OCEANS
(G)
MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Following up the Earth Day release of “Earth,” DisneyNature presents “Oceans,” which looks at the complex and interconnected creatures in our world’s largest bodies of water.
WHAT I LIKED
With a title as all-encompassing as “Oceans” (which is only slightly less encompassing than “Earth”), there’s a lot of ground to cover. This plays out as a family-friendly introduction to the oceans of our planet. There have been several high-definition documentaries about the same topic, including “Under the Sea,” which got an IMAX release, as well as the entire “Planet Earth” series, so we find ourselves in familiar territory.
“Oceans” hits all the right buttons, focusing on the cute (like the seals and penguins) to the dangerous (like the sharks) and the majestic (like the whales). But it also doesn’t leave the smaller creatures behind. It brings to mind the early Disney nature documentaries from decades ago, and this new series is a great way to continue that tradition.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
On the whole, “Earth” played better, even though it was an amalgamation of previously existing documentaries. The same goes for this production, which isn’t really produced by DisneyNature but rather assembled by them. That, of course, doesn’t change the content, which is very nice.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
The Blu-ray includes “Living Menus,” which highlight different areas of the globe featured in the film. There are Filmmaker Annotations to the movie, plus bonus videos, a spotlight on preservation and the “Make a Wave” music video featuring Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato.
The Blu-ray also comes bundled with the DVD of the film.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Families who want an introduction to the Earth’s oceans without anything too violent.