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Film Title: Disney Nature's

Oceans & The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingo

 Best for ages: 5 & Up

Movie Website: Click Here

Year Released: 2010

Rated: TV-G (US)

The Review

    When I was a child, Disney used to have this set of nature books that they would release weekly. I don’t remember how many volumes of the books they had, however I can remember my mother buying my sisters and I the newest edition each week when we did our grocery shopping.  The books talked about all the plants and animals from different parts of the world in detail and were accompanied by hundreds of photos. However, when I was a child VHS was brand new, and the home computer didn’t even exist.  When it came to seeing anything outside of our own window, we had either books or whatever nature program we could catch on television.

    The children of today can now benefit from Blu-ray technology and Disney’s Nature label which is producing educational films about all things nature.  Last year they released Earth, this year they have two new exciting films released under the Disney Nature label, Oceans and Crimson Wing: Flight of the Flamingo.

   Oceans is a stunning view of many of the creatures that live in all the oceans of the world. Some of the footage you may recognize from the Discovery channel series Life.  Not all of the footage is from that documentary, but Disney did use some of the more educational and extraordinary bits, such as the Killer Whale attack on baby seals and some of the under the ice scenes in the north pole.

   Crimson Wing: Flight of the Flamingo follows the life cycle of the pink flamingo and how the birds flock to certain areas of the world to breed and eat, deal with predators and live. The film however, is a lot more than just a documentary of the flamingo, it is actually a love story about how the bird choose a mate that they keep for life, and how they raise their children.

 There are some intense scenes in Oceans of higher animals in the food chain eating other animals. As always this is expected in many of these films, as that is what happens in nature. It is good to let kids learn the truth about the cycle of life and the food chain; however, some younger children might not be ready to deal with such a thing yet.  The same thing goes for Crimson Wing: Flight of the Flamingo, as there is a scene in which the Flamingo eggs are eaten by other birds. This particular scene bothered my three year old daughter, yet in Oceans she was not affected by baby sea turtles being eaten by seagulls.  She knew about the baby turtles, how not all of them will live and make it to the ocean, she learned this at the many Aquariums we have taken her too in the past few years. Yet something about the eggs being attacked made her upset, until I explained to that it’s part of the cycle of life and showed her how the food chain works. Some children might have an issue with such a thing, so be cautious as parents when letting younger ones view these films.  We want them to learn about nature because it’s beneficial to them, yet at the same time, we have to know when the time is right.

  Both films come in the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack format. I have chosen to review both films together, but please make a note that they are two separate combo packs that you need to buy separate.

 The Oceans Blu-ray disc has some features which include Living Menus for a fully interactive experience and Filmmakers Annotations. The DVD includes the music video for “Make a Wave” featuring Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato, Disney & Nature: Preserving the World We Share, and the bonus video footage Deeper in the Ocean.

    The Crimson Wing: Flight of the Flamingo Combo pack includes the featurette Lake Natron Diaries: Behind the Crimson Wing that is featured on both the Blu-ray and DVD. The Blu-ray disc also includes the featurette Living Planet where you can explore the earth in a fully interactive experience, Filmmakers Annotations and a Crimson Wing Screensaver.

   Just like the books my mother bought me when I was a child, these films are educational for not just children to watch and experience, but adults as well. Disney does cut out the majority of violent material, but to a point. You won’t see an animal ripped to shreds by another, but you will know that a predator has taken down and eaten its prey. Like I mentioned above, it may be a bit too much for the little ones, but it your decision as parent if you think it’s the right thing to introduce your child to how nature works. I for one think it’s probably better to teach your average child such things at around ages four or five. However, being that animals are such a big part of our world, be they dangerous or harmless, you can never look at nature films are being entertainment, because they are simply meant to educate.  Disney does such a great job telling these two stories and I recommend purchasing both Blu-ray Combo packs. There are many more great documentaries on the way from Disney Nature, look out for African Cats hitting theater Earth Day 2011.

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