Common Sense Media Review
Clear, hopeful documentary about the world's water crisis.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Brave Blue World
What's the Story?
In BRAVE BLUE WORLD, Liam Neeson narrates an exploration of the world's water crisis. The documentary highlights the issues experienced in both the developing and developed worlds and celebrates the visionaries developing solutions to the problems. Matt Damon and Jaden Smith discuss the organizations in which they're personally involved, while the film crew travels the world to look at the innovations already being used which could be adopted elsewhere to make a global impact.
Is It Any Good?
An informative and clearly communicated documentary that strikes a good balance between discussing the severity of the problems and providing broad and varied evidence of the solutions. The star power of Neeson, Damon, and Smith will no doubt attract viewers who may not otherwise have approached the subject matter, while the innovators chosen for interview are passionate, enthusiastic, and informative about their individual projects. A broad cross section of communities, ethnicities, and scales are represented, which makes it relatable and universal.
The filmmaking techniques themselves are not out of the ordinary, using a mixture of real-life footage, talking heads, interviews, and more academic diagrams, which can make the content feel a little dry, and the sheer number of different subjects touched upon prove a lot to take in. But overall this is an informative and educational documentary that acts as a positive, hopeful call to arms.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what message Brave Blue World is trying to send. Does it change the way you think about water? What can you do to help prevent water shortage and waste?
Was the documentary positive in its outlook or negative? Do you think it matters? How did it compare with other documentaries you have seen?
What are some of the innovations that stand out to you, and what affect are they having on the world?
Discuss the filming techniques used in the documentary. What do you think were the most effective ways of getting the information across?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 21, 2020
- Cast : Liam Neeson , Jaden Smith , Matt Damon
- Director : Tim Neeves
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : STEM
- Character Strengths : Perseverance
- Run time : 50 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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