Review: ‘Earth: One Amazing Day’ packs drama and comedy into one spin of an axis
This sequel to BBC Earth Films’ “Earth” is another jaw-dropping trip around the world. With its G rating, “Earth: One Amazing Day” is kid-friendly, but adults will be equally awed by the animal wonders and how the filmmakers captured them in such exquisite detail.
Narrated with warmth and dry humor by Robert Redford, the documentary is a dozen films in one. There’s suspense in a sequence that has a just-hatched marine iguana trying to outrace a horde of hungry snakes. A bear scratching its back on a tree brings the comedy. A Venus flytrap snaps at its squirming victim and we feel like we’re watching a horror movie. The score from Alex Heffes highlights the emotion in each scene, expertly easing the transition as the tone changes from moment to moment.
A trio of directors helm “Earth: One Amazing Day” — Richard Dale, Peter Webber and Fan Lixin — but the movie is unified by its constant state of marvel at the world around us and its focus on the sun’s effects on the planet and its inhabitants. The film’s structure takes the audience from the early morning to the dark of night, revealing each animal’s experience at different times of day. From towering giraffes to flitting hummingbirds, these creatures are shown in ways that most people have never seen. It’s a stunning feat of technology and artistry.
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‘Earth: One Amazing Day’
Rating: G
Running time: 1 hour, 29 minutes
Playing: AMC Glendora 12, Glendora; AMC Rolling Hills 20, Torrance
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