Arctic Tale Review
Posted by Jacob Ziegler on 08.17.2007
The stories of Nanu and Seela...
ARCTIC TALE
/// August 17, 2007
Narrator: Queen Latifah
Paramount Vantage presents a film directed by Adam Ravetch & Sarah Robertson. Narration written by Linda Woolverton and Mose Richards and Kristin Gore. Running time: 96 minutes. Rated G.
BY JACOB ZIEGLER
Nature documentaries have always fascinated me. Judging by the success of “March of the Penguins,” many feel the same way. How do they get their cameras into those seemingly un-filmable locations to capture animals in the natural settings anyway?
“Tale” is very reminiscent of “Penguins,” but does offer a very different tone. While it doesn’t shy away from many of the hardships that the animals undergo, it presents things in a much simpler tone, and the narration by Queen Latifah seems more geared at fun and entertainment, rather than Freeman’s stoic reading on “March.” I feel as though getting kids interesting caring for things like animals and the environment, a movie like this can be a great tool, so while it may have lessened my enjoyment of the film at times, the tone works for what they’re setting out to accomplish.
The story alternates between polar bears and walruses, each of whom is undeniably cute. The poster prominently features the polar bears (with the walruses in the background), which leads me to believe that Nanu (which means “little bear”) will likely be the breakout star. However, the young walrus Seela has a lot going for her too. Did you know that when a walrus is born, the pup and the mother rub their moustaches together to memorize each other’s faces?
The footage for “Tale” was shot over a 15 year span, so Nanu and Seela are actually composite characters. That doesn’t diminish how interesting both animals are. I learned so much new stuff about them, particularly walruses. My favorite thing about them is that when a pup is born, they are assigned an “aunty” walrus who teams up with the mother to keep the youngster safe. Animals are smarter than most people give them credit for, and its things like this that proves it.
The story follows both Nanu and Seela through all the stages of growing up, on their way to adulthood and leaving their mothers behind. The narration written by Linda Woolverton, Mose Richards and Kristin Gore keeps the movie moving right along, and Latifah does an excellent job with the words she’s given.
The film also has a not so subtle message behind it, as anyone who stayed all the way through the end credits can attest to. “Tale” means to show the increasingly alarming conditions of the Arctic Circle. Glaciers are melting, ice shelves are becoming slushy, and the environments in which these animals live is being threatened on a daily basis. I’ve heard the “it’s all cyclical” argument more times than I care to count, but I don’t buy it. We all have to do something to help the environment as a whole. Studies show that if the current trends hold, there will be no arctic ice by the year 2040.
Some have criticized “Tale” for being overly simplistic or insulting to the adult intelligence. While there may be some merit to that argument, but USA Today critic Claudia Puig had the perfect response to that: “Whatever problems some might have with its execution, it's hard to argue against a film whose intent is to kindle youthful compassion for living things and inspire action to protect Earth and its creatures.” I couldn’t have said it any better.
The 411: While “Arctic Tale” may pale in comparison to “March of the Penguins,” it does an effective job in telling its story to the audience its being aimed at. Queen Latifah does a fine job narrating it, and the footage is consistently impressive.
