DVD REVIEW: Arctic Tale

The hero of Robert James Waller's novel "The Bridges of Madison County" is a photographer for National Geographic. Not a writer for National Geographic, but a photographer. I don't think Waller made him a photographer because photographers are more dashing than writers. I'm a writer I can say for certain that writers are just as dashing, perhaps even more so, than photographers. I think the reason Waller made this character a photographer is because most of us relish an issue of National Geographic far more for its amazing photography than for its writing.

So it probably should not be surprising that I am recommeding "Arctic Tale," a production of National Geographic Films, because of its amazing visual images. But I'm warning you in advance: The writing is hokey.

"Arctic Tale," which might not even exist if not for the success of the much better "March of the Penguins" is a cautionary tale that traces the early lives of a polar bear cub and a newborn walrus. Although both species are accomplished swimmers, they also need to rest and breathe and for that they climb upon the polar ice flows. The morale of the movie is that global warming is melting this ice and if we humans don't change our ways soon these animals might not survive. (The script was co-written by Al Gore's daughter, Kristin.)

The movie is aimed at kids--in fact the life lessons are imparted by youngsters over the closing credits--but I don't think the entire movie should have been written at that level. One of the joys of "Penguins" was that Morgan Freeman's narration could be enjoyed by all ages. The words spoken by Queen Latifah in "Arctic Tale: reduce Nanu the Bear and Seela the Walrus to the level of Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig.

But the photography is amazing. The husband and wife team of director Sarah Robertson and cinematographer Adam Ravetch spent up to 10 years in frigid temperatures shooting the footage assembled for this film. There were several times during this DVD, especially in bits filmed below the surface of the ice, that I wondered to myself "How in the world did they get that shot?"

This is a DVD that you might enjoy more than I did by inserting it into the player and immediately hitting the mute button on your remote control.

Grade: B-