Island of Lemurs: Madagascar
Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman narrates Island of Lemurs: Madagascar, the true story of nature’s greatest explorers –– lemurs. Captured with IMAX 3D cameras, the film takes audiences on a spectacular journey to the remote and wondrous world of Madagascar. Lemurs arrived in Madagascar as castaways millions of years ago and evolved into hundreds of diverse species but are now highly endangered. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O (Age 13) says, “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar is a fantastic documentary that every animal or nature lover will enjoy.” See his full review below.
Video review available here: http://youtu.be/xjQSbbv2_ss
Interviews at junket: http://youtu.be/XZiTX6Kyipg
This documentary has more to offer than lemurs. It has action, comedy, adventure, thrill, education and so much more. Of course, who could possibly know that there are so many species of lemurs –– the unforgettable bamboo lemur, the brown lemur, the hustle lemur and the adorable and my personal favorite –– the mouse lemur.
The story begins when a scientist by the name of Dr. Patricia Wright goes to Madagascar to study lemurs. She goes to the wildest part of the vast jungles to look for one thing: bamboo lemurs, which were thought to be extinct. Luckily, she proves them wrong and spends many years saving their species from extinction. We join her on her adventure and learn about the real dangers to the cute and furry animals and hear about her stories in Madagascar.
I love this film. The most mind-blowing part is how the camera crew gets so close to the wild, and sometimes posing, lemurs. There are some angles that look simply impossible to accomplish with wild animals. The film is enhanced by the narration of Morgan Freeman, which makes this documentary truly unique. The filmmakers are so smart, using simple ways to get their dream shots. The entire cast of lemurs (no, they are not paid actors) are adorable and, the coolest thing is, they are not trained. Every lemur in the movie is wild.
My favorite scene is when they talk about the adorable, but powerful hand-sized smaller primate, the mouse lemur. This little guy is captured in a trap that does not hurt him and then is taken to a place where they study and scan him. Then, he is released back to the wild with a story to tell his family.
This movie is meant for all ages but does have a bit of intensity. So, I recommend it to kids ages 6 to 18. This movie also easily deserves 5 out of 5 stars. The only thing I would add is that it was too short. I wish it was longer because it is so good and interesting.