I am afraid the film I have chosen for this blog post might fit into the cliché category, but I saw it a few weeks ago and I cannot stop thinking about it. So much so that I have found myself living life differently as a result of watching it.
When I babysat a few weeks ago I decided to take my friend Weston, a very cool four-year-old to the Denver museum. While we were there we saw the IMAX movie, To the Arctic (2012). The film was in 3D but I realized when I took the special glasses off at the end of the film I had forgotten the special effects were there. What was truly incredible was the combination of story and setting.
I enjoy watching the Discover Channel every now and then, and I definitely have a soft spot for animals, but nature films are generally not the first genre I turn to. However, after this film I might watch them more frequently. First of all, Meryl Streep narrated the film, who could not have been a more soothing voice to listen to, and Paul McCartney did the music which added even more emotion to the heart-wrenching tale.
The film followed the story of a mother polar bear and her two bear cubs as they struggle to find enough food in the arctic. We see their constant battle against the elements, they are melting (and it is our fault), and how this affects not only their direct need for food, but the food that other animals need. Male polar bears have started hunting polar bear cubs in order to survive. The filmmakers did a remarkable job of capturing both of these components. They show us the rapid melting of glaciers (who knew the arctic had waterfalls? But they are for the wrong reasons…), as well as the hunt of polar bears against each other.
Since watching this movie I find myself picking up more trash I see laying around, acknowledging that I drive my car too much, and I consume too much electricity. I have even told multiple people about this film, under unsolicited conditions, that they have to see this film. Maybe it was having Meryl Streep tell me to conserve resources, or the combination of beautiful animals run to the beat of Paul McCartney’s music, or the extreme size of the IMAX theater, but this film had a true impact on me.
The Official Blog of WRTG 3007, Summer 2012 
I have never heard of this film! What museum did you go to in Denver? Is it a science museum? I saw an IMAX film about earthquakes at the California Academy of Sciences last night here in San Francisco that was narrated by Benjamin Bratt. Although it wasn’t the same kind of experience you had, I found myself in awe of the planet we’re living on. I think anything in IMAX would be amazing though, really. That feeling of being engulfed by a film is really indescribable. I would really love to see To the Arctic like that, I bet the technique would really do wonders in getting the point of global warming across. Good post!
I love IMAX movies! Although I usually have to watch them on a regular screen because of motion sickness. I think the directors definitely did a good job hiring famous people we all respect and admire. It makes it more of a real problem, which seems contradictory since films and celebrity are so not real world.
Have you ever seen Nature on PBS? Or Planet Earth? Those have some of the most beautiful shots. They also show the real lives of wild animals without sugar coating it, which can be interesting and sad at the same time.
Great post!
I have never heard of this film. But I LOVE IMAX movies so I’m sure it was fun to watch. I think every movie should be in IMAX, it makes you feel like you are actually in the movie. I really liked how a simple movie, like this one that you saw with a 4 year old changed you so much. Have you ever seen an IMAX movie before, or one related to animals and the environment? I really want to see To The Arctic now! I don’t think they are playing it in California though:(