Earth (2007)
Directors: Alastair Fotherfill, Mark Linfield
Screenplay: Alastair Fotherfill, Mark Linfield, Lesley Megahey
Running Time: 90 minutes
Maybe I’m too old, or maybe too much of a cynic, or perhaps at the age of 40 years plus I have seen it all before. Earth is the documentary feature film based on the television series of the same name, which follows the endeavours of the different animal groups that inhabit the Earth. But don’t let this tired old head put you off seeing the pic.
Sure, there’s the obligatory message about trying to save the planet, which has been done before, and a lot better, too. Then there’s the melodrama of carnivores hunting the poor old herbivores.
However, the thing that makes this movie is its stunning photography. It is as beautiful and breathtaking as any nature documentary you have ever seen. The close-ups of the animals in their daily fight for survival had me wondering on more than one occasion, “how the hell did they get that shot?” Even some of the simple ones like when the camera lens takes us through the tree tops of the conifers that surround the Arctic.
Other than feeling the writing was a tad twee, my only complaint is that I didn’t have a Blu-ray player to see the full affect of the visual feast on offer. Even if you aren’t that much of a fan of nature-type docos, you should still check it out.
4 stars out of 5
