it's hard to resist a good quality 3d film on a big screen
this one delivering on all 3 counts so an easy decision
saturday morning in a large cinema and the kids are in
a few big kids too apart from many dads doing duties
the film itself the latest from a well established team
responsible for the bbc dinosaur and earth tv series
it opens in a busy city - london i think - rain and sun
children happily frolicking and the narrator starts up
telling us nature is everywhere - all around us - always
the voice a little bit preach-y but more likely kid-friendly
idris alba the man doing the duties - the wire and mandela
i'm trying not to think of david attenborough but well - damn
the adventure proper begins in the enchanted kingdom of africa
the base of a lush rainforest and the camera is in macro mode
ants - literally millions of them scurrying across the forest floor
the detail is incredible with nature stunningly enhanced in 3d
kids - what kids - this is clearly going to be a film for all
we then move on to be with a family of razorback gorillas
spending enough time there to appreciate their idyllic lives
they play, they mate and all the food they need is at hand
how the camera crew ever got so embedded is a mystery
especially with the large male watching over all the others
and the baby ones cavorting and teasing each other - cute!
could spend a whole film in the midst of all this - moving on
we stop off at a lake of water so salty there is no life supported
except for a tiny plankton type creature sought after by one bird
the flamingo - swarms of them with beaks in the water sucking up
and the more they eat the pinker they get - and then - mating begins
strange dances seen as each bird selects a life mate to continue the cycle
we then plunge into the deep ocean offshore and hang with lion-fish
beautiful colours seen in this other world with no end of wonder
moray eels, turtles, huge schools of fish and sunlight on coral
'ride the penetrating sunlight up to the heavens' implores alba
a sort of tacky way of transitioning to the top of mount kenya
but a minor quibble in this otherwise totally absorbing film
up there we cavort with a herd of mountain-top primates
exposed peaks with the coldest of nights and hottest of days
in the kalahari desert macro photography is once again in use
each grain of sand and rare living creatures shown in full detail
a tiny lizard takes centre stage as it dances to keep it's feet cool
a close-up of a submerged python using it's tail to entice a victim
water then a focus of the film with a herd of elephants in search
cute baby elephants drawing audible approval from the audience
but not to get too cosy we then see the migrating wilderbeests
a river crossing and the familiar danger of lurking crocodiles
seen before but not as here in stunning 3d at such close proximity
a moment to reflect on the sure danger of the cameramen's work
harrowing scenes of huge crocodiles taking down wilderbeests
done in such a way to again demonstrate the balance of nature
and before long we are full circle back on the rainy city street
the children playing in the rain and idris alba wrapping up
reminding us of the target audience for this wonder-film
though us big kids totally amazed by this nature spectacle
very happy to have indulged in this special nziff showing
