Subscribers Only Content Area

Home

New Movies

All Movies

New DVDs

All DVDs

Newsletter

Search

Tell Others About This Page By Using This Button "ARCTIC TALE" (2007) (Documentary) (G) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons None Mild None *Moderate None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Minor None Heavy None None Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild None Minor Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Documentary: The lives of an arctic walrus and a polar bear are followed from infancy to adulthood, all as they must cope with drastic changes to their environment. PLOT: As narrated by Queen Latifah, the film follows the lives of Nanu, a baby polar bear, and Seela, a walrus pup, from infancy through adolescence and finally adulthood. With climatic changes altering their environment, they must contend with shrinking and disappearing ice fields and flows, sources that the two species traditionally use for both protection and feeding. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're into nature documentaries, they probably will. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: G Presumably for not containing any material that would warrant a higher rating. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: Not Applicable. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this G-rated documentary. No profanity is present, but a few colorful phrases are, along with some ever so slightly risqué sounding dialogue about mating (that will go over younger kids' heads, but may have some parents wondering why the narrator choose the words she uses). Natural, animal on animal violence is present, but the kills take place off-camera, with just some distant views featuring ones feeding on others. Even so, those scenes and various moments of potential peril (especially since the main animals have been given human attributes) may be unsettling or suspenseful for younger kids. A little bit of tacked on crude humor is present in one scene (featuring flatulence), while thematic elements (such as about global warming) are also present. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of camera movement in the film (sometimes a lot). ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE None. BLOOD/GORE We see a polar bear feeding on a recently caught seal (from a distance, with some visible but not especially gory or bloody results, and the view of a fox grabbing a lone piece of meat on the snow). After the seals have fed on clams, Queen Latifah comments on a game of "pull my flipper." We then hear many loud and exaggerated farting sounds coming from lounging seals (heard again, albeit briefly, later in the film). There's a little bit of bloody meat as some polar bears feed on a recent kill. We see some mucous around a sleeping walrus' mouth. We see a polar bear feeding on a meaty walrus carcass (from a distance). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE None. FRIGHTENING SCENES The following may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger kids - lesser so (or not at all) for older ones and adults. Queen Latifah comments on Nanu's mother spotting tracks of danger, a male polar bear, but that it's after the scent of easy pickings in the form of a newborn walrus. We then see the male after the newborn and its mother in the water and gaining on them, but the aunt seal intercepts him and breaks off his chase. We see a polar bear going after a hidden ring seal in the ice, but the latter manages to get away. We see a polar bear feeding on a recently caught seal (from a distance, with some visible but not especially gory or bloody results, and the view of a fox grabbing a lone piece of meat on the snow). We see a young ring seal pup that's exposed on the ice and seemingly vulnerable to an approaching polar bear, but the pup escapes through a hole in the ice as the bear charges. Nanu, her brother, and their mother pass by a sleeping male bear to try to feed on his recent kill (as he sleeps). However, he wakes up and charges at them, chasing them off. During a blizzard (including at sea), Seela is separated from her mom, aunt and the rest of the herd in tall waves. We later see her barely afloat, and there's talk of her nearly drowning, but then her mom and aunt find her and all is well. We see footage of Nanu's brother getting weaker in the snow, collapsing, trying to continue on, and then collapsing again. There's finally a shot of him dead in the snow, with his mother and sister lying nearby (alive). With Queen Latifah stating the polar bear's mom realizes she can't provide for both of them, Nanu's mother drives her offspring away, meaning she'll now be on her own. We see Nanu in a shattered ice field, and hear and then see that the arctic fox that had been tagging along is now separated from her (since it can't swim). With a disappearing ice field, Nanu set off on a perilous, open sea swim. We see that Seela is trapped on a rocky outcrop on Rock Island, with the male polar bear approaching. That forces Seela to leap off and land hard in the shallow water below before escaping. Nanu goes after various walruses, but they're too big for her to do any harm to them. The male polar bear makes a surprise attack on the lounging walruses, causing them to scatter. He then goes after and grabs Seela (all seen from a distance), with Auntie lumbering in for the rescue, but Queen Latifah states by doing so, she made the ultimate sacrifice (meaning the polar bear killed her -- we just see the motionless body by the bear). Later, we see the polar bear feeding on the meaty carcass (and the fact that we know it's Auntie might be distressing for some viewers, particularly younger ones). We hear that Nanu is growing weaker due to hunger, and thus she makes the dangerous move of trying to get to the male polar bear's recent kill. That larger male chases her away repeatedly, but eventually allows her to feed. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Stash" (mustache), "That's just how they roll," "Slippery little suckers" and "Pull my flipper." JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of suspenseful and ominous music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY None. SEX/NUDITY There's a comment about walrus love songs from the males. Queen Latifah comments on a communion as old as time (referring to mating) and we see Nanu and a male polar bear together, but no actual mating is observed. Queen Latifah comments on the boy walruses and that Seela knows what they're after, but adds that she has standards, unlike other females she knows (implying a certain "looseness" among those others). Queen Latifah then adds that "when a male is, well, motivated" he can sing his mating love songs for hours. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Some kids may be upset when Seela's "Auntie" is killed, but the walrus doesn't show any signs of recognizing that (or grieving). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Life in the arctic. How climate change affects wildlife. Global warming. The comment that a single death in the animal world preserves the life of many others. The comment that increased warmth has made a difficult place even more dangerous, turning its rightful members into refugees. Queen Latifah comments on a communion as old as time (referring to mating) and we see Nanu and a male polar bear together, but no actual mating is observed. VIOLENCE We see the results of some animal kills (just animals feeding on others, mostly from a distance). Some walruses jab at each other with their long and sharp tusks. Nanu goes after various walruses, but they're too big for her to do any harm to them. The male polar bear makes a surprise attack on the lounging walruses, causing them to scatter. He then goes after and grabs Seela (all seen from a distance), with Auntie lumbering in for the rescue, but Queen Latifah states by doing so, she made the ultimate sacrifice (meaning the polar bear killed her -- we just see the motionless body by the bear). Later, we see the polar bear feeding on the meaty carcass (and the fact that we know it's Auntie might be distressing for some viewers, particularly younger ones). Reviewed June 25, 2007 / Posted August 3, 2007

Advertising Info

Info/FAQ

Mail

Sneak Previews

Parenting Food Health Home Pregnancy Beauty News

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.

All Rights Reserved,
©1996-2009 Screen It, Inc.