Oceans

Beautifully photographed and expertly narrated by actor Pierce Brosnan, Disney's OCEANS inspires audiences to think about their impact on the Earth's waters without clobbering them over the head with the admirable message. How does it do that? By letting one gorgeous image after another -- taken with the help of the latest and greatest in documentary filmmaking technology -- speak for itself. (You'll wonder how they got certain shots, they're that close!) Take the case of the sea turtles, who are shown digging their way out of the sand, only to face a perilous time traversing the shore back to the ocean. As hundreds inch their way, flocks of sea gulls fly overhead, swooping in to pluck a meal. Or of the blue whale, opening its mouth to collect serenely but surely its meal of krill. The message: It's a fish-eat-fish world out there, so to speak.

But Darwinian selection is one thing; endangering natural habitats is altogether an entirely unappetizing enterprise. And the subtlety and restraint with which Oceans addresses this issue is what elevates it from mere afterschool special. It builds a case by simpy revealing the splendor of it all, then raises questions by showing how capable humans are of destroying so much that is beautiful and vital to the planet. How subtle, how effective! Still, there's little narrative momentum, and some may actually think its message too subtle; the effects of pollution don't come up until approximately the last fifth of the film. That said, there's plenty to marvel at, though younger kids (six and under) might find it overlong at an hour and 40 minutes. Everyone else, though, can sit back and enjoy the underwater ride.