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Earth: The movie

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Written by Megan Dunham

April 23, 2009, 10:27 AM

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful
Our Lord God made them all

It probably isn’t breaking news that Disney’s new nature movie, Earth, is now playing in theaters. What might be considered slightly breaking news (at least around here) is I’m planning to shell out carefully budgeted grocery money to take my kids to see it this weekend.

When I first saw the movie’s trailer, I was instantly amazed. I love really well-done nature movies; I love them even more on the big screen. I’ve taken my kids to see some 45-minute films at our local Omnimax, and those were neat, but this looks to totally knock our socks off. I can’t wait.

The number one critique conservative families will probably have with a film like Earth is the predictable evolution assumption or man-made global warming warnings sure to be strewn throughout the film. To this I simply say let it go.

Instead, why not use this opportunity to discuss with our kids what other worldviews teach and believe, as well as reinforce what we do? We don’t have to shy away from theories or propaganda in fear; we just need to honestly interact with these ideas and teach our kids how to think critically about them.

The wonder of creation, the beauty of God’s handiwork, the amazement of how he has so perfectly orchestrated it all—if we can’t see it all up close and personal, then seeing God’s creation in its wide-screened wonder is the next best thing. This weekend, why not remind yourself of what God did, does, and continues doing in holding it all together?

Regardless of who captures the art, the art itself belongs to God. Since we belong to him, let’s not let our kids miss his greatest show in Earth.

Topic: Commentary, Family

Keywords: Entertainment, Environment, Family, homeschooling, Movies

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back to top11 Comments to “Earth: The movie”

BY Thorn 04.23.09 AT 10:50 AM

Half of those scenes I saw on the previews…are in Planet Earth…go rent Planet Earth…
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BY Sawgunner 04.23.09 AT 11:06 AM

I enjoyed the Planet Earth series narrated by Dickie Attenborough. As for evolutionary theory can we not agree that perhaps like some other concepts it is something from which we should shield children?
My daughter presented my wife and I with a drawing she’d done. On one half of the page she drew what was clearly a whale. On the other she drew (her words here)”what whales looked like a long long time ago”.
I’m not sure its anti-biblical to say that perhaps long ago the creatures we call whales were large otter-like carnivores. But I felt saddened by her drawing and her trusting acceptance of it as truth.
Parents, guard what your kids read. She learned this from a computer in the children’s section of a library.
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BY KI 04.23.09 AT 11:17 AM

Children have to be exposed to lots of different ideas. When, where and how is up to parents. I enjoyed the Earth series and watched parts as I was able with a couple of my grandchildren. It is a good vehicle to discuss the presuppositions and get them used to looking for such things in whatever they read, listen to, or watch.

It is also a good idea to expose them to a variety of books and movies that give them the other side of the story. Such things cost money, but are worth it.
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BY Megan Dunham 04.23.09 AT 11:42 AM

I really like Planet Earth shows, too, but I’m still looking forward to this in the theater.
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BY Deet 04.23.09 AT 11:52 AM

Earth got an excellent review on Plugged In (Family.org). There are some intense scenes of predators (wolves with baby caribou, shark and seal, and of course, lions) but that is after all, the life (and death) of animals. And as far as the “life” part, the reviewer commented that mating was “discreet”.

Sounds like a good family movie with great conversation material about life and death on planet earth and for those of us who “give credit where credit is due”, an awesome reminder of our great God.
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BY Dad of 5 04.23.09 AT 11:53 AM

My wife took our youngest two yesterday. Overall they were unimpressed by the edited version of the BBC’s Planet Earth. Disney especially edited a large portion of the “kill” scenes.(You see the lion catch the prey then it cuts away, whereas in Planet Earth you are subjected to the bloody feasting.) Whether this is a plus or minus is debatable.

The two biggest pluses with Disney’s version were the narration, and getting to see the scenes from Planet Earth on the big screen.
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BY Thorn 04.23.09 AT 12:05 PM

Good point Dad of 5..hadnt thought about it being on a large screen…but then again I do have a 56inch hd tv
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BY Spinoza 04.23.09 AT 12:33 PM

#2 SG – you could learn a lot from your daughter!

Interesting review by Turan: The ‘Earth’s’ Pull

Key points – even if you’ve seen all of Planet Earth, it is worth seeing this on the big screen (as per #6).

Turan has thumbs down for the narration – too “anthropomorphic” – but I’m a sucker for that stuff.

I love seeing Disney return to a modern version of its old “True-Life Adventure Films”. I grew up on those and was crazy about ‘em as a kid. Hope they do more + some original stuff!

The photography now is shockingly sensational. Once your jaw drops, it’s hard to bring it back up again throughout the whole thing.
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BY Thomas 04.24.09 AT 10:00 AM

Spin #8,

We saw it at a preview on Monday. I agree, there is too much “anthropomorphizing” in the narration, but I don’t think it’s as overdone as with the old Disney nature films we grew up on.

But the photography! WOW! Words fail me.
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BY Spinoza 04.24.09 AT 2:08 PM

I confess, I like a little “anthropomorphizing” from Disney – I loved the old “animal stories” that skirted (and often crossed) a line between fiction and science. On the other hand, I do find some of it a little groan worthy.

Still, I think it’s far worse to forget that humans are also mammals than to sometimes inappropriately attribute human thoughts to other species. If it makes listeners identify more with our mammalian relatives, it’s probably doing more good than harm!
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BY Xion 04.25.09 AT 11:07 PM

I have Planet Earth in Blu-ray. It is spectacular. The graphics are marvelous and I love the audio in surround sound. Having seen that, an abridged version would be disappointing. However, for Luddites who don’t have blu-ray and surround sound, the theatre version should be impressive.
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