Arctic Tale
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Movie Reviews of Arctic Tale
Movie Review: Global Warming Is Real
Summary: 3 Stars
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 danger--as are its animals--thanks 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.
Movie Review: Global Warming Agenda And A Poor Copy Of March Of The Penguins
Summary: 2 Stars
I just purchased the DVD tonight in the misunderstanding it would be about polar bears and would be handled in the same manner as March of the Penguins. My son and I were disappointed after paying over $20 and watching it.
Unlike March of the Penguins, this movie is about two species: a walrus and a polar bear. The movie picks and chooses what they want to show from a couple of years instead of giving a lot of details about a specific short time period, as with the March of the Penguins. It gives general information with the typical video that you can easily find on television animal programs (nothing exciting or amazing).
The movie continually brings up global warming throughout (even though people consider me an environmentalist, even though I don't preach it at others, as often happens from radical alarmist environmentalists). They show how the ice is melting and blame it on global warming without ever mentioning it's during the summer when the ice normally melts and shifts (the March of the Penguins never blamed global warming for the water being so close to the breeding ground at one point of the cycle). They show how one baby bear dies from starvation and implies it's from a lack of food due to global warming without mentioning over half of the baby polar bears (mother polar bears usually give birth to two bears at a time) have typically been dying from starvation as far back as when humans began studying them before global warming became an issue (nor that there are more polar bears in existence now).
I thought it strange they named the baby girl polar bear but not the baby boy and that they just named one walrus "auntie", so I made a joke that I bet they were going to die (kind of like the Star Trek comments about those wearing the red shirts). Yet, it turned out to be true. What was their thinking? How hard would it have been to name them? Were they trying to spare our feelings by helping us not to identify with them?
As for the quality of this movie, it is far below documentaries of the quality of March of the Penguins, Planet Earth, Trials of Life, etc., in every way and is more like what you see on Animal Planet, National Geographic Channel, etc. I felt they decided to make a cheap documentary and cash in on the success of the March of the Penguins by ripping us off instead of sending it straight to television where it belongs (perhaps that's why it left the movie theaters before I even had a chance to see it). If you feel something like this movie is worth paying $20 for instead of watching them on television for free with commercials, then I recommend you purchase this. If you're not sure, then perhaps you might want to consider renting a copy first to see if you like it.
Movie Review: Annoying
Summary: 1 Stars
My 4 year old son loves polar bears but he was quickly bored by this film. I didn't even make it to the end of the film with the so-called propaganda so I can't comment on that but if it was anything as embarassing and pandering as the rest of the film, I can understand the complaints. I like Queen Latifah, but the phrases they had her say made me cringe. The usual serious nature-special narration was interspersed with phrases that are desperately trying to sound hip but will be hopelessly outdated in a few years, like "When your mother's a polar bear, you best be going," the walruses are "all up in each other's business," and "that's just how they roll;" regarding the walrus whiskers: "That's right, those sweet 'staches aren't just for style." The worst is when "it's time for a game of pull my flipper" and you get walrus farting sounds. If this were made in the 1960s, you'd have the narrator talking about the "far out" bears and "groovy" walruses dealing with starvation which is a total "bummer."
By the way, I couldn't care less that the story is a composite and not a "true" documentary - I just wanted a good story. Despite some beautiful visuals, I can't recommend this to anyone.
Movie Review: Propaganda
Summary: 1 Stars
Unlike March of the Penguins, Arctic Tale is reminiscent of the old True Life Adventure animal series of the 50s--except that they were entertaining. I almost expected Rex Allen Jr. to start the narration.
The animals were given human emotions and thoughts which is totally ridiculous. I could almost abide by this simply as an entertainment factor, but that, coupled with the constant interjections on Global Warming and how all of the Arctic will soon disappear, was a little more than distracting. In fact, it was quite irritating. If you like apocalyptic prophecies in a movie, you'll love Arctic Tale. It becomes more of a commercial for An Inconvenient Truth. If our world is truly in this terrible condition, then we need to make immediate and drastic changes. Unfortunately, I don't see it. How come the Arctic is loosing its ice while, at the same time, they are up to their elbows in snow in Colorado? Anyway, as unwelcome as this comment may be in a movie review, it shows you how irritating it is to hear someone else's political commentary while trying to enjoy a family movie. I won't be watching this movie again. Now, you know where the "Not Helpful" button is...
Movie Review: Liberal Propaganda Tripe
Summary: 1 Stars
This movie is NOTHING like March of the Penguins. Don't be fooled. It is a load of liberal propaganda that was laughable. It's billed as a "real-life adventure" when it is OBVIOUSLY set up. If you know anything about the two species the flaws are obvious. I find it absolutely AMAZING that the photographers found two separate species at birth that come together in a specific life or death struggle against each other...years later. The constant "the ice is disappearing" only shows the uneducated attitude of the script writer. The world isn't stagnate. IT CHANGES and IT'S NORMAL. If you love Al Gore, you'll love this movie. 'Nuff said.