With Earth Day 2012 almost here, this year’s batch of nature documentaries is about to hit theaters and last year’s “Born to be Wild”, from IMAX, is out on Blu-ray/DVD.
“Born to be Wild 3D” tells the true story of two women who have devoted their lives to taking care of baby orphans. One nurtures young elephants in Kenya, the other cares for orangutans in Indonesia. We see them from the time the are rescued, then raised and then finally released back into the wild.
The movie does a nice job of showing the incredible devotion these two women have for their animals. Morgan Freeman narrates the film (he also narrated 2005’s Oscar-winning “March of the Penguins”), but he’s not the only one we hear from. The two women also share their experiences and stories, as do a few of their assistants.
“Born to be Wild 3D” is filled with cute and funny moments involving the young elephants and ortanutangs, but there are some serious moments, including descriptions of the attacks that caused these animals to become orphans. But there is no footage of the attacks or any violent scenes, allowing the movie to be rated G, and it is good for all ages.
The 3D is excellent and appropriate. The IMAX footage (when it was in theaters) separated this from any nature documentary that you might see on TV. But even without that it’s still well worth watching. The messages about the importance of family and helping those in need are obviously very important.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Born to be Wild 3D” gets a B+