 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Turtle: The Incredible Journey
- Review Date: June 27, 2011
- G
- Genre: Documentary
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Educational but slow docu may not keep kids' interest.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this nature documentary follows one little loggerhead turtle as she makes her arduous migratory journey across the Gulf Stream and around the North Atlantic. There's nothing particularly disturbing in the film, though one early scene does include a tense sequence in which the baby turtle attempts to reach the ocean despite threats from hungry crabs and predatory birds. Nothing ends up happening to "our" turtle, but we do learn how few of them actually make it to adulthood. This is the rare case of a movie being more educational than entertaining, and it might not hold young kids' interest for the complete runtime.
What's the story?
Narrated by Miranda Richardson, this wildlife documentary chronicles THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY of the loggerhead turtle, from tiny hatchling to sea voyager to full adult who will make the return trip back to her ancestral home on the beaches on Florida. As viewers learn early on, only one in every 10,000 turtles will ever make it to adulthood; but against all odds, this "little turtle that could" weathers every potential threat -- other animals, cargo ships, hunger -- to undergo one of the animal kingdom's longest migrations.
Is it any good?
Filmmakers who direct animal documentaries must balance the need to show the natural world as it unfolds in front of the camera with the desire to create a more human-like drama for the sake of entertainment. Unfortunately, Turtle swings a little too far in the latter direction, with overwrought narration. There also isn't that much inherent tension. It's not that "our" turtle doesn't face any pulse-quickening moments, but after her initial race to the ocean, there's just not that much going on (and if she had been one of thousands of unlucky turtles, obviously there would be no story).
The visuals are beautiful, but the story feels about half an hour too long. And while the swelling score and intense voice over try to make every scene feel significant, unless you (or your kid) is a passionate turtle lover, you may begin to wonder where you've stashed your copy of March of the Penguins.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether a nature documentary about an individual animal can be as interesting as a film that follows groups of the same animal or different species. Which do you prefer?
How do human actions affect the life of the loggerhead turtles? What can we do to minimize our impact on the sea?
What's the movie's environmental message? How does it appear in the film?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
Unacceptably scary
Our kids, ages 6 and 9, only made it half an hour into this movie because they became so upset. They, and we, couldn't believe it was rated G, and our older daughter said it was scarier than any movie she'd seen. Contrary to showing "nothing particularly disturbing," the film is a highly dramatized, frightening, up-close-and-personal view of the many perils of turtles' young lives. The photography/videography was exceptional and stunning, but it also made every situation so realistic that it was very frightening for our kids. The film's voiceover and music intentionally heightened the suspense and drama of every dangerous scenario, particularly a scene in which a cargo ship is seen barreling down on the baby turtle and other creatures. With a G rating, I was floored and distressed as a parent when the ship in fact ran over the turtle's seaweed home, killing all the animals but the turtle. (This is all shown in detail.) The baby turtle is anthropomorphosized so that kids feel the fear of the baby turtle, who is then alone and lost. In the next scene, you see an awful image of a dead baby turtle. Our kids love nature movies (March of the Penguins, Oceans, Born to Be Wild, etc.), and this movie was substantially more violent and frightening than anything in those films. Very distressing and disappointing. It's an accurate depiction of nature, to be sure, but it's not for young kids. And, again, that's based only on the first painful half-hour, as our kids couldn't tolerate continuing even though they knew the turtle would survive in the end.
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Kid, 11 years old
April 9, 2012
AGE
Educating and great for kids
I recommended this movie about sea life. If you love to learn about the ocean watch this movie.
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| Topics: | ocean creatures, science and nature |
| Studio: | Hannover House |
| Director: | Nick Stringer |
| Cast: | Miranda Richardson |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Run time: | 80 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 24, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | November 15, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
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