grandchildren to enjoy fresh films about arctic life and instead of watching movies like this as an evidence to the lives of species that are long gone.
Show it to your children, your friends, and everyone you can, to make them re-discover the love to nature we all buried under so much work and stress...and do something about it!
Must-see climate change film for young and old (spoiler at the end)
ArthurDental30 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I wasn't going to comment on this film, but seeing the negative reactions of so many on this site, I couldn't let them have the say.
Yes, this is not a true documentary, and it shouldn't have been presented as such. It's a melodramatic, overly so at some points. It is not as high-quality as some people would like, or demand. But it saddens my heart that that's what they care about, because in their overzealous want for entertainment, they forget the problem they produce.
What's more crass than blaming the bears and walruses for becoming extinct? Never before in the history of Earth has one species destroyed, and continues to destroy the habitats of almost all major animals in the world, except those that have been domesticated or useful in some way. Volcanoes and asteroids may have led to the extinction of huge numbers of species at regular intervals; one group - the dinosaurs - may have dominated the world and probably made certain animals extinct. But it was a natural world. New species arise where others fall.
When we have melted - judging from the negativity here, it's a matter of when - the frozen poles, we not only have destroyed mighty species like polar bears to the history book, we'll have made sure that nothing but much smaller and less unique ones will fill their place. Evolution doesn't take decades to produce replacement. It needs hundreds of thousands, millions of years, and with human depopulation of the natural world, nothing will have the chance to do so.
This film should have made skeptics think twice and change their ways. That it fails to do so in so many cases shows what humans are capable of, not in compassion, or generosity, but in greed, self-importance, and apathy.
*spoiler* The walrus that gave its life for a "kid" walrus probably would have done better were it as "intelligent."
Yes, this is not a true documentary, and it shouldn't have been presented as such. It's a melodramatic, overly so at some points. It is not as high-quality as some people would like, or demand. But it saddens my heart that that's what they care about, because in their overzealous want for entertainment, they forget the problem they produce.
What's more crass than blaming the bears and walruses for becoming extinct? Never before in the history of Earth has one species destroyed, and continues to destroy the habitats of almost all major animals in the world, except those that have been domesticated or useful in some way. Volcanoes and asteroids may have led to the extinction of huge numbers of species at regular intervals; one group - the dinosaurs - may have dominated the world and probably made certain animals extinct. But it was a natural world. New species arise where others fall.
When we have melted - judging from the negativity here, it's a matter of when - the frozen poles, we not only have destroyed mighty species like polar bears to the history book, we'll have made sure that nothing but much smaller and less unique ones will fill their place. Evolution doesn't take decades to produce replacement. It needs hundreds of thousands, millions of years, and with human depopulation of the natural world, nothing will have the chance to do so.
This film should have made skeptics think twice and change their ways. That it fails to do so in so many cases shows what humans are capable of, not in compassion, or generosity, but in greed, self-importance, and apathy.
*spoiler* The walrus that gave its life for a "kid" walrus probably would have done better were it as "intelligent."
Global Warming Done Cute
treynolds-718 February 2008
My wife wanted to rent this and watch it. It really is cute in some places, but there's nothing here that's any better than the Planet Earth episode on polar bears. In fact, the opening sequence of the bears emerging from their den is remarkably similar...
The storyline is contrived and the references to changing climate blatantly obvious.
It truly is sad that these magnificent animals die, but that's the essence of the natural world, right? Some animals prey on others, climate changes in natural cycles. Polar bears survived the last stint of global warming just fine. The ice sheets were so small 1000 years ago that crops could be grown in Greenland. Wine grapes were grown in England. Where were the polar bears then? This movie was not nearly as good as "March of the Penguins". I came away from that movie inspired. I came away from this one wanting to gag.
The storyline is contrived and the references to changing climate blatantly obvious.
It truly is sad that these magnificent animals die, but that's the essence of the natural world, right? Some animals prey on others, climate changes in natural cycles. Polar bears survived the last stint of global warming just fine. The ice sheets were so small 1000 years ago that crops could be grown in Greenland. Wine grapes were grown in England. Where were the polar bears then? This movie was not nearly as good as "March of the Penguins". I came away from that movie inspired. I came away from this one wanting to gag.
Confused and Dazed
firefighter911-11 April 2009
Wonderfully filmed and well edited. One question though. Why do we rescue oil covered seals and birds? Because if we don't they will die and after all mankind caused their predicament. Would it have killed anyone to save the baby polar bear? Especially if they are dying because of mankind? If they are threatened then isn't each one precious? Fine, you can show the plight of the bear, but you do NOT have to stand there and film it until it is dead!!!! Take it to a zoo!! Every day sick seals are found on the beach and we swoop in with vets and nurse them back to health. Sorry Polar bear, you're not worth saving because we need you to die to make a point. This is the kind of dimwitted environmental religion that drives me insane.
Beautifully Made, But A Bit Manipulative
sddavis636 November 2008
I say this movie is manipulative only because it seems to promise one thing and deliver another. I rented it because I thought my 4 year old daughter would enjoy what seemed to be the promise of one of those cutesy, kiddie-oriented movies featuring baby animals having fun adventures together. The truth is that she wasn't really enthralled by it, and while there are some baby animals in this (mostly a polar bear and a walrus) the "adventures" related really have more to do with the struggle of the animals to adapt to the changing ice conditions in the Arctic being caused by global warming. I have no problem with the message - I think the fight against global warming is extremely important. I just had a bit of a reaction against what I thought was the not entirely honest description of the movie's purpose.
Having said that, as a nature movie I thought this was not bad (although it has more to say to adults than to 4 year olds.) Narrated by Queen Latifah, and made in co-operation with the National Geographic Society, it's has some things in common with the Antarctic adventure "March Of The Penguins" (although it's not as good). As you would expect from National Geographic, the photography is brilliant, and a wide variety of animals are featured (in addition to the polar bears and walruses, there are arctic foxes, beluga whales, orcas, narwhaals, terns and gulls and possibly a few I'm forgetting.) The message isn't subtle; it gets through very clearly - the Arctic is warming up! - and it's true that you do find yourself drawn into the animals' lives and rooting for them through their struggles. I appreciated that the film anded on a fairly positive note, as the arctic life cycle continued, with what had been the baby animals becoming mothers to new babies.
Manipulation aside, the film is family-friendly and, as I noted, very well photographed, but in the end it didn't accomplish what I had hoped - which was to truly entertain a 4 year old.
Having said that, as a nature movie I thought this was not bad (although it has more to say to adults than to 4 year olds.) Narrated by Queen Latifah, and made in co-operation with the National Geographic Society, it's has some things in common with the Antarctic adventure "March Of The Penguins" (although it's not as good). As you would expect from National Geographic, the photography is brilliant, and a wide variety of animals are featured (in addition to the polar bears and walruses, there are arctic foxes, beluga whales, orcas, narwhaals, terns and gulls and possibly a few I'm forgetting.) The message isn't subtle; it gets through very clearly - the Arctic is warming up! - and it's true that you do find yourself drawn into the animals' lives and rooting for them through their struggles. I appreciated that the film anded on a fairly positive note, as the arctic life cycle continued, with what had been the baby animals becoming mothers to new babies.
Manipulation aside, the film is family-friendly and, as I noted, very well photographed, but in the end it didn't accomplish what I had hoped - which was to truly entertain a 4 year old.
Very nice but has slight problems
bensch2565 August 2007
This was an extremely touching and moving movie. It displays the lives of two young creatures, a female polar bear and a female sea elephant. They are both born at approximately the same time and are raised in the same general area of the Arctic. (North Pole) The movie covers 8 years of their lives as they grow up and become mature adult animals. It covers how they were raised by their parents, how they learned to hunt and survive and ultimately, how they dealt with the changes global warming is causing to their environment. It's an extremely moving picture without making the animals TOO anthropomorphic. (like humans)
I highly, highly recommend this movie. If you saw "march of the emperor penguins", then you should see this movie as well.
I highly, highly recommend this movie. If you saw "march of the emperor penguins", then you should see this movie as well.
The Coolest Place on Earth!
rannynm19 December 2012
This is a cute, touching and great documentary. This 2007 documentary took years in the making and tells two different stories of a Polar Bear and a Walrus. Nanu is a new born polar bear cub and is with her mother and younger brother. Their mom is trying to teach them the ways of the polar bear. Seela is a walrus pup that is under the shelter of her mom and aunt. She likes wandering off, having fun and learning how to be a great walrus. Seela and Nanu, with their families, are going through everything to try to survive global warming. I love this film because it's a documentary on animals and how they live in the Arctic. Some of it is funny, sad and makes me a little teary. I like the background music as I recognize some of the songs and it is entertaining. My favorite scene is when the walruses eat their clams they begin to go to sleep, but before they do, they start passing gas, but not just one of them, all of them. It is like dominoes, once one starts passing gas they all start passing gas. This is too funny. My favorite character is Nanu, because she is a cute baby polar bear. Queen Latifah narrates this documentary film and I think she is does an amazing job. She delivers the stories so great and keeps my interest. Directors Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson direct Arctic Tale and do a great job too. A lesson here is that we need to do our part in cutting the global warming pollution. There are easy steps we can do right now by conserving energy on a daily basis. Animals have their own ways of living which is very different from us. For example, polar bear cubs stay and learn from their mothers for three years and then they go off on their own. This is very different from us, as children usually stay with their parents until they are at least 18 years old. I recommend Arctic Tale for ages 8 to adults. It's a great film for those who love animals and documentaries about animals. I give this film 5 out of 5 five stars. I think it's very good, educational and I like it a lot. See how polar bears and walruses live their life in the film Arctic Tale, the coolest place up north. Brianna Hope Beaton, age 13, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.
Queen Latifah takes us on a magical journey through the Arctic. You won't hear about these famous actresses because Nanu is a polar bear and Seela is a walrus. We meet them when they are first born and follow them for more than seven years. This is from National Geographic. The photography is awesome. The real live footage is amazing and a great chance to see the Arctic up close while staying warm. Our story begins with the birth of twin polar bears Nano and her brother, and a Walrus named Seela. These animals have had the same routine for hundreds of years but this year is different. The ice is melting and the temperature is getting warmer. We see how they adapt to the changing climate. They have many struggles and have to learn a new way of life. The walruses had the funniest moments and made me laugh a lot. They stay in large family units that do everything together. If one walrus does something the whole herd follows along. They love to eat clams but they are slippery and can fly, float or run away so this is not an easy job. When the male walruses like a female they can sing to her for up to 50 hours. They make the craziest sounds. We get to see how a mother polar bear teaches her young to survive. I love when she is teaching them how to break through the ice. They are amazing swimmers. They can smell through three feet of ice and snow. It is like trying to play hide-and- go-seek with a bear that has x-ray vision. This is how they hunt for food. Unlike the walruses polar bears like to live alone. My favorite type of whales are featured, they are called Narwhals, or unicorns of the sea. They have horns that can tell the temperature, taste the air and the sea. It is like a giant radar horn. They travel in pods of about 10 up to 100 whales at a time. You get to see a lot of different animals including birds, whales, foxes, seals and many others. Some of the scenes were very sad but nature is not always kind. The songs were upbeat and made you want to sing along. The age range is 7 and up because there a few scenes involving what the polar bears eat, which might be a bit much for some. I give this movie 4.5 stars because it made me very sad at times. Although it is reality and the Arctic is not a kind place. Morgan Bertsch, age 8, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.
Queen Latifah takes us on a magical journey through the Arctic. You won't hear about these famous actresses because Nanu is a polar bear and Seela is a walrus. We meet them when they are first born and follow them for more than seven years. This is from National Geographic. The photography is awesome. The real live footage is amazing and a great chance to see the Arctic up close while staying warm. Our story begins with the birth of twin polar bears Nano and her brother, and a Walrus named Seela. These animals have had the same routine for hundreds of years but this year is different. The ice is melting and the temperature is getting warmer. We see how they adapt to the changing climate. They have many struggles and have to learn a new way of life. The walruses had the funniest moments and made me laugh a lot. They stay in large family units that do everything together. If one walrus does something the whole herd follows along. They love to eat clams but they are slippery and can fly, float or run away so this is not an easy job. When the male walruses like a female they can sing to her for up to 50 hours. They make the craziest sounds. We get to see how a mother polar bear teaches her young to survive. I love when she is teaching them how to break through the ice. They are amazing swimmers. They can smell through three feet of ice and snow. It is like trying to play hide-and- go-seek with a bear that has x-ray vision. This is how they hunt for food. Unlike the walruses polar bears like to live alone. My favorite type of whales are featured, they are called Narwhals, or unicorns of the sea. They have horns that can tell the temperature, taste the air and the sea. It is like a giant radar horn. They travel in pods of about 10 up to 100 whales at a time. You get to see a lot of different animals including birds, whales, foxes, seals and many others. Some of the scenes were very sad but nature is not always kind. The songs were upbeat and made you want to sing along. The age range is 7 and up because there a few scenes involving what the polar bears eat, which might be a bit much for some. I give this movie 4.5 stars because it made me very sad at times. Although it is reality and the Arctic is not a kind place. Morgan Bertsch, age 8, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.
Arctic Tale
mkfellows9 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
We saw a screening of Arctic Tale (or Death of the Polar Bears) at the Lloyd Center Cinema 10 here in PDX. I guess it is the finished cut, although the guy asking if we liked it didn't seem to know or care.
It seems as though it was shot in high-def and DV and maybe some VHS-C because there is zero consistency in the picture quality even within a given scene. This is no Blue Planet and it is now clear that National Geographic has been completely deposed by the BBC as the reigning champ of these kind of films.
We are reminded by the filmmakers who are doubtlessly evolutionary scientists that a jellyfish hasn't changed form for some 650 million years. This little factoid fits nowhere in the narrative, it is simply plugged in among the drowning bears. The jellyfish is perfect and hasn't needed to evolve since the seas were first poured out, the hapless bears, however, have come to rely on the ice that us selfish humans are now using to chill our Budweiser. There is no doubt among any sentient beings that the earth is getting hotter--at the end of an ice age things tend to get a little toasty and barring any asteroid strikes it is likely that these warming trends will continue regardless of what mankind does to accelerate the process. It's going to get hotter and the polar bears will probably die when that happens.
But if you're a pure Darwinian evolutionist--who cares about the damn bears? The bears are simply unfit to survive in a warming climate created by us not-so-benevolent primates at our own imperative. People came from apes and we scratched some bones against some rocks and after a few years viola--Chevrolet Suburban! The bears had better learn to swim or grow some gills--really fast. Tough luck bears! You're really cute in Arctic Tale, but frankly you've been known to eat people on occasion and your extinction, sad as it may be, will probably save a few wayward Eskimos.
There are also some Walruses? Walrii??--that are also going to croak because I spent and extra two minutes in the shower this morning. I now feel really bad that I have a water heater. I guess like Gil says--all drains really do lead to the ocean. Forget my shower--the cooling system at San Onofre must really be screwing with the walruses. Needless to say, we're going to kill all the creatures that rely on it being really cold or they are going to have to move somewhere colder or something just has to give. I don't know what to do about the bears but if they really require it to be 50 below all the time, how do these ones at the Los Angeles Zoo even stand a chance? I mean it gets well into the 90's down there.
I am really confused as to whether the kids finding out that everything is going to die is entertainment or info-tainment or guilt-trip-attainment. Your kids will cry when they find out the bears are going to die. Some bears die in the film and it is very, very sad--thankfully my youngest daughter and I were out taking a leak during the bear death sequence because it might have over-traumatized my little 4-year-old. I wasn't even sure whether or not to flush the toilet lest I kill yet another bear. I'm not sure how much bear death is on my hands..I do drive a Civic, but I also take long showers. I breathe and add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. I've never planted a tree and when I do plant--um--plants they are usually the dark green kind of plants that absorb a lot of sunlight and radiate a ton of heat causing even more global warming.
It seems as though it was shot in high-def and DV and maybe some VHS-C because there is zero consistency in the picture quality even within a given scene. This is no Blue Planet and it is now clear that National Geographic has been completely deposed by the BBC as the reigning champ of these kind of films.
We are reminded by the filmmakers who are doubtlessly evolutionary scientists that a jellyfish hasn't changed form for some 650 million years. This little factoid fits nowhere in the narrative, it is simply plugged in among the drowning bears. The jellyfish is perfect and hasn't needed to evolve since the seas were first poured out, the hapless bears, however, have come to rely on the ice that us selfish humans are now using to chill our Budweiser. There is no doubt among any sentient beings that the earth is getting hotter--at the end of an ice age things tend to get a little toasty and barring any asteroid strikes it is likely that these warming trends will continue regardless of what mankind does to accelerate the process. It's going to get hotter and the polar bears will probably die when that happens.
But if you're a pure Darwinian evolutionist--who cares about the damn bears? The bears are simply unfit to survive in a warming climate created by us not-so-benevolent primates at our own imperative. People came from apes and we scratched some bones against some rocks and after a few years viola--Chevrolet Suburban! The bears had better learn to swim or grow some gills--really fast. Tough luck bears! You're really cute in Arctic Tale, but frankly you've been known to eat people on occasion and your extinction, sad as it may be, will probably save a few wayward Eskimos.
There are also some Walruses? Walrii??--that are also going to croak because I spent and extra two minutes in the shower this morning. I now feel really bad that I have a water heater. I guess like Gil says--all drains really do lead to the ocean. Forget my shower--the cooling system at San Onofre must really be screwing with the walruses. Needless to say, we're going to kill all the creatures that rely on it being really cold or they are going to have to move somewhere colder or something just has to give. I don't know what to do about the bears but if they really require it to be 50 below all the time, how do these ones at the Los Angeles Zoo even stand a chance? I mean it gets well into the 90's down there.
I am really confused as to whether the kids finding out that everything is going to die is entertainment or info-tainment or guilt-trip-attainment. Your kids will cry when they find out the bears are going to die. Some bears die in the film and it is very, very sad--thankfully my youngest daughter and I were out taking a leak during the bear death sequence because it might have over-traumatized my little 4-year-old. I wasn't even sure whether or not to flush the toilet lest I kill yet another bear. I'm not sure how much bear death is on my hands..I do drive a Civic, but I also take long showers. I breathe and add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. I've never planted a tree and when I do plant--um--plants they are usually the dark green kind of plants that absorb a lot of sunlight and radiate a ton of heat causing even more global warming.
Evolution has no direction. We could get dumber and dumber.
Gore_Won31 March 2008
We certainly seem to be, judging from the comments on this film. It's no masterpiece, and it doesn't discuss global warming in as much depth as I'd have liked--some animations from Gore's film could've worked--but I think some people are being seriously misled by dangerously incomplete knowledge.
Evolution takes place over millions of years. Paleontologists consider tens of thousands of years too short a time to distinguish evolutionary changes. Humans have mass-hunted whales and other large animals only in the past couple of centuries, and we've already wiped out so many species. When a species disappears, not only do its evolutionary gains disappear from Earth forever, it also indicates serious trouble in its entire ecosystem. It tells us that something is very, very wrong.
Nothing but bacteria can evolve in our lifetime. It says much about human apathy to see such mean-spirited messages on here. People who don't care about animals don't care about humans.
Evolution takes place over millions of years. Paleontologists consider tens of thousands of years too short a time to distinguish evolutionary changes. Humans have mass-hunted whales and other large animals only in the past couple of centuries, and we've already wiped out so many species. When a species disappears, not only do its evolutionary gains disappear from Earth forever, it also indicates serious trouble in its entire ecosystem. It tells us that something is very, very wrong.
Nothing but bacteria can evolve in our lifetime. It says much about human apathy to see such mean-spirited messages on here. People who don't care about animals don't care about humans.
Don't bother renting this movie!
Frolic4 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Don't bother renting this movie.
National Geographic and Paramount start out filming the cutest little polar bear since Knut.
They add silly narrative.
Then things take a turn for the worse.
They stick in some guff about global warming.
Why didn't bloody National Geographic fly in some steaks for the polar bears? Don't they sell enough of their magazines? Doesn't bloody Paramount have some spare change to helicopter in some goodies for the cute little bears? Why did they let'em die?
National Geographic and Paramount start out filming the cutest little polar bear since Knut.
They add silly narrative.
Then things take a turn for the worse.
They stick in some guff about global warming.
Why didn't bloody National Geographic fly in some steaks for the polar bears? Don't they sell enough of their magazines? Doesn't bloody Paramount have some spare change to helicopter in some goodies for the cute little bears? Why did they let'em die?
Absolutely Lovely
smartinezmd29 November 2021
Hard to believe that this is rated so low. I give it a 10 simply to right a wrong. Delightful story, beautifully filmed and Queen Latifah's narration is also fun. For those who grumble about "cutesiness" - exactly what is not cute about a baby polar bear and baby walrus? Great for the entire family.
I don't like being flushed with moral messages by movies
wibartsc6 April 2009
There are two of these moral messages in this movie:
First: The usual women's libber tale: Beware of Males; The only superior beings in the world are Females. It even goes as far, that they try to suggest, it's only the (bad) males, who are killing the prey.
Second: (Usual since 10 years as well): It's only because of you male punks (Car-drivers, electricity-users and so on) that these cuddly (female) creatures won't be able to live (hunt???) in the years forthcoming, because of your blame only, their world is going to disappear.
You realise the intention - thus you are displeased.
First: The usual women's libber tale: Beware of Males; The only superior beings in the world are Females. It even goes as far, that they try to suggest, it's only the (bad) males, who are killing the prey.
Second: (Usual since 10 years as well): It's only because of you male punks (Car-drivers, electricity-users and so on) that these cuddly (female) creatures won't be able to live (hunt???) in the years forthcoming, because of your blame only, their world is going to disappear.
You realise the intention - thus you are displeased.
Just an OK documentary
TwentyCalls10 September 2007
After watching this show, I would not recommend anyone to spent money to watch this on the big screen. I happened to have 5 free tickets to bring my kids to watch it. If you have not been reading news and do not know what is global warming doing to our planet, or where do polar bears live (besides the zoo), or how walruses look like, then perhaps this show will benefit you. Other than that, there was really no significantly new or interesting information that I gained from this documentary. The net result - an animal story about animals struggling to survive - non-dramatized. Not entirely bad, I did appreciate the skills and patience of the crew in producing this show. It was well done.
By contrast, the "March of the Penguins" was a much more interesting and 'moving' documentary.
By contrast, the "March of the Penguins" was a much more interesting and 'moving' documentary.
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