Product Details

• Directors: Mario Andreacchio
• Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• DVD Release Date: December 9, 2008
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001FACHD2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,859 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

ELEPHANT TALES - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful cinematography, cute animals, so-so story, December 11, 2008

By 

mk (parker, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Elephant Tales (DVD)

A French- Australian film of African baby elephants on an 'Incredible Journey' that looses steam and interest quickly for all ages.

It begins with bouncy music and a stunning, bird's eye panorama. Two adorable, little pachyderms, Zef and Tutu, loose their families to poachers. They then embark on a search for the great Rainbow, hoping to find loved ones. Along the way they are helped by various other actor animals including Chump the Chimp, Stretch the Giraffe, and Cub. They face perils and adventures and climax with a 'battle' with The Badness and eventually, finally, discover their destiny.

The story is narrated by a pair of cheetahs, and there's a running conversation from the animals heard as human voices in the background. I don't want to bash this well-meaning, predictable movie too much, but after the first 20-30 minutes and the initial allure of the well photographed animals, the kids(ages 2 and 5) were moving on to other activities.

Mario Andreacchio directed and has plenty of experience workng with four legged stars, and is quite capable with the genre, but the story is flat, the message too much and cutes only go so far. For you '24' fans, he also directed Keifer Sutherland in a little known flick about Paul Gauguin called 'Paradise Found'. Again with lots of gorgeous scenery.

Overall, for your pre-schoolers, skip the early poacher part: they show the elephant herd shootings as lights in the night sky. Elementary schoolers might watch the whole film without yawning, but it's not memorable. Teenagers- forget it. And for us adults, it's a snoozer. Rent it, if you wish, at a Cheapo-Box.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great video for kids who love animals, April 11, 2010

By 

Sanjay S. Melinamani "Sanjay" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Elephant Tales (DVD)

My Son loves animals and Elephants are his favorite. This is an excellent video about animals and elephants and has a nice story too.

3.0 out of 5 stars Great cinematography does not make up for a tepid plot and trite dialogue, March 21, 2010

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Elephant Tales (DVD)

It was a cold and snowy day today and a Sunday on top of it - so all three of us (hubby, kid and I) stayed in. After coloring and crafts, I decided to let my daughter watch some television and this popped up as a recommended title on a movie rental site I subscribe to. Well, "Elephant Tales" has gorgeous cinematography of the African plains and the majestic creatures that inhabit it. Apart from that, the story itself is rather uninspired. Two young pachyderms, Zef and Tutu enjoy an idyllic existence until one night when their mother and some of their herd fall victim to poachers (thank goodness, this is not portrayed graphically). So Zef and Tutu go in search of the great rainbow where they think they will be reunited with their family. Along the way, Zef and Tutu meet other animals such as chimps, lion cubs, etc.

The story is told through a combination of live action featuring real wildlife and also voice over narration, with forgettable songs interspersed in between. The effect is quite natural, but at about 95 minutes, the movie is too long and plodding. My 5-year-old daughter's attention began to wander after about 45 minutes - keeping it to about an hour would have been better as there really isn't all that much to the plot. I think this is worth a rental, but would not recommend it as a purchase. There are other, more engaging productions out there such as:
Two Brothers (Full Screen Edition)
Shiloh (Keepcase)
Born Free
Living Free
Black Beauty