by Heather Marshall

The film opens as a young boy stands on the shore wondering about the sea before him.  The narrator, Pierce Brosnan, replies “You must see it for yourself.  Hear it. Taste it.  Feel its power.  Live it.”  Oceans accomplishes just this as we see and hear the crashing waves, and are taken inside the depths of the ocean through the viewpoint of the animals.  Besides the superb graphics, the sound quality of the ocean and the animals is amazing.

The movie is not only visually attractive but informative.  Did you know that humpback whales sleep upside down, or that only 1 in 1000 baby sea turtles make it from the beach into the ocean after hatching?  There are plenty of tender scenes as well, such as a mother seal coaxing its baby into the water for its first swim, a mother walrus holding its young, huge blue whales gliding effortlessly, tiny spider crabs scuttling across the sandy floor, Spanish dancers performing a ballet, acrobatic dolphins leaping in search of food, thick swarms of jelly fish, a carpet octopus showing off its flowing colours, and a shrimp guarding its home.

Oceans reminds us that we need to do our part to keep the animals and plants of the world’s oceans safe from the dangers of pollution, global warming and what the movie lists as most important- human indifference.  We are reminded of the damage we have caused as we watch a seal swim past a shopping cart on the ocean floor, while other sea life navigate through piles of garbage and pollution.  The film does not dwell on the environmental impact we have had, but rather it encourages us to do something to protect the future of this valuable resource.

Last year, DisneyNature released Earth, a nature documentary meant to commemorate Earth Day.  This year Disney followed with another stunning documentary, Oceans plunging audiences into the depths to reveal the wonders of undersea life.  Oceans proves to be a gentle reminder of our responsibility to help maintain the ocean for these magnificent creatures.  On Earth Day 2011 Disney plans to release the next film in its nature series, African Cats, another reminder of the beautiful and mysterious beings that we share this world with.