The best thing about Arctic Tale is the vivid underwater cinematography, shot with such urgency and vibrancy that one might suspect a little CGI assistance has been employed.
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08/02/07
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Arctic Tale (2007)
62
%
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Reviews Counted:95
Fresh:59
Rotten:36
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Arctic Tale features breathtaking nature cinematography, but is undone by its over-cutesy narration.
Theatrical Release:Jul 25, 2007 Limited
Box Office: $598,103
Synopsis: This heartbreaking documentary puts a face on the sad statistics of global warming--and though it's not a human face, it's the perhaps even more effective face of an adorable polar bear cub, Nanu,... [More]
Director: Adam Ravetch, Sarah Robertson
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Reviews for Arctic Tale
Top CriticTurns these animals' tales into triumphs of endurance and dynamite parenting, which does become difficult when you're low on food and weigh as much as a car.
08/02/07
On a flatulence scale of 1 to 10, it's an eight.
08/01/07
The critters themselves are pretty darn adorable, and watching them mature is probably the most engaging part of the film.
07/31/07
The baby bear is undeniably adorable, the maturing walrus is a fascinating social being. But the film’s storytelling contrivances are unconvincing.
07/31/07
Arctic Tale shows us a changing world and life changing with it.
07/31/07
It's a playful study of Arctic life, starring a polar bear cub, its prey, and a tagalong fox -- with the inevitable dramatic moments when bear meets walrus.
07/31/07
[P]owerfully moving...
07/30/07
It gets overly cute, with a soundtrack featuring pop standards like "We Are Family" and "Celebrate." Is this the arctic or a middle school party?
07/30/07
the footage is stunning, the narration, not so.
07/29/07
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.
07/27/07
Its no-bones-about-it message of how global climate change is challenging our furry -- and blubbery -- animal friends at the top of the world is critical and makes the film something everyone concerned with the environment should see.
07/27/07
I'm no holdout about the reality of global warming, but fictionalizing and anthropomorphizing animal adventures to make the point and then calling it a documentary puts these filmmakers in a league with pre-Sicko Michael Moore.
07/27/07
Top CriticArctic Tale puts, if not a human face on the effects of climate change, then the next best thing: an anthropomorphized animal one.
07/27/07
The striking visuals that sweep across both the landscape and awesome natural world beneath, compete for center stage with the film's critical ecological cautionary warning pertaining to the careless harming of the planet.
07/27/07
while their fictional family fabric resembles that of March of the Penguins, Arctic Tale is the more gripping, moving film by far.
07/27/07
Surely there are better alternatives for kids who deserve a respectful lesson in arctic wildlife. It may have its heart in the right place, but Arctic Tale doesn't have much of a brain to back it up.
07/27/07
Makes the mistake of anthropomorphizing its subjects and substitutes pallid whimsy for reportage.
07/26/07
The best reason to see this documentary is for the stunning shots of polar bears and walruses in the Arctic Circle. If the filmmakers had just left it at that, they would have accomplished a lot.
07/26/07
Despite the film's undeniable technical achievements, it's hard to walk out of the theater without sensing that you've witnessed a bit of a cheat.
07/26/07
Top CriticLatest News for Arctic Tale
April 29, 2008:
Disney, Warners Taking Filmgoers Back to Nature 
No longer the sole domain of Marlin Perkins and Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, nature documentaries have become big business at the box office -- a business that Warner Bros.... More...
July 26, 2007:
Critical Consensus: Woo-Hoo! Simpsons Is Certified Fresh; No Reservations Is Bland; Rescue Dawn Shines
This week at the moves, we've got America's favorite family in their long-awaited big-screen debut (The Simpsons Movie); a tale of two chefs (No Reservations, starring Catherine... More...
July 22, 2007:
The striking visuals that sweep across both the landscape and awesome natural world beneath, compete for center stage with the film's critical ecological cautionary warning pertaining to the careless harming of the planet.
More...
June 13, 2007:
Trailer & Poster review.
More...
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