Deep Blue

Cast: Michael Gambon (narrator)Directors: Alastair Fothergill and Andy Byatt
Genre: Documentary
Rated: PG predatory animal violence
Running Time: 91 Minutes

A Natural History Of The Oceans

Synopsis:
The "Travelling Birds" of the oceans, 'Deep Blue' is the big screen companion to the BBC's groundbreaking 'The Blue Planet' series. Directors Alastair Fothergill and Andy Byatt assembled 20 specialized camera teams, shot over 7,000 hours of footage in more than 200 locations around the world for more than 5 years, and descended as far as 5,000 metres in the most powerful submersible crafts. With a flourishing George Fenton score, state-of-the-art technology and some of the oddest creatures ever seen without resorting to artificial stimulants this is a definitive natural history of the oceans. Narrated by Michael Gambon.

My Verdict:
'Deep Blue' is a sumptuous feast of all things great and small that dwell in the oceans, most of which none of us will ever be able to encounter for ourselves. This stunning documentary compiles so many remarkable moments in the oceans life that it felt a privilege to be able to witness some of the extraordinary events -watching orca's/killer whales in the shallows catching their next meal of seals, seeing a polar bear plunge into the icy Arctic waters trying to catch a Beluga whale for a meal, seeing luminescing creatures of the deep, too dark to see with the naked eye. These and a multitude of other images have been gathered and put together to create a documentary unlike any other. Time after time, we are privy to some of the most amazing footage of sea-dwelling creatures that will even take your breath away.

Perhaps at times, there are too many of those 'golden' moments to be able to take in all at once with some being almost too gruesome to bear - the tracking of a grey whale and her 3-month-old calf for over 6 hours by killer whales was tortuous as the killer whales finally succeeded in killing the calf, only to eat its tongue and lower jaw and discard the rest. Moments like these may be too much for some younger children who may not yet be able understand the web of life. Also, at times it felt like there was 'so little time, so much to see' as images were crammed, one after another, but that is but a minor blemish.

The soundtrack by George Fenton did at times, make the footage a little too predictable, with sounds of impending doom building until you wished something sweet would come along, but for the most it followed the creatures perfectly. Michael Gambon's narration was also almost too sparse with perhaps a little more information regarding the identification of some of the creatures and their habitats, but thankfully it wasn't a totally politically driven global warning.

'Deep Blue' should be compulsory viewing for anyone who shares this planet with any of the creatures of the oceans. This is certainly a movie that will stun you, amaze you and leave you with a feeling of how much you have been missing. Don't miss it.

Rating : A-

Christina Bruce