If the accumulated evidence and carefully considered opinions of AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (2006) didn't convince you of the clear and present dangers posed by global warming, then allow this kid-friendly documentary to break your heart. Is there an argument more effective than a cute polar bear cub adrift on an ever-shrinking chunk of ice?
Shot over the course of several years and engagingly narrated by Queen Latifah, the film follows the changing fortunes of two young animals — Seela, a baby walrus, and Nanu, a polar-bear cub — who make their homes in the chilly arctic waters and forbiddingly frozen landscape of the Arctic Circle. Seela is raised by her mother, an aunt and a whole community of walrus relatives, while Nanu's mother fends for herself and her cubs alone. (As opposed to the intensely social walruses, polar bears are solitary and count hungry male polar bears as their chief predators.) Despite the odds, Seela and Nanu learn how to survive the extreme climate, and their migrations north and south are shown to closely coincide with naturally changing temperatures. But those migrations, along with so many other life cycles, are now seriously interfered with by the effects of a rapidly warming climate, and threaten the future of the entire species if they don't learn to adapt just as quickly.
In addition to some great footage of Nanu at play with her equally adorable twin brother (warning: don't get too attached) and Seela's extended family lolling about in the sun after a clam feast, directors/cinematographers Sarah Robertson and Adam Ravetch capture the struggle of life in this frozen wilderness with effective poignancy. With every "but this year, something's different... " and "but this year, spring has come too early...," Queen Latifah describes how that age-old struggle is dangerously complicated by warming temperatures. Though the film never comes out and says who or what's wreaking such havoc, it makes a sharp point many selfish humans need to hear before they act: It's only a matter of time before it's their babies suffering the effects of climate change. For all the impending doom, the film remains suitable for kids of all ages (the filmmakers even end on a happily reassuring note that is at odds with the film's overall message). There's only minimal stalking (although a tooth vs. tusk showdown between Seela and Nanu would have made for a great climax), and Queen Latifah is always careful to use such euphemisms as "the ultimate sacrifice" or simply "gone" instead of mentioning the big "D." leave a comment --Ken Fox
