“To the Arctic” does not fail to dazzle with the staggering scenery. Omni-Theatre’s latest offering to the world of IMAX movies greets us with a spectacular scenes of melting glaciers. Breathtaking waterfalls interrupted it’s facade at nearly measured intervals . The scenes are such a marvelous display of nature, until we are told that the waterfalls are the result accelerated melting and a sign of global warming. In other words, the glaciers are bleeding, and we are the cause of the earth’s slow death.
“To the Arctic” is not just a documentary about global warming, but it is a heartwarming story about a mother who sacrifice anything, even her life, so that her children can live. It is a story about survival against mounting odds. It gives us the story of how the bears could not survive elsewhere and it documents polar bears in all kinds of conditions from all sorts of vantage points, including underwater and under siege.
In between shots of migrating caribou and walrus communities, the movie focuses on a mother polar bear and her two cubs and we are taken on a poignant journey through their experiences of huddling together on drifting ice platforms, hunting for the rare meal, and escaping the danger of a starving predator, the male polar bear. With such vivid shots, you can’t help but to feel a whole mix of emotions throughout the movie, whether it be awe-inspired, delighted or saddened.
Selections from Paul McCartney’s songbook as well as Meryl Streep’s narration highlights the mood of certain scenes from playful to sorrow. A more subtle effect than the music soundtrack is the use of 3D. 3D heightens the overall experience of the movie, making you feel like you are with the filmmakers on the ice, in the water and in the air watching the lives of the polar bears unfold.
“To the Arctic” gives us an insight on what is really happening in the Arctic, giving us a newfound understanding on what global warming really does to polar bears. Their story touches our heart and we can’t help but to fall in love with these magnificent creatures. It drives us to think about what we can do to curb the effects of global warming and how we can save the polar bears. No matter how small, do your part in saving the environment. Every bit counts!