Arctic Tale
by Adam Ravetch, Sarah Robertson
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DVD details
Actor: Katrina Agate, Kwesi Boakye, Preston Bailey, Queen Latifah, Zain AliDirector: Adam Ravetch, Sarah Robertson
Brand: LATIFAH,QUEEN
Producer: Adam Leipzig
Producer: Chris Miller
Producer: John Bard Manulis
Writer: Kristin Gore
Writer: Linda Woolverton
Writer: Mose Richards
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-12-04
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Reviews of Arctic Tale
DVD Review: Great Footage, Horrible Narration & Writing
Summary: 2 Stars
It's no secret the makers of Arctic Tale were aiming for a March of the Penguins repeat. Nor is it a secret that with Arctic Tale they missed the mark almost entirely. Granted it still stands as about 90 minutes of high definition nature footage that blows the mind at times, but the magic of March of the Penguins remains unmatched.
Arctic Tale follows two separate animals through the harsh arctic wilderness. Nanu, a polar bear, starts her adventure under the protection of her mother with her brother by her side. Struggling to find food in an ever changing environment, the polar bear trio works hard tracking down seals, fish and whatever else they can find to sustain them. Meanwhile, Seela, a baby walrus, experiences similar plights as her family swims and waddles about looking for safe places to relax on land. Both Seela and Nanu experience a few hardships here and there but, and to be fair, the loss suffered by Seela may be the best part of the entire film.
If you thought March of the Penguins suffered from the occasional dry spell, Arctic Tale will bore you to tears. Unfortunately, in this case we can't blame the animals for living existences "too mundane" for filmed entertainment. If you think about it, March of the Penguins without a narrator would have been excruciatingly boring. Morgan Freeman saved March and Arctic Tale has no such savior. Instead, Arctic Tale has Queen Latifah. The very fact that Queen Latifah was chosen for a role first filled by Freeman demonstrates a seeming ignorance of the hierarchy of Hollywood nobility. Queen Latifah, despite her titular implication of royalty, is less than Morgan Freeman. Always has been, always will be. Casting her as the voice over comes as a near smack in the face to audiences expecting a high-quality narrated experience. I can just imagine the producers saying "She's got spunk! Her attitude will bring life to Arctic Tale!" Arctic Tale is already brimming with life. It's got the whole "life" thing down. It doesn't need an infusion of large, sassy woman voice to do that.
As a mild defense of Queen Latifah's meager talents, the script for the narration was miserable. Abandoning any semblance of informative dialogue, Arctic Tale just goes full out in the direction of "cute" and never looks back. Maybe they realized it, maybe they didn't - but in doing so Arctic Tale isolates the older audience by offering them little more than pretty pictures of nature. The footage they captured (which apparently took more than four years if you trust the extras on the disc) has brilliant moments but in no way does it hold its out without narration - and Latifah's performance ruins it.
Even with a better narrator (say Michael Caine, Glenn Close, Denzel Washington, hell even Big Bird) Arctic Tale had a lot to overcome. The "tale" shown here just never grips the audience all that tight. There are a few moments of emotion and a few of genuine tension, but the other 60 minutes is just Queen Latifah attempting to draw out drama that isn't all that interesting. The best moment of the film comes at the sacrifice of one of the walruses the film had been following and instead of fueling the "that's awesome" angle, we're bludgeoned into thinking "Awesome - I mean, heartbreaking. I feel for that blubbered-up sabretooth seal". Arctic Tale, with all of its environmental messages from children during the credits, makes no effort to hide its agenda. It's environmentally minded through and through and takes great pains to convert your children to their cause. That unto itself isn't a bad goal, but it'd be a shame to give the credit for such an achievement to such a poorly conceived film.
Blu-ray Extra Features:
It's actually funny how much better the "Making of Arctic Tale" is than the film itself. Sure, it dwells much more on the human factor and the toils of trying to get footage in the unforgiving environs of the north - but it's actually interesting. The filmmaker who devoted all his time to the endeavor is downright likeable and feels like a much saner version of Timothy Treadwell (see Grizzly Man if you haven't). Besides the trailer, the only other extra feature is "Are We There Yet? World Adventure: Polar Bear Spotting" which, like the other extra feature, surpasses the film in quality. It might not rely so much on the "aww, look at the cute polar bear" factor, but the kids who star have their act together and its presented in a way that's entertaining and blissfully short.
Arctic Tale pales in comparison to its penguin predecessor. Add to that problem the fact that once Nanu and Seela are grown they're not really all that cute anyways (not that walruses are ever really "cute"). In fact, unlike penguins, these are two animals that are neither cute nor all that friendly. Even Coca-Cola has the good sense to import CGI polar bears. The bottom line: Arctic Tale has value for its nature footage, but as a dramatic or narrative piece it suffers from poor narration and no real story.
DVD Review: An entertaining, inspiring and educational family film that makes you wonder what further environmental changes will come...
Summary: 4 Stars
An entertaining and educational family film that makes you wonder what further environmental changes will come to the Arctic and how it will affect animals years from now.
"ARCTIC TALE" is a film by filmmaking couple Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson which have been shooting footage of the Wild for over 15-years and trying to videotape and watch animals and mammals and observe their behavior and relationships in the Arctic. So, what better but to focus on two significant beings in the Arctic, the polar bears and the walruses, dramatizing the footage and putting a story to show people the effects of the environment on these two animals. The film is narrated by hip hop artist and actress Queen Latifah.
The film starts off with a female adult polar bear who gives birth to a baby girl which is named Nanu and her twin brother. Nanu is like her mother. Feisty and wanting to take charge, while her brother is the total opposite. Having been living in their little home in the ice for several months, it's time for the mother and babies to get some food. So, it's going to be a learning lesson for both polar bear twins as they learn from their mother on how to find their food and survive the Arctic.
Living alongside the polar bears are the walruses and for this storyline, the film focuses on a young walrus pup named Seela and her auntie. With walruses, their parents hold them while they are fed but in no time, she will learn how to get food in the Arctic but first she must learn how to survive the currents and the ice but also to be careful of the polar bears.
As the film showcases the survival challenges that these two young animals must face. You start to learn that these two are facing a different environment than their ancestors. The shorter winters, a warmer environment which is forming ice too late and ice that is melting too quickly is not benefiting the animals.
The polar bears can't easily hunt for their food and are restricted to a certain area. The walruses who typically stay in large sections of ice, are having a hard time finding homes and they try to avoid areas where they may get attacked by other animals.
So, with no easy access for the polar bears to travel and find their food, they must find food nearby. Part of the problem is that there are other polar bears, especially the male ones, who are very protective of their own space and food and will kill other polar bears if they try to get nearby.
The film then forwards to a few years later. For Nanu's mother, finding food is not going easily and the fact that she has to provide for their two children is going to be a challenge. Unfortunately, the lack of food through the short warm months becomes too difficult and Nanu's twin brother, weak because he's starved and has no strength, quickly succumbs to harsh weather.
With the difficulty of finding food for Nanu's mother and Nanu, the only way to survive is by separating from each other. So, Nanu's mother quickly drives her child off and thus Nanu is now forced to survive on her own.
As for Seela, she also goes through some major trouble of getting lost from her pack and being the target of male polar bears but also being swept under the current and being lost from her pack. So, Seela has her difficulties. Fortunately, she has her loving auntie who is there for her no matter what.
The film fast forwards several more years later with the young polar bear and walrus pup now eight years old. The environment continues to get worse and the climate is making life much more difficult for them and sure enough, for Nanu and Seela, their paths will cross.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
"ARCTIC TALE" is a film that features 15 years of footage. Filmed by Adam Ravetch, the film is featured ala 1080p. Some scenes look absolute beautiful, while some that may appear to be stock footage and thus looks as if it has quite a bit of grain.
If anything, "ARCTIC TALE" leaves one in awe about the type of footage Ravetch and his wife Sarah were able to capture on film. From the various ice collapsing, breaking off to very closeup footage of the polar bears and walrus, even footage in their hole when they are hibernating. There is quite a bit of magnificent shots that the crew were able to get on film. But with that being said, there is a difference with looking at films of nature with lush greenery, its plants and flowers and colorful animals. In the Arctic, it's snow, gray skies and dark water. The only sign of color aside from whites, blacks and browns are the reds that you see in the walrus pups eyes and their mouths.
But nevertheless, "ARCTIC TALE" does feature breathtaking scenes in the Arctic but its not a film that you would expect to see plenty of vibrant colors.
As for audio, I have to say that "ARCTIC TALE" sounds incredible via Dolby TrueHD. I don't think I recall hearing sounds that caught my attention on DVD but on Blu-ray, the sounds of the ice breaking, the winds swirling and growls and noises by the polar bears and walruses really come out. And it comes out sounding very good on a 7.1 system. Of course, this is not an action film where you would hear your home theater system being put to the test audio-wise but the film does manage to feature a good variety of sound that just sounds great as it comes from your front and center channels but then hearing things behind you through the rears surrounds and the center rears.
As for subtitles, "ARCTIC TALE" features English SDH Subtitles , English Subtitles , French Dubbed & Subtitles , Portuguese Subtitles and Spanish Dubbed & Subtitled.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Special features included on the "ARCTIC TALE" Blu-ray are:
* Making Of Arctic Tale- This 24-minute special feature is a short behind-the-scenes featurette about the filming of "ARCTIC TALE" featuring Adam Ravetch and his wife Sarah Robertson. How Ravetch found Inuit people (primariy Pakiki Quamanik) from the town of Igloolik to assist him to film "ARCTIC TALE" but most importantly helping him locate a spot where they can find a newborn walrus. After four years of searching, the group found one. Most importantly, how he was given the opportunity by a walrus to allow him to film closely as she fed her pup. When filming the walrus, this is when they were approached by polar bears and from that point on, Ravetch wanted to go for broke and really risk his life in trying to get footage of a polar bear attacking a large group of walruses. Overall, an interesting featurette documenting Ravetch's adventures.
* Are We There Yet? World Adventure: Polar Bear Spotting - A near seven minute special feature from the "Are We There Yet? World Adventure" TV Show with a segment as the child hosts go to Canada to get close to a polar bear.
* Theatrical Trailer HD - The trailer for "Arctic Tale" in High Definition.
JUDGMENT CALL:
"ARCTIC TALE" was definitely an entertaining film. It's hard to classify the film as a documentary because it's a story trying to humanize the challenges that polar bears and walruses face in the arctic by making a film about birth to growing up and eventually becoming an adult.
And despite the film being about a polar bear cub and a walrus pup as they grow up, the footage is from 15-years of filming, so many different polar bears and walruses were shot in order to tell a story to tell about how the changing climate is causing problems and is hurting the animals in the Arctic. This is not a film that shows an actual single polar bear and walrus from birth to adulthood. Knowing the conditions and the risks the filmmakers put themselves through, not sure if that would have been possible.
As for parents who wonder if "ARCTIC TALE" is suitable for their children, I watched the film with my six-year-old son and of course, there were questions in regards to a death to an animal and of course, when polar bears and the walruses clash, because of the intense sound coming from your home theater, I know my son was a bit scared. But other than that, the film is family friendly and parents shouldn't have to worry about the content of the film.
"ARCTIC TALE" definitely has a positive message for children to learn from. Children will learn about how the climate affects the animals and of course, at the end of the film, children give tips on how people can help benefit the environment and possibly help these animals from the actions that they do in their own home.
Also, as many may have been surprised to hear Queen Latifah do the narration, in my opinion she did a great job and put some spunk into her narration. Having watched quite a few BBC-related nature driven shows and several films/documentaries about animals, it's good to hear something not always straightforward all the time. Queen Latifah has a calming voice but again, calm with a dash of spunk.
Having watched this film previously on DVD, I have to say that I'm quite impressed with the Blu-ray treatment especially when it came to audio. The Arctic really does come alive with the DTS-HD Master Audio track. The picture quality has plenty of beautiful moments that look great via 1080p but of course, considering the terrain of snow, sea and gray skies and polar bears and walruses, you're not going to expect plent of colors in this film. But nevertheless, the type of footage filmed and knowing through the special features how Ravetch and team really went all out and quite far just to get the footage is amazing.
Overall, "ARCTIC TALE" is a educational and fun family film. It's not exactly a film that is all happy but nevertheless, the goal was to make a family film but also educating the viewer on how the Arctic is changing quickly with the current climate.
If films about nature, the Arctic or watching polar bears and walruses interest you, then definitely check out "ARCTIC TALE" on Blu-ray!
DVD Review: Awesome Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Amazing movie. I love plar bears, so I enjoyed the movie a lot, and I learned a lot from it. Waching it once is not enough because it's such a good movie. I didn't only learn about polar bears from the movie, but I also learned about seals and life in the Antractica. Entertaining, and educational.DVD Review: Global Warming Is Real
Summary: 3 Stars
Global Warming is a real threat. The majority of scientists across the globe agree on this (there is a small dissenting group but nothing compared to those that believe in the theory). And wildlife filmmakers Adam Ravetch and Sarah Robertson believed there were ways to prove it. So they embarked on a fifteen year odyssey to film the lives of two creatures: Nanu the polar bear and Seela the Walrus.
The arctic is where these two live, and the arctic is the battleground most climatologists point to whenever they are asked for proof of global warming theory. It is important to let our children know that this area is in danger--as are its animals--thanks to the changes in global climate. And children are who this G-rated film is directed at.
There's the cuddly polar bear scene when Nanu is born with her "brother", and the protective nature of walruses as they fret over their young. And there's the bathroom humor of the walruses as they eat clams and then expel flatulence in roaring surround sound.
But there's also some things that might frighten the very young. Nanu and her ilk are meat eaters; in fact, they love walrus and seal meat. Some bloody carcasses are seen on several occasions, so parents who haven't discussed life-cycles with their young ones should beware. The fact that the movie-makers didn't give Nanu's "brother" and Seela's "auntie" a name should also give you pause (crewman 19!).
To help aid in the marketing of this film, you'll often hear "From the people that brought you March of the Penguins..." but don't be fooled. Neither director nor the writers involved here were affiliated with March of the Penguins. Both films were aided with production dollars by National Geographic Films but that's about it.
Although March of the Penguins held more astonishing film footage, this film can boast some exquisite shots of its own. Following polar bears around as they swim in the open ocean and watching walruses suckle their newborns was something I found phenomenally well filmed. The vanishing ice flows are also pointedly shown as months into what should have been the arctic winter turns into open seas instead of frozen waters.
Queen Latifah (Hairspray) does a great job narrating. Never over-the-top, her tone was perfect for the settings. Always.
But I think Morgan Freeman did a bit better job during March of the Penguins. All-in-all, it's a superior documentary that stands head and shoulders above this one. But that shouldn't shame Arctic Tale at all. It's a decent documentary.
Just decent.
DVD Review: Mom and 5 year old loved the movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I rented this movie. I never thought my five year old would sit through the whole thing due to the documentary style. Not only did she but asked to watch it again for several days. It was honest and informative with scientific information. Some reviews stated they were upset that scientific information such as global warming is present in the movie. It is present and it is science and the movie was a wonderful experience.
Description of Arctic Tale
Set in the vast snow kingdom at the top of the world, Arctic Tale is a real life adventure from the people who brought you March Of The Penguins. Join narrator Queen Latifah as she follows two very different arctic creatures, Nanu, the polar bear cub and Seela, the walrus pup, through exciting and harrowing struggles for survival. Armed only with their natural instincts and mothers' guidance, these inspiring animals face countless trials and challenges in a beautiful icebound world that is rapidly melting beneath them.The frozen Arctic is home to polar bears and walruses, two very different types of animals whose struggle to survive against the elements is only being made more difficult by a changing climate. Directors Adam Ravetech and Sarah Robertson filmed walruses and polar bears in the Arctic for 15 years in order to create this amazing story about the lives of Nanu the baby polar bear and a newborn walrus dubbed Seelah. Striking footage from land and sea is combined with effective narration by Queen Latifa and pop music by Joby Talbot to chronicle these creatures' lives from the babies' first days of existence, through two years of training in hunting and fighting by their respective mothers and the changes in the icy world that are necessitating new adaptations by these animals, and a contemplation of the chances of both species' continued survival. Like March of the Penguins, the footage of the animals of the Arctic and the formation and breaking up of the ice is exquisite, but perhaps even more striking is the clear evidence of climate change in the delayed formation of the ice in the autumn and its progressively earlier thawing and breaking up each spring. The polar bears' and walruses' resilience and instinctual ability to adapt and change in the face of the negative effects of global warming in order to survive is stressed, and viewers are left pondering why man cannot similarly adapt and change his ways in order to positively affect the world. Bonus features include an interesting "making of" featurette with Adam Ravetech and Sarah Robertson that describes their travels, trials, and enormous gratitude for the assistance of the Intuit people and a fun Are We There Yet? World Adventure: Polar Bear Spotting mini-adventure for kids in which Molly and Sam go looking for polar bears in a tundra buggy. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi
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