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Arctic Tale (2007) More at IMDbPro »

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15 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Consider that Movies are meant to move people. - Arctic Tale does that., 4 September 2007

Author: adamrav from United States

The movie is all real, and based on 15 years of experience and observation in the Arctic. Everything in the movie has been fact checked in three separate sources by National Geographic, who demands strict scrutiny. The movie will make you laugh and cry. It educates and entertains. It is a fine story. Queen Latifah delivers her narration very straight. she is warm and funny. The movie is different then what your used to because it presents itself as a story, it reveals itself from the point of view of the animals like a story book. It does not stop the story to describe scientific facts and explanations, instead the facts and information are part of the story naturally. This allows the film to tell a story that involves it's audience, putting them into the here and now with the animals.

This movie is designed for young people and families. Just because it does not use scientific language that would clutter the beautiful imagery does not mean that the story is not authentic.

gather up some kids and go to Arctic tale. You will be moved by this movie.

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17 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Fun and touching, 18 June 2007

Author: martin_sn from United States

I watched this film at the Seattle International Film Festival; it is a beautifully made documentary on life in the Arctic. The filmmakers followed the life of a Polar Bear cub and a Walrus as they learn about life from their mothers and have to deal with the catastrophic changes in the Arctic Weather caused by Global Warming. The film has a broad appeal, particularly amongst Children, who will find the movie funny, exciting, sad, and touching – quite a few people in the movie theater were sobbing by the end. This fits well with "March of the Penguins" in the way it "dramatizes" the footage and humanizes the wild animals, however it does this in a way that serves the story and helps people sympathize with the plight of the Arctic Wildlife.

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
NOT a Documentary, 22 July 2007

Author: masterfool from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Saw this movie in Cali. at an advanced screening sponsored by the Regional Air Quality Management Board.

My biggest problem with this show is that they play it off as a documentary, when it is NOT.

Even the Tagline: "A real adventure in the coolest place on earth" implies documentary.

The truth is, while every shot WAS taken in the arctic, and was NOT staged, the characters Nanu and Sela were "composite characters" comprised of MANY different animals that were filmed by the directors over their time in the arctic. Basically, the story was made up.

Furthermore, many of the shots that we see were "stock footage" (this is obvious, as the quality is SIGNIFICANTLY lower). Also, the editing was poor, and only a child would think that the scenes truly played out the way they were portrayed.

The sound is also poorly edited, and, while I can not be SURE, I would guess that many of the sounds did not occur as shown in the film (pull my flipper??!!) Also, I think Queen Latifah's lines were poorly written, and she is a poor narrator to boot.

Basically, I think that the issue being tackled here is FAR too important for the directors to FABRICATE a story to show it. Tell it the way it is. If you can't follow 1 bear and 1 walrus, DON'T pretend you did. We can STILL get the point that global warming is hurting the arctic, and that we can prevent it . . . you don't have to make things up to tell us about it!

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7 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
A Nutshell Review: Arctic Tale, 8 September 2007

Author: DICK STEEL from Singapore

In 2005, March of the Penguins brought us to the Antarctica, and introduced the life cycle of the emperor penguins to the mass audience. And Happy Feet was quick on its erm feet to seize the initiative and make an animated feature on our non-flying friends. Now, we journey to the opposite pole to visit Polar Bears and Walruses, but somehow, the former proved to be a logical choice for promotional posters. Having the worlds #1 brand use them in their advertisements, and as I recall one cheeky ad involving a bear shaving excess fur, you would have thought that this would make another documentary worth sitting through.

But Arctic Tale is not March of the Penguins. Narrated by Queen Latifah, it relied on similar themes and tactics in its narrative though, featuring the circle of life, and cute offsprings that you just want to cuddle (before they become big and aggressive enough to tear you apart), but apart from those, it's a totally different ball-game altogether. For starters, the focus on Walruses allowed some kind of parallels to be drawn with the Polar Bears, with the common starting point for both species, the threats that they both face in terms of survival, and how intertwined their lives are actually, because one is prey to the hunter.

It's amazing how the footage seen in the documentary were captured. As the end credits rolled, you do see stills on how up close and personal the filmmakers get to the action. But what amazed me more is how a story can be weaved from the footage shot, without being too contrived or artificial about it, despite relying on composite characters created. What I liked too is the observation on the animal species themselves. While the Polar Bears are more independent and don't hunt in packs, the actions of the Walruses, while they live as a community, do not demonstrate that they'll behave likewise when faced with a predator. Their all "man" for himself attitude do seem quite selfish, especially when a reliance on strength in numbers will probably help. But that's the way the circle of life rolls.

While it played out rather straightforwardly, what I thought was a missed opportunity was the very superficial glean on probably an important message these days - climate change, for the worse. With the rising temperatures, the polar caps are melting and shrinking, posing a direct challenge to the animals' habitat and a threat to their survival. The white, snow covered land mass they are living on, are slowly disappearing, and living off a grassland covered rock, doesn't seem to cut it, at least, not for the Polar Bears. Arctic Tale presents the effect of this change, but doesn't address the climate concerns.

Perhaps that's best left as a topic in itself. As far as Arctic Tale is concerned, it has presented and preserved, the way of life of the Polar Bears and Walruses. While not as compelling a story as March of the Penguins, it does serve its purpose, but nothing more. If compared, this one rates a notch lower.

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4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
A dumbed down March of the Penguins, 3 August 2007

Author: ah-melody from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Let me start off by saying that this movie contains some amazing footage. The images on their own tell a beautiful story, and also illustrate the effects that global warming is having on the arctic Eco-system. The videographers should be very proud of their footage. However, the narration and the tacked on story totally demean what could have been a great thing.

Unlike Morgan Freeman's sparse, but insightful narration in March of the Penguins, Queen Latifah proves to be an intrusive and irritating guide into this world. Her voice over mostly consists of the kind of hip hop language that has been out of date since about 1993. We are almost never given a moment in which the images are allowed to tell their own story. On top of this, there is a 3 minute sequence of fake Walrus farting that makes us think we are watching Norbit instead of a film about animals trying to survive. In addition to this, there are several other instances of obviously artificial sounds that the film makers try to pass of as being part of the natural environment.

One of the worst elements of the movie is the demonization of the male polar bear. All of the other characters are presented as desperate for food because of the effect the melting ice has on their hunting habits. The narrator condones them in whatever they do to make sure they don't starve. The male polar bear is not looked on with the same sympathy. He is presented as a sadistic villain who wants to eat and destroy other innocent creatures. However, like the characters that we are supposed to like, he too just wants to eat and survive. This highlights what is perhaps the films biggest flaw; it is afraid to portray humans in a negative light, even though we are the real villains. More intelligent films, such as Happy Feet, put humans in the villain role, and as a result got some unfair reviews by people who were uncomfortable. Arctic Tale is obviously self-conscious about this.

The movie leaves us with footage of small children talking about taking "baby steps" like driving a hybrid and recycling. Well, if this is an urgent crisis, we should be taking more than baby steps.

Once again, this movie has some amazing footage, and is well intentioned. Its good that people are paying more attention to the issues presented than they have in the past. However, the way the film is executed is more of a doping of the massed than an educating.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Must-see climate change film for young and old (spoiler at the end), 30 March 2008

Author: ArthurDental from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I wasn't going to comment on this film, but seeing the negative reactions of so many on this site, I couldn't let them have the say.

Yes, this is not a true documentary, and it shouldn't have been presented as such. It's a melodramatic, overly so at some points. It is not as high-quality as some people would like, or demand. But it saddens my heart that that's what they care about, because in their overzealous want for entertainment, they forget the problem they produce.

What's more crass than blaming the bears and walruses for becoming extinct? Never before in the history of Earth has one species destroyed, and continues to destroy the habitats of almost all major animals in the world, except those that have been domesticated or useful in some way. Volcanoes and asteroids may have led to the extinction of huge numbers of species at regular intervals; one group - the dinosaurs - may have dominated the world and probably made certain animals extinct. But it was a natural world. New species arise where others fall.

When we have melted - judging from the negativity here, it's a matter of when - the frozen poles, we not only have destroyed mighty species like polar bears to the history book, we'll have made sure that nothing but much smaller and less unique ones will fill their place. Evolution doesn't take decades to produce replacement. It needs hundreds of thousands, millions of years, and with human depopulation of the natural world, nothing will have the chance to do so.

This film should have made skeptics think twice and change their ways. That it fails to do so in so many cases shows what humans are capable of, not in compassion, or generosity, but in greed, self-importance, and apathy.

*spoiler* The walrus that gave its life for a "kid" walrus probably would have done better were it as "intelligent."

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Beautifully Made, But A Bit Manipulative, 6 November 2008

Author: sddavis63 (revsdd@gmail.com) from Ontario, Canada

I say this movie is manipulative only because it seems to promise one thing and deliver another. I rented it because I thought my 4 year old daughter would enjoy what seemed to be the promise of one of those cutesy, kiddie-oriented movies featuring baby animals having fun adventures together. The truth is that she wasn't really enthralled by it, and while there are some baby animals in this (mostly a polar bear and a walrus) the "adventures" related really have more to do with the struggle of the animals to adapt to the changing ice conditions in the Arctic being caused by global warming. I have no problem with the message - I think the fight against global warming is extremely important. I just had a bit of a reaction against what I thought was the not entirely honest description of the movie's purpose.

Having said that, as a nature movie I thought this was not bad (although it has more to say to adults than to 4 year olds.) Narrated by Queen Latifah, and made in co-operation with the National Geographic Society, it's has some things in common with the Antarctic adventure "March Of The Penguins" (although it's not as good). As you would expect from National Geographic, the photography is brilliant, and a wide variety of animals are featured (in addition to the polar bears and walruses, there are arctic foxes, beluga whales, orcas, narwhaals, terns and gulls and possibly a few I'm forgetting.) The message isn't subtle; it gets through very clearly - the Arctic is warming up! - and it's true that you do find yourself drawn into the animals' lives and rooting for them through their struggles. I appreciated that the film anded on a fairly positive note, as the arctic life cycle continued, with what had been the baby animals becoming mothers to new babies.

Manipulation aside, the film is family-friendly and, as I noted, very well photographed, but in the end it didn't accomplish what I had hoped - which was to truly entertain a 4 year old.

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A touching movie with a good cause that delivers the message!, 27 September 2008

Author: (is_igali) from Tel Aviv, ISRAEL

I don't see this as a standard documentary, or a documentary at all. This movie is about the lives of animals in the Arctic. Tough life as it is, and ones that become impossible because human race forgot that we have neighbors.

The movie doesn't try to teach you anything that most of use don't already know, but its doing a great job in creating a loving, compassionate emotions to the wonderful animals of the arctic that fight harder and harder every year just to survive. The story is sweet and touching, and the images are beautiful and make your love flow.

The only reason I give this movie a top rate is because (and I've waited the whole movie to see if they would) at the end it lets each of us help the arctic animals in their fight in the changing climate. The movie is doing so by giving the viewer simple, understandable tips for reducing energy consumption.

No one is asking for any donations here, or special effort, but only giving us suggestions for making minor changes in our way of life so these wonderful arctic creatures don't have to suffer any drastic changes in theirs and so they can avoid extinction. I would like my grandchildren to enjoy fresh films about arctic life and instead of watching movies like this as an evidence to the lives of species that are long gone.

Show it to your children, your friends, and everyone you can, to make them re-discover the love to nature we all buried under so much work and stress...and do something about it!

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Doesn't Come Close To March Of The Penguins, 11 August 2008

Author: fwomp from United States

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.

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2 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Evolution has no direction. We could get dumber and dumber., 31 March 2008

Author: Gore_Won from http://5mins.org/default.aspx

We certainly seem to be, judging from the comments on this film. It's no masterpiece, and it doesn't discuss global warming in as much depth as I'd have liked--some animations from Gore's film could've worked--but I think some people are being seriously misled by dangerously incomplete knowledge.

Evolution takes place over millions of years. Paleontologists consider tens of thousands of years too short a time to distinguish evolutionary changes. Humans have mass-hunted whales and other large animals only in the past couple of centuries, and we've already wiped out so many species. When a species disappears, not only do its evolutionary gains disappear from Earth forever, it also indicates serious trouble in its entire ecosystem. It tells us that something is very, very wrong.

Nothing but bacteria can evolve in our lifetime. It says much about human apathy to see such mean-spirited messages on here. People who don't care about animals don't care about humans.

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