-
Directing
-
Content
Starring: Patrick Stewart, James Earl Jones
Director: Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield
Running Time: 95 mins
Earth is an American documentary that follows the extraordinary migration journeys of three animal families: polar bears, elephants and humpback whales, across the incredibly diverse planet that is Earth.
Apparently, ‘Earth Day’ is today. That wasn’t intentional, maybe I’ve just fallen victim to Disneynature’s recent advertising…
Anyway, this film was pretty cool. I loved the gradual journey across the globe due south, seeing how diverse the entire planet is, and yet how similar the instincts of its inhabitants are, and some of the shots of landscapes around the world were absolutely breathtaking.
Also, there was some great narration on this film. Patrick Stewart provided a booming overview of the Earth, which is a pretty hard job to do, but he manages to show the scale of the world, while also being soothing enough to retain the serenity of certain landscapes across the globe.
The narration provides you with an overview of the various characters that you meet along the way on your journey across the Earth, and the good thing is that the film doesn’t go into overload on science, there’s a little bit that’s easy to understand, but the rest of it is still an intriguing look at some amazing animals all over the world.
However, the best thing about this film is the incredible filming of nature. Whether it’s hovering atop the Himalayas, or hiding right next to the rarest big cat in the world, you get some unbelievable insights into the world of the animals and nature, which is just amazing to see.
But, there’s the age-old problem with the 2006-2009 period: environmentalism. Now, I don’t mind bringing in climate change as a scientific topic, seeing as this is a documentary, but the most irritating film about this film is that it attempts to tug at your heartstrings, until you see at the end that the whole film was just an advert for an environmental campaign.
Also, the constant reminding of the climate change phenomenon ruins some of the serenity that you want to experience while watching the film. Some landscape shots are so beautiful and silent, however bringing a negative element into it destroys any enjoyable aspect of the film.
Overall, though, despite its environmentalist stance, this film’s breathtaking filming and great narration made it a largely pretty enjoyable watch.
