DisneyNature – Bears: Blu-ray Review
In an epic story of breathtaking scale, Disney Nature’s new True Life Adventure “Bears” showcases a year in the life of a bear family as two impressionable young cubs are taught life’s most important lessons. Set against a majestic Alaskan backdrop teeming with life, their journey begins as winter comes to an end and the bears emerge from hibernation to face the bitter cold. The world outside is exciting-but risky-as the cubs’ playful descent down the mountain carries with it a looming threat of avalanches. As the season changes from spring to summer, the brown bears must work hard to find food-ultimately feasting at a plentiful salmon run-while staying safe from rival male bears and predators, including an ever-present wolf. “Bears” captures the fast-moving action and suspense of life in one of the planet’s last great wildernesses-Alaska!
The Movie: I got my whole family gathered to watch this documentary that I have really wanted to see for a while. I’m a fan of many nature shows and just amazed on the life of animals. This film followed the Alaskan brown bear, but it was just so much more. Being a mother, I related with this film so much that I almost found myself in tears. A mother bear’s main responsibility is to protect her cubs. The documentary begins with the birth of the cubs followed by the journey of the mama bear (Sky) to get her cubs to safety. I found myself shouting at the television one too many times. I feared for there lives at one point. Then I found myself beyond happy for the family finding safety and making it through the next hibernation. The mother bear was strong, resilient, and unwavering. Disney was able to yet again put an underlining message in their film that really touched me. This mother bear was like many mothers out there. You fight, you struggle, and you love. This was such a great film and a must see for all families! And also the special features were a plus. You will only appreciate the effort placed into this documentary more and more.
My Likes: The narration was perfect for this documentary. I initially watched the film without knowing it was John C. Reilly, but he added the perfect amount of humor along with the needed serious moments wonderfully. I have a habit of watching all movies with the captions and I joked that I wouldn’t need any captions for this documentary, not really realizing that of course there would need to be some type of words spoken! I also really enjoyed the special features on the Blu-ray. We watched these films without realizing how much time and effort are put into each frame, each moment that happens throughout this documentary. There is so much dedication from all the creators, camera folks, and anyone that made this film possible. It’s definitely an experience for us to watch the life of animals so up close, but I can only imagine what type of experience the film crew receives. I also was amazed by the landscapes. These are sights that I know I will never be able to see in person and was mesmerized by each and every one of them.
My Dislikes: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. This was just such a great documentary that there really is nothing that I could pinpoint that I wished were different or omitted.
Special Features:
Welcome to Alaska – Journey with the filmmakers int the Alaska wilds to film Sky and her cubs.
The Future for Bears – Experience the thrill of living with the bears during production and discover the importance of protecting the wilderness to ensure their survival…and our own.
A Guide to Living With Bears – Learn how the team interacts safely with these magnificent creatures.
How Did They Film That? – The crew takes on epic filming challenges to get their shots.
