Deep Blue
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Movie Reviews of Deep Blue
Movie Review: Deep Blue
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an excellent nature dvd. It is relaxing to watch and is comical and realisticMovie Review: Amazing life, stunning cinematography, insipid soundtrack and narration
Summary: 4 Stars
(Before grousing, I'll say the cinematography in this film is mind-boggling, and it's wonderful to get such detailed and intimate images of wildlife in action)
J.R.R. Tolkien had enough respect for his own work that when "The Hobbit" was to be published back in 1938, he insisted on doing the illustrations himself (although he was no "fine artist") because he feared someone else would "Disney-fy his characters." I believe those are his exact words.
We're so accustomed to "Disney-fying" wildlife in our culture that we're often scarcely aware that there could be any issues connected with the procedure. This film is not as bad as most, although at times I sure worry about the very idea of making "beauty" and "majesty" and not merely "cuteness" criteria for appreciating nature. I think it misses the point--the point being "respect" for the system. Sometimes films like this take on the aura of a fashion show, or worse, a kind of eco-porn.
Other problems here include the mandatory great swooshing epic soundtrack--perfect for a film version of "The Knights of the Round Table" or some other fantasy. It tones down to creepy "Night Music" once we get to the bottom of the ocean, which hardly does justice to the fact that the creatures dwelling at the bottom of the sea don't notice anything spook-house about their surrounds--this is just the daily grind for them. What's happening before our eyes and ears here is an eco-system in action, which, with a proper and discreet narrative (instead of the Disney inspired "storytelling")and maybe <em>no</em> music, should arouse sufficient awe straight-up. Instead, we're confronted with nature as combined figure skating competition and action/drama.
Whenever I bellow about such things--and I'm no full-bore tree hugger but I was a serious documentary film student back in college days--my eco-friends respond by saying that at least films like this help make people aware of ecology issues. My response is that this approach to "educating" people is roughly analogous to arguing (back in the 1850's) that slavery is bad because Africans are majestic and beautiful, or, God save us, cute. I think we need to adopt a more adult perspective about our planet, rather than maintain the rather adolescent one that got us into trouble in the first place.
The second-worst part of the film was the abrupt, last minute, bare, and almost tacked-on "nod" to ecology issues. The filmmakers clearly didn't want to ruin your enjoyment of the pretty pictures by bringing this unpleasant stuff up midway through the epic, and the nod enabled back-porch environmentalists and maybe some teachers rationalizing info-tainment in their classrooms, to sleep comfortably after watching it.
The worst bit was the DVD cover package--one of the most cynical and deceptive marketing ploys I've ever encountered. There's very little penguin in this film--most of the action takes place under the sea with fish and marine mammals--but March of the Penguins was a huge hit...therefore.
I suggest buying this DVD and simply ditching the soundtrack and putting on some favorite music; Bach is perfect. It won't be a feel-good hot-tub epiphany but the images will still wow you.
Movie Review: Amazing Photography, Showing the Nature As It Is
Summary: 4 Stars
It looks as if documentaries about Earth's life forms have become sub-genre for moviemaking. We have already seen fantastic documentaries like `Microcosmos' and `Winged Migration.' And as far as cinematography is concerned, `Deep Blue' is as beautiful as those films. The difference is that you might be less likely to be surprised by its content in spite of its wonderful images of dolphins, sea birds, whales, sea lions, penguins, and jelly-like creatures flashing blue in the deep ocean.
Don't get me wrong here because the marine images of the film are stunning. For those who love watching this kind of documentary film, however, some part of the film is no longer new and refreshing. Sea birds diving deep into the sea to catch fish would be an amazing image if you have not seen `Winged Migration.' Emperor penguins marching up the beach from the sea and standing in a group to survive a blizzard would be an astonishing scene if you have not seen `March of the Penguins.' And `March of the Penguins' would tell you more about the life of the penguins with its narration.
The film's strength lies in its editing, I think. Sometimes each vignette has a sort of short story (mainly about hunting) with George Fenton's gorgeous but slightly bombastic soundtrack. Still the breathtaking beauty of the images cannot be denied, and some creatures, those in Mariana Trench in particular, have totally different kind of beauty, very surreal and other-worldly one.
Finally I have to say some sections of the film may scare kids. What orca whales can do on the beach might be shocking to them (and adults too). Of course they kill to survive, but the point is how they kill. Just see it for yourself.
Though not informative as you might think, `Deep Blue' still offers a series of astonishing images about the animals and creatures living in the sea. The only thing I find disagreeable is its DVD cover. Why penguins? Unlike `March of the Penguins' you don't see many penguins here.
Movie Review: Beautiful but Unflinching
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a beautifully filmed documentary about life in the oceans. It covers a wide variety of species in breathtaking vignettes about their lives and, sometimes, their deaths.
A lot of what goes on in the oceans is based on finding food to survive, so it's not surprising that many of the segments include footage of various animals and fish hunting and feeding on their prey. It's not too disturbing when the prey are small schooling fish, but some of the sequences with larger mammals made me wonder why the film has a G rating. Small children are almost certain to be confused and upset.
Nonetheless, the film is wonderful for slightly older audiences. It's a beautifully filmed, honest, and fascinating look at the myriad life forms that inhabit our oceans.
Movie Review: Beautifully photographed
Summary: 4 Stars
This documentary shows in beautiful detail different areas of the ocean, from the frozen Antarctic to the depths where no sunlight ever reaches. Many fascinating species of fish and birds are shown, with their exotic shapes and colors too amazing to imagine. I agree with the reviewers who say that a "G" rating is misleading, as several scenes could be upsetting to small children. I also agree that more narration would be helpful, in order to identify different fish and learn what is going on in some of the shots. The photography is beautiful and the background music is well done.