BORN IN CHINA – Review

Here’s something to remember next time you go to a big trivia fund-raising night. If there’s a movie or Oscar category, one of the questions may be: “What film maker (or producer) has won the most Academy Awards?”. The answer is (and will be for a long time to come) Walt Disney. Now, as you jot down that name, you may think that all that gold was netted by his animation work, the classic features and short subjects. Well, a lot of it, but not all. From 1948 to 1960 Disney dominated the Best Live-Action Short Subject category with his “True-Life Adventures” series. Lots of baby boomers may be familiar with them, not from theatrical showings (usually paired with the re-release of those animated features), but from that NBC Sunday night staple, “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color”. Several shorts would be edited together for the hour-long shows. The gorgeous natural photography probably helped sell lots of big color TV’s back in the day. But shorts aren’t part of the theatrical experience (for the most part) now, so in 2008 Walt’s old company established a new division, Disneynature. Almost every year, usually close to Earth Day, the company has released a new full-length (close to 90 minutes) animal-themed documentary to theatres. Now, they’re expanding even further and showcasing that big new foreign market with an up-close, in-depth look at the wild life that is BORN IN CHINA.

 
The flight of the cranes usher in a new year for the animals of the uninhabited expanse of China, far from the bustling crowded cities. The film makers cut between several species during each season (Spring, Fall, etc.). Far above the ground, roaming the rocky terrain of the high country, we meet a mother snow leopard, Dauwa, along with her two female cubs. Dauwa easily leaps from precipice to cliff while hunting for her family’s food. She also defends her home from an unwanted interloper, standing her ground and intimidating another snow leopard. But what happens when she returns with back-up? Family turmoil is at the center of Tau-Tau’s tale. He’s a two year-old golden snub-nosed monkey who feels neglected by his family and friends after his mother gives birth to his sister. Tau-Tau falls in with a bad crowd, a group of outcast young “lost boys” lorded over by the hulking leader named Rooster. But when the temperatures drop, Tau-Tau tries to re-unite with his clan. But will they let him back in? Of course the most popular of Asian animals is represented in the story of a giant panda named Ya-Ya. Over the course of many months we witness her parental skills as she takes care of her infant My-My. The growing bear tries to assert her independence as Ya-Ya still yearns to treat her as a baby. Speaking of babies, we follow the migration of the antelope as the females make the long arduous trek to the river where they will give birth. Then it’s back on the trail with the children to return meet their daddies.

As with the other films in this series, it is narrated by a known actor. The last entry had Tina Fey guiding us through THE MONKEY KINGDOM. This time it’s John Krasinski (THE HOLLARS and NBC-TV’s “The Office”). He conveys all the technical info in a friendly, but serious tone while not resorting to jokey sentiment when the script tries to give emotional context to the footage. The soundtrack boasts a couple of original songs that aren’t heavy-handed or saccharine. But the main draw here is the photography which is spectacular. The use of time-lapse to convey the changing of the seasons is sparingly used, and heightens the drama. As for these stories, nothing is “sugar-coated” for the tots. Predators swoop in for the kill, and in one case they become the victim. To the producers’ credit they include the one segment that has no “happy ending”, defying the need for a “feel good” conclusion. There’s great suspense (the leopard stand-off) and tense action (the monkeys really go at it in one dust-up). And the pandas provide plenty of comedy in addition to “awww…so cute” moments. For those youngsters (and some “oldsters”) that are fascinated by zoology, BORN IN CHINA is an educational and entertaining trek to a land we in the west have barely explored.

3.5 Out of 5