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Movies & TV Movies & TV Reviews

Earth

EARTH (Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield). 90 minutes. Now playing. For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNN


The aptly named Earth isn’t necessarily the best first outing for Disneynature, Disney’s new “brand.”

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It’s not even strictly a new film – Europe’s already seen an alternate version. Narrated for North America by James Earl Jones, it’s a gorgeous and entertaining doc, but doesn’t go far enough, despite its global reach.

Covering the planet from pole to pole, the film tracks multiple species as they fight for survival, focusing on three “families” – polar bears, elephants and humpback whales – using aerial and time-lapse photography to stunning effect.

But this movie’s strictly for the kiddies. There’s hunting but no blood mating dances but no actual gettin’ it on. Most disappointingly, it skirts climate change. We’re told deserts are growing and ice is melting, devastating the habitats of at least two of the families. But there’s nothing about what humans are doing to speed up this process.

It’s not until the credits that we see people at all. Shouldn’t we be teaching kids how to keep the poor polar bears from starving to death?

Still, if you buy a ticket for the film within the first week, Disney supposedly will plant a tree for you. There are worse flicks out there for your kids at least this one will leave your conscience relatively clear.

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