To the Arctic 3D

I'll be straight up honest I only went to watch this movie for the IMAX experience while I was visiting a museum. The images were definitely huge, though I was expecting better image quality. As far as image quality goes, I actually later enjoyed image quality of the trailer on youtube in 1080p HD more than that of the actual movie. Admittedly the giant screen does have it's impressive charm though and you can blame my disappointment on my ignorance of IMAX movies.

As far as the movie goes it was pretty average though that doesn't exactly mean it was that bad. You got to see cool landscapes, and learn about the wildlife. I'm pretty sure the impression I have right now is exactly as the filmmakers intended; fascinated by the Arctic and sympathetic to the polar bears. I was disappointed at first, but in retrospect it was a decent made film, I was just expecting more than you can typically see on Animal Planet. It was also rather short. I also wish the environmental message was more subtle than it actually was.

One thing I have to complement about the movie is the soundtrack. It was pretty good, in my initial disappointment I don't think I expected to be later searching for the songs online.

In the end I give it a 5/10

Meryl Streep narrates this environmental IMAX nature film. Paul McCartney provides the songs. There is a warning about global warming projecting declining ice-coverage to the year 2050. This follows a mother polar bear and her two cubs. There are also other life such as the herd of caribou, underwater life, and the people of the north. There is one particularly intense scene as the polar bear family is chased by a large male. Otherwise, the animal photography is functional without being exceptional. There are some beautiful grand sweeping vistas. I would have liked more underwater filming of the tiny creatures. As a nature film, this is good enough. The environmentalism can be grating. Sometimes, it's not necessary to preach so much.

So the camera work was good but not awesome as one would expect in an Imax theater. It was not (in the theater that I went to) even blue ray type quality and sound was muddy. There was no real plot. There are other animals in the Artic other than Polar bears. The worst part about the movie was (as I was watching this with my daughter) that about 10 of the 40 minutes of this movie was about how the Mother was trying to escape the "big bad" father of the cubs. I am not saying don't mention it but come on 25% of the movie?? MY 10 year old did NOT like it and neither did I. I won't say don't watch this movie... oh wait yes I will.

I was hoping for a nature documentary. Instead, I got a 40 minute climate change propaganda film.

I checked this DVD out from my local public library thinking it would be a great documentary on the Arctic. Well, there are some great images, but the overall production/direction is almost too distracting. Paul McCartney added some music for the score, and much of the time, it distracts the viewer rather than adds to the experience.

And instead of presenting the content and allowing the viewer to draw their own conclusions, in my opinion the film goes too far in trying to emotionally manipulate regarding climate change and its effect on the animals of the Arctic.

Argh...