Over a quarter of a century ago, I discovered the joys of becoming a member of the National Geographic Society. One of the perks for being a member of such a distinguished group was that you received monthly installments of their publication. If the stories in the magazines didn't leave one sitting on the edge of his or her seat, then the aerial, underwater, and landscape photography was sure to take one's breath away.

Now, with DVDs being the "in" thing, the National Geographic Society, along with some help from Paramount Classics, has jumped onto the band wagon. A perfect example of their transition into the twenty-first century is one of their latest productions, Arctic Tale.

This movie tracks the adventures, angst, mishaps, and near-death moments of two animals in the North Pole's Arctic region—a polar bear and a walrus. The scientific crew conducted a study on both animals that continued for a period of eight years. Their collected works documented, in detail, the moment the two "stars" were born, until they reached maturity and spawned their own offspring.

The movie comes complete with adorable footage of polar cubs, baby walruses, incredible cinematography, and narration by Queen Latifah. Aerial shots of the polar ice caps and freezing ocean water, as well as chilly underwater adventures, rounded out the highlights.

Nano, the polar bear cub, and Celia, the walrus pup, are the stars of the show. While growing up, the viewers are treated to scenes of both of them playing in their natural habitats. Nano and her little brother have fun frolicking in the snow and tormenting their poor mother, who has not seen a meal in almost six months. Nano, Momma bear, and baby brother go out to search for food and water. Their journey proves, at times, to be more of a detriment than a delight. Severe weather conditions with winds that sustain hurricane forces, not to mention a few unfriendly encounters with male polar bears, are just some of the obstacles that Nano's family must face as their will to survive is put to the test.

At times,Celia's life appears to be just as turbulent. Unlike Nano, however, Celia is blessed to have a very attentive auntie that assists in her rearing.

Intermixed between the good times and bad, there are also amusing moments, such as what happens to an exceptionally large family of walruses after feasting on literally thousands of clams. The "intestinal music" that Celia and her mother, aunts, uncles and cousins make, will leave viewers laughing for quite some time. And you thought it was only your family members that could be embarrassing!

Though both polar bear and walrus have their own trials and enemies to contend with, there is one common enemy that proves to be a formidable threat to their existence—global warming. The documentary does not blatantly accuse one cause, but it doesn't take an ecological genius to understand why Nano, Celia, and their families experience an exceptionally brief winter, their ice homes have melted, and their food stores have been drastically depleted.

The message, however subtly suggested, was loud and clear: If we fail to resolve the Green House Effect, the Arctic Pole will disappear and so will its children. This is a movie that everyone who cares about this planet, or loves animals, should see.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."