To the Arctic 3D (2012)

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...

This documentary film is about the life of wild polar bears residing in the Arctic.Though it is just under 40 minutes long, "To The Arctic" transports us to an unfamiliar world where the landscape is just barren ice and snow. The landscape is beautiful, and the only life forms we see are polar bears. Filming the polar bears curiously exploring the camouflaged camera was a nice touch, as it was funny and provided a light touch to the documentary. The scene where mama polar bear protects her cubs from the other polar bear is tense and thrilling as well. However, it would have been good to have more educational elements as well. As it stands currently, it is more like a collection of footage of polar bears rather than a complete educational documentary.

This IMAX film doesn't conceal the fact that it is a plea for reducing greenhouse gases to slow down the melt of the polar ice caps. Because, if the rate of warming keeps accelerating the polar ice will disappear completely every summer, and according to the writer of the script, Polar Bears will die out. Because they cannot live anywhere else.In keeping with this theme a good portion of the 40-minute running time focuses on a mother bear and her two 7-mo-old cubs. As the filmmakers make clear in the DVD extra, it was mostly good fortune, they happened upon this family of three that were not at all spooked by their boat. In fact at times they would come up to the boat and inquire. So they were able to study and film them for quite some time. Including an episode where, after mother bear killed a seal and the three of them feasted a big hungry male, twice the size of mother bear, set his sights on her cubs. But she was able to scare him off.The film also spent some time on the migrating Caribou and a newlywed couple who were tracking them. Also a brief comment about the underwater sea life being affected by the increasing acidity of the ocean.The film was narrated by Meryl Streep. I saw it on DVD and while not as spectacular as 3D in an IMAX theater, it indeed is a very good-looking film. But rather limited in its scope.

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