Oceans (B or 3/4 stars)
I didn't care much for last year's Dinseynature documentary, Earth. Sure, it was beautifully shot & majestically scored, but I hated seeing so many animals dying of starvation or killed in attacks. That took up a majority of the running time, & I became fed up with it after a while. THIS Earth Day, Disneynature has released 'Oceans', directed by Jacques Perrin & Jacques Cluzaud (Winged Migration), & it is just as gorgeous, but without those incessant bouts of death that wore me down last year. Narrated calmly & amiably by Pierce Brosnan, this film covers our cherished oceans, & the mysteries which lay deep below their surfaces. Thanks to some new technology, the underwater cameras are able to capture some incredible creatures & natural images that we've never seen before.
Some of these beings are familiar (dolphins, lobsters, seals, otters, polar bears), some are miniscule (krill), some are huge (blue whale), some are slimy (flamenco sea slug, moray eels), some are bony (stone fish, spiky crustaceans), some ... I couldn't even imagine in my head - they are THAT spectacular to witness (sheep-head fish, blanket rays, mantis shrimp). I loved the cuttlefish - picture an aquatic anteater with a snout that expands, sucks-in its prey, changes color, & then morphs back to its original shape/size/color. In fact, most of the aquatic life we meet look like they were constructed for some sort of outer space sci-fi flick; or something the art director of 'Avatar' could have created. It really makes one ponder who or what created these dazzling creatures in the first place.
The cameras take us down to the ocean's floor; bringing us so close to some of these creatures that you feel like you could practically reach out & touch them (take that, 3D!). I'm reminded of a scene where a human swims alongside an undulating jellyfish 3times his/her size. The cameras also take us eye-level with the surface of the water; and they even zoom in & out from outer space satellites. I was in awe. There are transcendental moments: a scene featuring diving sea birds & whales moving in time with the breaking waves; watching a cyclone of fish circulate near the ocean's crest; and witnessing what looks to be millions of crabs gathering together. And there's even a few scary moments (both involving a shark); one made me jump out of my seat, the other left me mind-boggled.
All in all, though this documentary doesn't quite form a 'story', or tell us anything new about the condition of our oceans (while preaching about saving them), & though the narration gets a little heavy-handed (at times) ... 'Oceans' is just a magnificent film to 'watch'. Bruno Coulais' orchestral musical score accompanies the stunning visuals we see. The journeys we're taken on under the sea are both exotic & jaw-dropping. And it's amazing to think that we advanced humans co-exist in a harsh world with all of these ancient, wondrous beings. We're all in it together.
Some of these beings are familiar (dolphins, lobsters, seals, otters, polar bears), some are miniscule (krill), some are huge (blue whale), some are slimy (flamenco sea slug, moray eels), some are bony (stone fish, spiky crustaceans), some ... I couldn't even imagine in my head - they are THAT spectacular to witness (sheep-head fish, blanket rays, mantis shrimp). I loved the cuttlefish - picture an aquatic anteater with a snout that expands, sucks-in its prey, changes color, & then morphs back to its original shape/size/color. In fact, most of the aquatic life we meet look like they were constructed for some sort of outer space sci-fi flick; or something the art director of 'Avatar' could have created. It really makes one ponder who or what created these dazzling creatures in the first place.
The cameras take us down to the ocean's floor; bringing us so close to some of these creatures that you feel like you could practically reach out & touch them (take that, 3D!). I'm reminded of a scene where a human swims alongside an undulating jellyfish 3times his/her size. The cameras also take us eye-level with the surface of the water; and they even zoom in & out from outer space satellites. I was in awe. There are transcendental moments: a scene featuring diving sea birds & whales moving in time with the breaking waves; watching a cyclone of fish circulate near the ocean's crest; and witnessing what looks to be millions of crabs gathering together. And there's even a few scary moments (both involving a shark); one made me jump out of my seat, the other left me mind-boggled.
All in all, though this documentary doesn't quite form a 'story', or tell us anything new about the condition of our oceans (while preaching about saving them), & though the narration gets a little heavy-handed (at times) ... 'Oceans' is just a magnificent film to 'watch'. Bruno Coulais' orchestral musical score accompanies the stunning visuals we see. The journeys we're taken on under the sea are both exotic & jaw-dropping. And it's amazing to think that we advanced humans co-exist in a harsh world with all of these ancient, wondrous beings. We're all in it together.