DISNEYNATURE’S EARTH

Directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield

Review By Kim Jindra

First, I must begin my review of  "earth", the first film in Disneynature, the newest film label for The Walt Disney Company, by saying I am generally a sucker for animal stories, especially wild animals.  This film didn't disappoint because it follows three animal families and their yearly migration across land and sea. 

This film doesn't really educate the regular nature program viewer.  There's not really 'new' information here just stunning pictures.   It made you wonder how  the photographers got the shots.  For a younger audience there's more meat.

But the film was almost ruined from the beginning by the irritatingly loud and bombastic score.  The majesty of the landscapes and the  beauty of  birds in flight was overpowered by the George Fenton score.  It actually made me want to get up and leave.  If I had been watching at home I might have flipped the channel.  Trust the photography.   I don't need music to be sucked into beauty.  Unfortunately every breathtaking (and there were plenty) landscape was made less enjoyable by the music.  I want to hear the waterfall not bombastic music.  In fairness to Mr.  Fenton, he did get some things right.  The jazz for the orangutans crossing of the water  in Africa was perfect as was the penguins frozen trek.  Also the bird of paradise mating dance couldn't have been better.  I think he is better with animals than land.

There were lots of 'oh' moments like the baby polar bears sliding down ice and baby mallards leaping from nests high in the trees but unfortunately,  they went on  a bit long.  I happen to collect elephants so I found the elephants' journey more interesting especially when they encountered the lions at the water hole.  The night pictures were chilling.  And it is always a thrill to watch the cheetah in pursuit. 

One thing I did learn was the swordfish is the cheetah's counterpart in the water.
I had no idea they were so fast.  Again, I like whales ,so the information wasn't new but the pictures were stunning.

See this for the photography.  The narration by James Earl Jones is fine but the text is pretty superficial.  This film actually reminded me of nature films in secondary science classes.  There are enough facts to give students a quiz.

A surprise at the end necessitates sitting through the credits.