Customer Reviews

Bears (Large Format)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"Bears" takes the viewer into the wilds of many areas of the world to get up-close views of these majestic animals. Like most IMAX films, there is a (fairly seamless) mix of both wild and captive animals; the captive animals are used to get shots that would simply be impossible or unsafe to obtain using wild animals in their habitats. The "making of" featurette very clearly explains this process, and it works well in most IMAX films. There were a few times when it was apparent that the black bears being used were "performing," but it was not a huge distraction from the film.

The movie is filmed in beautiful locations, really showcasing the bears' adaptation to their environments, and making crystal clear what an important part they are of the natural world. The viewer is educated on bear behavior, bear/human interaction, habitat conservation, bear awareness and safety precautions, and many other issues, all the while treating our eyes to spectacular views captured with the IMAX camera, which is unparalleled.

A great movie, highly recommended.

I got this DVD on a sale where it was marked down to about $5.00. I didn't expect it to be high quality. I was pleasantly surprised. I've watched wildlife films and read wildlife pubs for nearly 40 years and rarely have I seen such beautiful cinematography. One reviewer panned this film and it was an unwarranted critique in my view. There was plenty of information, eye-popping photography, and no preachy tone. If I'd have paid $30, I would have felt it was well-spent.

Whenever I hear someone complain about a nature/wildlife film being too preachy, it makes me wonder if they're not fans of nature to begin with or if they're hunters. One cannot praise or preach enough about the beauty of nature and the need to preserve it. This film merely informs and captures the majestic beauty of a species and its territory.

Generally good photography is marred by unfocused editing -- as if the editors believed viewers have a very short attention span. Voice over is overly preachy and political. They should have focused on Bears, their habitat, habits, and behavior and left out the political preaching. Turn off the audio and enjoy, but there are better videos to be had. Look elsewhere first.

Note: Much of the footage was done with trained bears but portrayed as if it was wild nature captured on film. This sort of "nature" film technique went out of style with the scandals of the early Disney nature films. Too bad it had to resurface here.

I like this videos.
Though it is kind of short as IMAX series used to be ( in my memory )
40 mins is long enough to draw all your attention in the movie, not too long, not too short, and most important of all, it's a film that you know they've spent time and energy to make it perfect.
I like it the way it's 40 mins so that you won't feel tired like watching a movie for 2 hours and you will feel you want to see more at the end of the movie.
Final note: It's 1999 IMAX film to be "Re-masterd from HI-DEF"

I love bears and this is a wonderful way to see them. Well done.

Of the eight different species, this film mainly focuses on the three species of bears in the region of North America, namely the polar bear, the grizzly, and the small omnivorous black bear. Whether captive or in the wild, the fascination we have for these animals only increases with this type of footage, some of which may be a little dangerous, because it desensitizes the danger to humans. Otherwise, it was enjoyable and left me wanting a little more.

Documentary Film made for IMAX theatre. The Back of the box says this:
{Discover the world of bears and experience a fascinating encounter with one of nature's most inspiring and misunderstood creatures. From a past steeped in mythology to a future shrouded in uncertainty, this film contains stunning footageof these enterprising omnivores in the full glory of their varied natural habitats. Come closer than ever before to polar bears on the Arctic tundra, black bears in Montana and grizzlies in Alaska as they struggle to raise their cubs, and most importantly, to survive in an increasingly human-dominated world.}

The Bonus features of this DVD include: *Bear Wars *Wild on the set *Making of Featurette *Bears of the World Interactivity

Directed y David Lickley.

Well I hope this was helpful.

The best thing about this DVD is the cover. It had terrible graphics and general info. I was looking forward to leaning something new about bears and was given a docum. largely on N. American bears.

This was a very good imax film. Had couple of views that show bears running right up to the screen towards the viewer. Just saw this film at the imax today and had to come here to buy. If you are ever in Alaska, Chris and Ken Day of Emerald Air Service (that were on this film) are great guides. It is an incredible experience to get close to the bears shown in this film.

This movie is dangerous. Living in bear country I will admit to being comfortable with the idea of bears being around. I've had them walk through my campsites (not rummage) and have only had one stand off which ended well. That being said this movie portrays bears somewhat inappropriately. This is the kind of movie that will send another Tim Treadwell to the woods to eventually be killed. The movie even focuses on a woman who takes people bear viewing as a hobby and professions. What this woman is doing is creating a level of habituation so that the bears are losing their natural fear of humans, which will almost always lead to a bear getting into trouble with humans. This film seeks to create a positive image of bears all the while promoting inappropriate interaction with bears that causes bears to be killed. Also the film uses the folly of Indian mythology surrounding bears, which are pretty ridiculous in the modern context of having a rational debate surrounding bears being in our lives. Such as, Indians believing that bears can transform from sky to earth at their own will. My guess is that the film makers want to put an image of magic around bears which detracts from the truth that bears are very single minded predators much of the time. I support bear recovery efforts but please lets keep the discussion in the real world.