Review by Bob Ignizio
Director Lu Chuan and a crew of filmmakers venture into the wilderness of China to follow
the lives of snow leopards, pandas, chiru, and snub-nose monkeys in BORN IN CHINA, the latest in the line
of reliably Disney nature documentaries. The photography is gorgeous, capturing
not just the beauty and grandeur of the film's animal stars, but of their
habitat, as well. John Krasinski's narration helps shape the various narratives
and anthropomorphize the animal stars.
Given that the pandas grace the poster for the film, I was a
bit surprised they didn't get much screentime. I guess since they have no
natural predators and spend their days eating bamboo and rolling around on the
ground, there wasn't a lot of drama in their lives. The monkeys and snow
leopards, by comparison, experience quite a bit more danger and conflict,
earning equal co-star billing. The chiru just sort of hang around the periphery
of these stories, doing their grass-eating herd animal thing.
In true Disney nature doc fashion, there are plenty of
lighthearted moments of the animals being cute and silly. But the studio that
killed Bambi's mother isn't afraid to show nature red in tooth and claw,
either, and not all the furry creatures in BORN
IN CHINA make it to the end. That's nature, after all, but if you or any
kids you might consider taking to see this are on the sensitive side, consider
yourself warned. There may be tears. 3 out of 4 stars.
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