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Special Features
"Make A Wave" -- Disney's Friends For Change Music Video Featuring Joe Jonas & Demi Lovato
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
After taking on insects for Microcosmos and birds for Winged Migration, French filmmaker Jacques Perrin segues to sea creatures for Oceans. Codirected by Jacques Cluzaud, Disneynature's follow-up to Earth presents useful information but concentrates more on awe-inspiring imagery than scene-setting text. As narrator Pierce Brosnan states, "The Ocean is alive," and the crew spent four years crossing the globe to capture its most intriguing sights, from the salt-encrusted marine iguanas of the Galápagos Islands to the silky fur seals of South Africa. In other sequences, horseshoe crabs scuttle across the sand, jellyfish pulsate through the deep, and sardines sparkle as the sun catches their scales. Some creatures, like the blanket octopus, look more like abstract paintings than anything one might find on land. The cycle of life plays out as newborn green turtles make the treacherous trek from sand to sea and hermit crabs unwittingly enter the cleverly camouflaged lair of the mantis shrimp. Even viewers who normally prefer Hollywood blockbusters may find the smooth moves of the stonefish as transfixing as those of the biggest action-movie star. As with the Oscar-winning documentary March of the Penguins, however, Oceans targets kids as much as adults, unlike The Cove or Sharkwater, which feature material of a more graphic and political nature. Perrin and Cluzaud clearly aim to discourage pollution and encourage conservation, but their movie mostly serves as a treat for the eyes and ears (with the exception of the annoying Joe Jonas song that plays over the end credits). --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Product Description
Dive into Oceans from Disneynature – The studio that brought you EARTH for a spectacular story about remarkable creatures under the sea. Stunning images await as you journey in to the depths of a wonderland filled with mystery, beauty and power. It’s an unprecedented look at the live s of these elusive deepwater creatures through their own eyes. Incredible state-of-the-art-underwater filmmaking will take your breath away as you migrate with whales, swim alongside a great white shark and race with dolphins at play. Filled with adventure, comedy and drama, OCEANS is a fascinating and thought-provoking experience you’ll never forget.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
53 of 59 people found the following review helpful
On this Earth Day, let us reflect that, while environmental improvements have been made, more work needs to be done. Three scenes late in Disneynature's "Oceans" demonstrate this with chilling sincerity. The first shows a number of hapless exotic sea creatures struggling to free themselves from the snare of gigantic fishing nets. They were not meant to get caught - the blue tuna were, a species endangered due to overfishing. The second scene is comprised of satellite imagery, which to the naked eye reveals nothing out of the ordinary. But with the help of scanning technologies, we're able to see black tendrils of pollution flowing out to sea from populated coastlines. The third shows an island of trash, mostly plastics, floating listlessly in the water. A sunken shopping cart seems to genuinely confuse a nearby sea lion, and it might even have affected its ability to survive.
One of this movie's strengths is that it doesn't gloss over these unpleasant details, nor does it spare the audience of unfortunate realities - where there are sea lions, there are also hungry sharks and orcas, and where there are newborn sea turtles, there are also dive-bombing birds. At the same time, it doesn't bombard you with them; if anything, it's a celebration of sea life, a reminder that, in spite of humanity's interference, life does indeed go on.
It's above all a magnificently written and beautifully photographed expose of ocean life. This is the second Disneynature documentary, the first being last year's "Earth," the reedited and redubbed version of the BBC and Discovery Channel miniseries "Planet Earth." Despite its breathtaking imagery and entertaining narration, it felt terribly condensed, and the plight of the various animal families seemed manufactured, almost like ... well, almost like a Disney film. "Oceans" wisely avoids this issue by not applying human traits to the animals; this time around, they're not characters in a story so much as subjects being observed. If the filmmakers were to spend all their time following two or three animal groups over a given period of time, the movie would fail to show just how immensely diverse marine life truly is.
Over the course of four years, directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud captured footage from over fifty locations, revealing all manner of aquatic creatures both above and below the ocean surface. Some are gruff and ugly, like the rockfish. Some are surprisingly beautiful, like the blanket octopus, whose long, flowing tentacles give the appearance of a scarf lost in a current. Some are adorable, like the otters that freely float on their backs in the open waters off Monterey Bay. Some are bizarre, like the dragonfish, which can only survive in the waters of the China Sea. Some are naturally acrobatic, like the school of sardines able to form perfect cones and spheres. Some are frightening, like spider crabs that attack one another in multitudes so vast, we cannot see the ocean floor when the camera pulls up for a wide shot.
The film is narrated by Pierce Brosnan, who sounds not like a stuffy nature show host but like a man telling a story he genuinely finds fascinating. His voice has an appealing warmth to it, a soothing and clam quality that seems to be saying, "It's all right - that's what we call the circle of life." Indeed, it isn't easy watching a shark make a meal out of a sea lion. It is, however, amusing to watch sea lions sunbathing lazily on the beach, getting comfortable with seemingly no effort at all. It's also heartwarming to see a mother walrus swimming with her calf. In documentaries such as this, one must take the bad with the good. This is especially true for younger audiences, who may not be aware of what happens out in the wild.
It's appropriate, then, that the filmmakers should include something about how we as a species affect our oceans. Show children the trash floating in the water, and the pollution running off from our rivers, and the animals caught in the fishing nets. This is what we have done and continue to do. It may only be a small sampling, but at least it makes them aware of it. And yet, there's no sense that the filmmakers are shaming or condemning us; if anything, they continuously try to instill a sense of optimism that we can, in fact, take steps to reverse the damage we've caused. I like this approach. We need to love our planet, but we don't need to feel guilty about who we are.
"Oceans" is not merely entertaining and wonderfully shot. It's also insightful, and it effectively covers a wide range of topics in the space of just over 100 minutes. Despite its G rating, it doesn't pander to its young audience by making the animals overly sentimental; it simply presents them as they are, good and bad alike. It also has a point that it wants to argue, namely that we must know about our oceans if we're to protect them. This movie works nicely as a standalone piece, but it might do better as the first step in an ongoing quest for knowledge. Isn't it great when a film can do more than entertain, when it can actually inspire people to educate themselves and take part in something important?
One of this movie's strengths is that it doesn't gloss over these unpleasant details, nor does it spare the audience of unfortunate realities - where there are sea lions, there are also hungry sharks and orcas, and where there are newborn sea turtles, there are also dive-bombing birds. At the same time, it doesn't bombard you with them; if anything, it's a celebration of sea life, a reminder that, in spite of humanity's interference, life does indeed go on.
It's above all a magnificently written and beautifully photographed expose of ocean life. This is the second Disneynature documentary, the first being last year's "Earth," the reedited and redubbed version of the BBC and Discovery Channel miniseries "Planet Earth." Despite its breathtaking imagery and entertaining narration, it felt terribly condensed, and the plight of the various animal families seemed manufactured, almost like ... well, almost like a Disney film. "Oceans" wisely avoids this issue by not applying human traits to the animals; this time around, they're not characters in a story so much as subjects being observed. If the filmmakers were to spend all their time following two or three animal groups over a given period of time, the movie would fail to show just how immensely diverse marine life truly is.
Over the course of four years, directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud captured footage from over fifty locations, revealing all manner of aquatic creatures both above and below the ocean surface. Some are gruff and ugly, like the rockfish. Some are surprisingly beautiful, like the blanket octopus, whose long, flowing tentacles give the appearance of a scarf lost in a current. Some are adorable, like the otters that freely float on their backs in the open waters off Monterey Bay. Some are bizarre, like the dragonfish, which can only survive in the waters of the China Sea. Some are naturally acrobatic, like the school of sardines able to form perfect cones and spheres. Some are frightening, like spider crabs that attack one another in multitudes so vast, we cannot see the ocean floor when the camera pulls up for a wide shot.
The film is narrated by Pierce Brosnan, who sounds not like a stuffy nature show host but like a man telling a story he genuinely finds fascinating. His voice has an appealing warmth to it, a soothing and clam quality that seems to be saying, "It's all right - that's what we call the circle of life." Indeed, it isn't easy watching a shark make a meal out of a sea lion. It is, however, amusing to watch sea lions sunbathing lazily on the beach, getting comfortable with seemingly no effort at all. It's also heartwarming to see a mother walrus swimming with her calf. In documentaries such as this, one must take the bad with the good. This is especially true for younger audiences, who may not be aware of what happens out in the wild.
It's appropriate, then, that the filmmakers should include something about how we as a species affect our oceans. Show children the trash floating in the water, and the pollution running off from our rivers, and the animals caught in the fishing nets. This is what we have done and continue to do. It may only be a small sampling, but at least it makes them aware of it. And yet, there's no sense that the filmmakers are shaming or condemning us; if anything, they continuously try to instill a sense of optimism that we can, in fact, take steps to reverse the damage we've caused. I like this approach. We need to love our planet, but we don't need to feel guilty about who we are.
"Oceans" is not merely entertaining and wonderfully shot. It's also insightful, and it effectively covers a wide range of topics in the space of just over 100 minutes. Despite its G rating, it doesn't pander to its young audience by making the animals overly sentimental; it simply presents them as they are, good and bad alike. It also has a point that it wants to argue, namely that we must know about our oceans if we're to protect them. This movie works nicely as a standalone piece, but it might do better as the first step in an ongoing quest for knowledge. Isn't it great when a film can do more than entertain, when it can actually inspire people to educate themselves and take part in something important?
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By R. Faulds
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I saw this movie with my two grandsons and can not wait for its release in October. I'm pre-ordering it now so I'll have it as soon as it becomes available. The cinematography is indeed fantastic and there is no need to rate it any lower because of the narration. This is a must have in your collection! When my son-in-law inquired if his 4 and 6 year olds thanked Papa for taking them to the movie, the six year old immediately replied "thanks Papa". After a short time, and following another request from the father, the four year old replied, "I'm NOT thanking him for making me watch a great white eat a seal!" There are a few graphic scenes but they are REAL - big fish do indeed eat little fish.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By Roy
Format:Blu-ray
I am a fan of movies like planet earth, life. I really like this movie. But, French version BD DVD is 103 min while US theater version is 82min. I hope the US BD DVD would be full version.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Horrible
Disc was horrible and started skipping right from the beginning. Wouldn't even play at all until I tried putting it in for like the 19th time! So sad because I love this movie! Read more
Published 5 days ago by Caitlin V
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant
I first saw this when I was the nanny of a three-year-old boy; he loved it! Now I am a fourth grade teacher, and my students love it, too! So does my husband! Read more
Published 21 days ago by MK
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful ocean life with excellent narration.
Definitely recommend Oceans for all age groups. Spectacular filming of ocean life and excellent narration. Well worth the purchase of our own copy.
Published 29 days ago by Pauline Silver
4.0 out of 5 stars
Love Disneynature
Added to my collection- if you like Disneynature movies, you will not be disappointed. My children love watching the animals! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Monica R. Ernyey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderfully Done
I bought this for my grandson who is 4. He has the same movie at his home, but has asked to watch it here, so I decided to buy it. Now he can watch it at home and here as well. Read more
Published 1 month ago by mtngrl
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great present!!
It was a fast & great service! very well packed, no scratches at all. I got this one for my Granddaughter and we love it & enjoy it so much! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ana Aguilera
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oceans
Oceans give us a view of choppy waters off the coast of the Galapagos Islands, and this movie is in High Definition. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Buddy Love
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good Video about Sea!!
The best video about any forms of the life Sea.
The best video about any forms of the life Sea.
The best video about any forms of the life Sea.
Published 2 months ago by Jose Fabio Rodrigues
5.0 out of 5 stars
dvd
Movie works wonderfully and kids love it. For some reason I thought it was a four pack but it's one dvd. Picture quality is great. What kid wouldn't love an under water adventure.
Published 2 months ago by savannah louchart
5.0 out of 5 stars
#adore
FREAKIN LOVE THIS MOVIE. sweet graphics. sweet animals. great narration. typical documentary on a totally awesome topic. have watched dozens of times. still love it.
Published 3 months ago by Mallory Brooks
