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Review: Review: ‘Island of Lemurs: Madagascar’ gets up close with nature

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Imax 3-D documentary “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar” shines a spotlight on one of the earliest primates that coexisted with dinosaurs more than 60 million years ago. Although extinct in their native Africa, hundreds of lemur species have adopted Madagascar as home. But these wandering spirits are hardly thriving, as 90% of the forest has been torched since humans set foot on the island some two millennia ago.

The film highlights the few species taking refuge in the Ranomafana National Park and the preservation efforts shepherded by Patricia C. Wright, anthropology professor at Stony Brook University in New York.

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Lemurs are indeed exquisite creatures and worthy subjects. A zoo enclosure would not have been an environment conducive to their sui generis song and dance that are on full display here. The film affords the opportunity to admire the animals up close, squeezing into nature’s nooks and crannies to present the full scope of their habitat.

Even at a meager 40 minutes, the film feels padded. Large-format nature documentaries haven’t progressed since the days when they were exclusively shown in domed auditoriums at museums, even as studios increasingly co-opt the Imax 3-D technology. But so long as the jubilance brought about by lemurs can compel more protection for the near-extinct species, the film will have served its purpose.

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“Island of Lemurs: Madagascar”

MPAA rating: G

Running time: 40 minutes

Playing: California Science Center, Los Angeles.

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