Earth, the first film by the new banner Disneynature, is a feature-length documentary with spectacular wildlife footage on par with the popular Discovery Channel series Planet Earth.  Similar to the more serious made-for-adult nature documentaries of the past several years, Earth is full of breathtaking views of the natural world, from the landscapes to the animals and their behavior.

The main downside to the movie is its narration.  Because the movie is intended for children, the narration lacks the depth necessary to interest older audiences.  During one extended scene of a starving adult male polar bear, which culminates in his implied off-screen death, the movie transitions to a view of the polar bear’s presumably orphaned young offspring.  Many older viewers will chuckle at James Earl Jones’ narration here, about the courage of their father living on in their hearts forever.  It’s a tight predicament, however, for if the narration were any less sentimental, the realities of the wilderness can be too harsh for children to appreciate.

The other problem with the narration of the film is the information, or lack thereof.  Certain species of animals are named, while other less common species remain entirely anonymous.  The movie is sparse on location details as well; an awe-inspiring waterfall located “somewhere in Africa,” for instance, is never specifically identified.  Although it’s unlikely children of 8 and 9 would remember the name of the falls, certainly there are older members of the audience who would appreciate knowing where it is.

Another weakness to the movie was the score, which dominated and distracted from many of the scenes.  Only during two places in the movie did the music benefit the film.   During one scene early in the movie, a humorous glimpse of bird of paradise in New Guinea, the music enhances the bird’s exotic looks and dance-like mating ritual.  The second scene with a well placed score featured a cheetah hunting one rather terrified gazelle.  Here, the music transforms the chase into a sort of dance, causing the ultimate demise of the gazelle to seem less heartless.

Still, the footage is gripping and captivating.  Despite the fact that similar footage appears in both a variety of wild life shows on multiple television channels, watching a 4,000 pound Great White Shark launch itself several feet out of the water to catch a baby seal in mid air doesn’t get old (especially when it is on a big screen and in high definition).  And the same goes for the bird of paradise footage, which features multiple varieties of the thoroughly unique looking bird.

One scene in particular, though, a relatively brief underwater glimpse of multiple sailfish, seemed new and especially captivating.  The fishes’ bodies zipped through the water with such speed and grace, their scales shining a bright, almost copper color, underneath the water.  Such extraordinary footage almost seems impossible, too stunning to be real.  Warranting similar awe, the film gives a well-deserved shout out to the aurora australis, or Southern Lights, which typically receive far less attention to their northern counterparts, despite being similarly captivating.

Over all, Earth is a worthwhile film for people of all ages.  Although older viewers may not feel as stimulated by the information and observations provided by the narration of the film, the visual footage is admirable enough within itself to entertain and captivate.