OCEANS — ★★★ — Documentary feature about the world's oceans, narrated by Pierce Brosnan; rated G (violence); in general release
"Oceans" may be the second release from Disneynature, the wildlife documentary production studio and theatrical distributor formed by the Walt Disney Co. and Disney Communications. (The first of these collaborations was last year's "Earth.")
But it's Disneynature's first "original" theatrical feature, a documentary containing footage shot expressly for this film — instead of being a compilation of earlier material, which is what "Earth" was.
If that isn't enough, this film comes from the makers of the Oscar-nominated 2001 documentary "Winged Migration," which was indeed a wondrous thing.
However, "Oceans" doesn't quite live up to the standards of "Earth." It is a good documentary and is worthwhile, especially for those with an interest in such things. It's just not as satisfying.
Also, parents of very young viewers should be warned that there is some potentially upsetting footage — including a sequence showing birds preying on sea turtles' young, as well as other scenes showing attacks by predatory aquatic life-forms.
These aren't overdone and don't dwell on gory moments, though.
In "Oceans," filmmakers Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud and narrator Pierce Brosnan try to depict the life cycles of creatures in the world's five largest water masses, both below and above the surface.
This includes sections discussing migrations and feeding patterns of the various life-forms, in their so-called "ballets" of life and death.
"Oceans" also features glimpses of all sorts of strange creatures, including a seemingly endless eel, a curtain-like cephalopod and a shrimp that becomes quite defensive when it feels its home is being threatened.
There's no arguing that this is a beautifully shot film (kudos to cinematographers Luc Drion, Philippe Ros, Luciano Tovoli and their crews).
A couple of shots even show views of the oceans from space.
It should be noted that actor/filmmaker Perrin is a conservationist and environmentalist, and the film contains messages with a clear agenda — though they're nothing too overt or heavy-handed.
The one real problem is the rambling narrative and some too-intrusive voiceover narration. (Brosnan is fine, but frankly, the pictures do a better job of speaking for themselves anyway.)
"Oceans" is rated G for violent content and imagery (various animal attacks and predatory behavior, as well as a sequence showing human fishing techniques and netting). Running time: 87 minutes.
e-mail: jeff@desnews.com