Let me start off by saying that this movie contains some amazing footage. The images on their own tell a beautiful story, and also illustrate the effects that global warming is having on the arctic Eco-system. The videographers should be very proud of their footage. However, the narration and the tacked on story totally demean what could have been a great thing.
Unlike Morgan Freeman's sparse, but insightful narration in March of the Penguins, Queen Latifah proves to be an intrusive and irritating guide into this world. Her voice over mostly consists of the kind of hip hop language that has been out of date since about 1993. We are almost never given a moment in which the images are allowed to tell their own story. On top of this, there is a 3 minute sequence of fake Walrus farting that makes us think we are watching Norbit instead of a film about animals trying to survive. In addition to this, there are several other instances of obviously artificial sounds that the film makers try to pass of as being part of the natural environment.
One of the worst elements of the movie is the demonization of the male polar bear. All of the other characters are presented as desperate for food because of the effect the melting ice has on their hunting habits. The narrator condones them in whatever they do to make sure they don't starve. The male polar bear is not looked on with the same sympathy. He is presented as a sadistic villain who wants to eat and destroy other innocent creatures. However, like the characters that we are supposed to like, he too just wants to eat and survive. This highlights what is perhaps the films biggest flaw; it is afraid to portray humans in a negative light, even though we are the real villains. More intelligent films, such as Happy Feet, put humans in the villain role, and as a result got some unfair reviews by people who were uncomfortable. Arctic Tale is obviously self-conscious about this.
The movie leaves us with footage of small children talking about taking "baby steps" like driving a hybrid and recycling. Well, if this is an urgent crisis, we should be taking more than baby steps.
Once again, this movie has some amazing footage, and is well intentioned. Its good that people are paying more attention to the issues presented than they have in the past. However, the way the film is executed is more of a doping of the massed than an educating.
Unlike Morgan Freeman's sparse, but insightful narration in March of the Penguins, Queen Latifah proves to be an intrusive and irritating guide into this world. Her voice over mostly consists of the kind of hip hop language that has been out of date since about 1993. We are almost never given a moment in which the images are allowed to tell their own story. On top of this, there is a 3 minute sequence of fake Walrus farting that makes us think we are watching Norbit instead of a film about animals trying to survive. In addition to this, there are several other instances of obviously artificial sounds that the film makers try to pass of as being part of the natural environment.
One of the worst elements of the movie is the demonization of the male polar bear. All of the other characters are presented as desperate for food because of the effect the melting ice has on their hunting habits. The narrator condones them in whatever they do to make sure they don't starve. The male polar bear is not looked on with the same sympathy. He is presented as a sadistic villain who wants to eat and destroy other innocent creatures. However, like the characters that we are supposed to like, he too just wants to eat and survive. This highlights what is perhaps the films biggest flaw; it is afraid to portray humans in a negative light, even though we are the real villains. More intelligent films, such as Happy Feet, put humans in the villain role, and as a result got some unfair reviews by people who were uncomfortable. Arctic Tale is obviously self-conscious about this.
The movie leaves us with footage of small children talking about taking "baby steps" like driving a hybrid and recycling. Well, if this is an urgent crisis, we should be taking more than baby steps.
Once again, this movie has some amazing footage, and is well intentioned. Its good that people are paying more attention to the issues presented than they have in the past. However, the way the film is executed is more of a doping of the massed than an educating.