Disney's 'Earth': Life's Rough and Then You Revel In It

[disneytim]

As nature documentaries go, "Earth" has a lot to live up to. The first film released under the Disneynature label, it automatically conjures up comparisons to Disney's "True-Life Adventures" series that set the standard for nature films over 60 years ago. I'm pleased to say "Earth," in theaters nationwide today, carries the mantle of its predecessor quite proudly.

Traveling from Pole to Pole, "Earth" encapsulates a year in the life of our mother planet, showcasing the exquisite beauty of Arctic ice flows, tropical rain forests and vast oceans without shying away from the harsh realities of nature. Thus we see a family of polar bears frolicking in fresh snow even as they are struggling to find food at the edge of an ever-receding ice shelf. We watch in bemusement as young mandarin ducklings "fall with style" in their first flights from their elevated nest. We also witness the steely determination of a cheetah hunting its prey on the African plains.

Complete review at:
Tim's Disney News Archive Blog - Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney History: Disney's 'Earth': Life's Rough and Then You Revel In It

[sunnygirl]

We saw this last night. I really enjoyed it, even though I had already seen most (all?) of the footage in Planet Earth. Very well done, and there were some absolutely breathtaking sequences (but a couple parts made me cry ). I'm eagerly anticipating Oceans, to be released on Earth Day, next year.

[Rex Dopey24]

is this in 3d at the imax theatres?

[Dustysage]

Thank you Tim. I'm really looking forward to seeing this. I'm hearing lots of great reviews!

[2DieFR]

Originally Posted by sunnygirl

We saw this last night. I really enjoyed it, even though I had already seen most (all?) of the footage in Planet Earth.

The sources I looked at say that approximately 2/3 of the footage has already been seen in the Planet Earth series, and 1/3 is new for Disneynature's Earth. The James Earl Jones narration, of course, was made specifically for Earth.

I am very excited for the Disneynature series, and I plan to see Earth this weekend, possibly more than once while it's in theaters.

[DisneyIPresume]

I just saw this movie, and I am totally amazed. I'm not lying when I say this is the best movie I have seen in a long time.

The movie does not preach at all yet it does alert you to the problems in certain areas of the planet without being overly annoying.

Some people would say that the "Planet Earth" footage is a drawback and I would normally agree. But Disney does give them credit -- they are not hiding this fact. And it doesn't really matter because seeing this footage on the big screen is a site that is indescribable.

And the music. Incredible.

[Aladdin]

How would you rate the narration? I read a review that was rather critical of it.

[Rex Dopey24]

Originally Posted by DisneyIPresume

I just saw this movie, and I am totally amazed. I'm not lying when I say this is the best movie I have seen in a long time.

The movie does not preach at all yet it does alert you to the problems in certain areas of the planet without being overly annoying.

Some people would say that the "Planet Earth" footage is a drawback and I would normally agree. But Disney does give them credit -- they are not hiding this fact. And it doesn't really matter because seeing this footage on the big screen is a site that is indescribable.

And the music. Incredible.

Did you saw the movie in 3d?

[DisneyIPresume]

Originally Posted by Aladdin

How would you rate the narration? I read a review that was rather critical of it.

I also read a review in the LA Times that similarly crticized this. The review for the most part was positive, but they felt that the narration was a bit cheesy.

And to be honest I totally disagree. In my opinion this narration is what makes this a Disney nature film rather than your ordinary, and comparitively boring, nature documentaries they show at your local museum. This is precisely what reminded me of Disney's original True Life Adventures. Also this dialogue was not present through the entire film, but was peppered here and there, and in my opinion served wonderfully as comic relief and kept it from being preachy or overly self-righteous.

And to RexDopey -- I could be wrong but I don't think there is a 3D version of this movie.

[Nancywitt]

Is it worth seeing even though I own Planet Earth?

[DisneyIPresume]

Originally Posted by Nancywitt

Is it worth seeing even though I own Planet Earth?

I haven't seen Planet Earth so I have no idea. But I would say, yes.

[SunBurst]

For anyone who hasn't seen Planet Earth, the footage in this movie will blow them away. I am a big Planet Earth fan and the footage in Earth still came off as very refreshing. Also, keep in mind that this isn't entirely a cute and cuddly feel-good-for-the-animals kind of movie, and younger audiences might be upset by the "harsh reality" sequences. I know my girlfriend was, haha.

[draybook]

Disney should be ashamed by putting their name on this crap. My kids are semi sheltered, in that I don't let them watch overly violent movies or play overly violent games. They know somewhat about the cycle of nature and life, and the food chain.

However, when you stamp a G rating on a movie and add the Disney name to it, it's hard to have a child sit through a slow motion death of an animal and then try to justify it. The only notion of "Earth Day" was the mentioning of the ice drying up each year.

This is the second movie ever that I've considered walking out on, and the other one was Cabin Fever. I've read many reviews of other people having the same experience and many of them had their children crying when they left or walked out.

Disney, be ashamed. This could have been a great movie, with stunning cinematography and narration. Instead it was a blatant contradiction to the warm and fuzzy previews that you see on tv. In the words of Dave Chappelle, "I wish I had two more hands so I could give this movie four thumbs down!"

[Sir.Mouse]

I don't think Disney should be ashamed at all. They created a genuienly heart wrenching moment in cinema which is hard to do these days. Should Disney have sugar coated natures true events or completely omitted them? If Disney had glossed over a death of an animal I think that would give young viewers a false sense of reality which nature documentaries should not do. Have you ever heard the saying "you can't appreciate the good with out taking the bad."

[astrologic]

Originally Posted by draybook

Disney should be ashamed by putting their name on this crap. My kids are semi sheltered, in that I don't let them watch overly violent movies or play overly violent games. They know somewhat about the cycle of nature and life, and the food chain.

However, when you stamp a G rating on a movie and add the Disney name to it, it's hard to have a child sit through a slow motion death of an animal and then try to justify it. The only notion of "Earth Day" was the mentioning of the ice drying up each year.

This is the second movie ever that I've considered walking out on, and the other one was Cabin Fever. I've read many reviews of other people having the same experience and many of them had their children crying when they left or walked out.

Disney, be ashamed. This could have been a great movie, with stunning cinematography and narration. Instead it was a blatant contradiction to the warm and fuzzy previews that you see on tv. In the words of Dave Chappelle, "I wish I had two more hands so I could give this movie four thumbs down!"

Disney did well. You and your kids should know nature is harsh, and should have been prepared for some depressing scenes. And none of the death scenes were ever gory and detailed. That is REAL LIFE you are watching. I'm glad Disney didn't feel the need to sugarcoat it. That would have been pathetic. I mean, in Bambi the mother gets shot by a hunter, and your kids have probably seen it. And, because your kids know "somewhat" of the food chain, it is your fault for taking them to this movie without them being properly educated.

It's sad you felt like walking out of a piece of art, and it seems you failed to miss the big picture. Those animals showed AMAZING stories, even through all their hardships.

Oh and one last thing, I can't believe you'd call that cinematography "crap." Sheesh.