Format: Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet Digital Copy
MPAA Rating: G
Directed by: David Lickley
Written by: Drew Fellman
Narrated by: Morgan Freeman
Studio: Warner Bros.
Feature Rating: 
Blu-ray Rating: 
Review by: Bill Jones
The Feature
Another nature film narrated by the great Morgan Freeman, IMAX Born to Be Wild tells several stories of the bond between humans and animals. It focuses on two areas in particular — the rainforests of Borneo, where primatologist Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas rescues, rehabilitates and returns the animals to the wild; and the Kenyan savannah, where Dr. Dame Daphne M. Sheldrick does the same, but with elephants.
The feature itself is only 41 minutes, and it is entertaining, but far from the in-depth nature coverage that’s out there. And ultimately, while both doctors are doing great things around the world, the stories don’t give us quite enough time to invest in them.
That said, the footage is charming. The animals do their jobs of being incredibly cute, and Born to Be Wild ultimately serves as a solid family movie with a positive message about the environment and the wildlife that inhabits it. It’s just not quite as breathtaking or awe-inspiring as some other recent nature docs have been.
The Blu-ray
The Blu-ray ray, in addition to offering the HD home equivalent of the IMAX presentation (though not, in the case of this particular edition, in 3D), the Blu-ray features six webisodes on the disc. They’re short and don’t add a whole heck of a lot, and it’s a bummer there aren’t some more in-depth behind-the-scenes featurettes present. The collection also includes the film on DVD and the not-ideal Ultraviolet Digital Copy. Ultimately, the package could be better.
For more info, imax.com/borntobewild
Pads & Panels received a copy of the Blu-ray combo package courtesy of the studio for review purposes.
