“Born To Be Wild” is a 50-minute IMAX documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman (who else?) and set in the beautiful, lush rainforests of Borneo and savannahs of Kenya. It’s the true story of two women who left behind the comforts of Western life to successfully adopt, raise, and return to the wild, orangutans and elephants who have lost their mothers due to us evil humans.
Years ago, illegal logging shrinking the rain forests prompted primatologist, Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas, to open the Tanjung Puting National Park in central Borneo. Over time and with her dedicated staff, she’s come up with an extraordinary system to not only raise baby orangutans, but, quite remarkably, to do so in a way that doesn’t impede their ability to eventually re-enter the wild.
Founded by her late husband, Dr. Dame Daphne M. Sheldrick runs the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust that just as successfully raises baby elephants made orphans by rampant poaching.
In high-definition, the scenery is jaw-droppingly gorgeous (photos available here) and the narrative itself is pretty interesting, though noticeably sanitary in presentation. Everyone — human and animals alike — are always smiling and having a marvelous time. Things are so Disney-fied, in fact, that you will believe animals never poop, employees (all wearing matching, colorful uniforms like Bond henchmen in a hollowed-out volcano) are never unhappy, and that insects simply don’t exist.
Plenty of scenes are dedicated to moments that will delight children. Baby orangutans and elephants are adorable creatures and it’s hard not to smile as they romp and play, especially when it’s all set to a toe-tapping pop song. Do-goodery mixed with antics will probably make for the perfect baby sitter.
There’s no real story here, though, other than watching the steps involved in the raising, care and eventual release of our cute little friends. This is the moment when Morgan Freeman dutifully reminds us that whether or not these animals survive is really “up to us”, and we’re all left to wonder if anyone bothers to adopt all those non-cute species suffering under the exact same circumstances.
‘IMAX: Born to be Wild’ available on Blu-ray Combo pack, DVD and for download today at Amazon.com.
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