Product Details

• Actors: Queen Latifah, Katrina Agate, Zain Ali, Preston Bailey, Kwesi Boakye
• Directors: Adam Ravetch, Sarah Robertson
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: Paramount / Sunset Home Visual
• DVD Release Date: December 4, 2007
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000WZAE0O
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,560 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Arctic Tale" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

This heartbreaking documentary puts a face on the sad statistics of global warming--and though it's not a human face it's the perhaps even more effective face of an adorable polar bear cub Nanu along with her mother her brother and her natural enemy the equally heart-melting Seela the walrus. With breathtaking footage of life on the arctic tundra the directors spin a highly emotional tale of the melting ice caps and the effect of their disappearance on every species in the ecosystem.Since the film is essentially aimed at children the cuteness factor is off the charts aided by the slightly grating use of sound effects a slangy voiceover by Queen Latifah and a kid-friendly pop/folk soundtrack. And as in a National Geographic special viewers learn some interesting and neutral facts about polar bears walruses narwhals foxes and other northern creatures. The narrative however returns repeatedly to the grim conditions that are killing off our planet's wildlife one family at a time. The directors take pains to create a hopeful ending with a sweet pair of life-goes-on epilogues and a closing credit sequence featuring conservation tips but the message of the film is sobering and hits its mark with kids and adults alike.System Requirements:Running Time: 86 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: G UPC: 097363471349 Manufacturer No: 347134

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrifically Tender, but Slightly Tainted 'Tale', December 5, 2007

By 

"Rocky Raccoon" "Hey, Doc, It's Only ... (Wild, Wild, West) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Arctic Tale (DVD)

(3 1/2 *'s) `An Arctic Tale' is not exactly woven as neatly as `March of the Penguins'. Playful and at times cutesy-pie like the walrus pups and polar bear cubs presented, narrator Queen Latifah gives a comic edge to what might have been just another polar survivor adventure. Personification is a key component to the charm of her presentation, but this gets extended into the ending, which fails to stay with the story and becomes a springboard to a soapbox lecture at the end.

As with any National Geographic special, some of the cinematography ("principal" [their spelling] cinematographer, Adam Raveld) is awesome. Without a widescreen TV, I was thoroughly satisfied. The story is the tender and terrific rendition of one mother polar bear and her cub, Nanu, and one mother walrus and her pup, Selah. We see the lifecycle go from each of their births and follow their community adventures until each is old enough to become a mother herself.

As a G-rated venue, meant to enlighten and entertain, I think discerning information is needed for its potential audience. Just as the ice splits into two during an arctic summer solstice, the movie can have that kind of "polarizing" [sorry!] effect. Walking on thin ice, I'll try to be as fair as possible, nonetheless. Seeing the arctic creatures fend for themselves as their domain is melting more than previously, I knew one could discern an environmental message in layers just below the surface.

At the end we get children pleading for the audience to amend their lives to help save the characters in the movie. Now, I am split with a verdict of the ending. Part of me, having grown up in the seventies, likes the idea of conserving and sharing resources. Pollution and hording are not okay, and the specter of another energy crisis with garbage looming on the horizon is not part and parcel of my beliefs for a better future. On the other hand, I start to lose my sympathies when prodigy children lecture me that if I take two minutes less to shower, I will save the life of one of the polar bears. I think this is when everyone has a right to a claim of disservice. Conservatives get angry when they have been robbed of their "G" rated entertainment in favor of what they say is silly propaganda. Liberals also have a right to be equally offended for having their causes being brought to ineffective levels, bringing incredulity to the masses.

I think if you take the movie as it is, you will be well served by a beautiful and benign film. Just like people sometimes find it nauseating when you have a highlighter pen lecture like at the end of 'The Ultimate Gift,' people will find it more effective to let the story and stunning cinematography do all the work for them and let the adults do their own lecturing to their children. Maybe they could have taken their cues from 'Happy Feet' before them. Just as they seemed to emulate them with an environmental tale set to music, 'Arctic Tale' should have ended with its graphic "Green.nationalgeographic.org." In movies with the tug-of-war between show and tell, show should always win over tell.

24 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ideal for children,but only mildly charming for adults:ARCTIC TALE, August 6, 2007

By 

KerrLines ""Movies,Music,Theatre"" (Baltimore,MD) - See all my reviews

This is not a global warming film! It doesn't need to be. It is obvious what is happening. The Arctic is disappearing and a polar bear named Nanu and his childhood friend Seela the walrus are now coping with the fact that their world is disappearing. This National Geographic Film covers an eight year period in which Nanu and Seela grow up, play, love and struggle against the elements of changing nature. At times the film seems like a documentary, and at other times like a wild life adventure. The film is narrated by Queen Latifah (her rendering simply did not work for me at all...I wanted Morgan Freeman!). The story is very manipulative and definitely goes for the heartstrings of younger children. It is informative and sometimes enchanting, but as an adult I did feel a little bit used by this film. All in all, a one time view will suffice for adults. Children will like this one better.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Arctic Tale Review, January 20, 2008

By 

J. Farkas "Cap'n Doc" (Orange County, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Arctic Tale (DVD)

Bought this to watch with my granddaughters and while it is a bit lengthy for the under 6 crowd, they stayed interested and enjoyed it. For adults, the photography is superb and it is also informative. Latifah does a grand job. I recommend it for everyone with grandchildren for fun and educational viewing together.