‘Born in China’ will not give its audience National Geographic-style facts and statistics. But what it can do is to give families a good time watching cute animals and enjoying the beauty of nature.
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Directed by Lu Chuan, Born in China is a visually breathtaking documentary about four animal families – pandas, golden snub-nosed monkeys, snow leopards and antelopes – in their natural habitats across China. The film follows these animals through the four seasons, starting and ending with spring, to capture the ever-changing landscape and weather as well as how the animals adapt to the changes in their respective environment.
The four storylines feature Dawa the snow leopard in her quest to feed and protect her two cubs from other leopards; Tao Tao the young monkey who feels left out when his family gives all their attention to his baby sister; mother panda Ya Ya and her newly born daughter Mei Mei; and finally a herd of Tibetan antelopes migrating away from their male partners to give birth to tiny young calves.
These stories, read by the delightful and witty voice-over narrator John Krasinski, are engaging and funny, but they obviously target a much younger audience and can come off as being rather kiddish at times. Especially in Tao Tao’s tale of juvenile rebellion, the narration is mostly put together through editing that it feels somewhat forced and scripted. But considering the target audiences are mostly below the age of twelve, the stories serve their purpose of keeping the kids engaged and entertained.
What is most impressive about the documentary has to be the stunning visuals of China. The rich and vibrant colour palette of nature makes the film such a mesmerising visual treat as it switches back and forth amongst the different picturesque landscapes, ones that most of us will never get to see with our own eyes.
‘Born in China’ will not give its audience National Geographic-style facts and statistics. But what it can do is to give families a good time watching cute animals and enjoying the beauty of nature. The lessons about family values and the cycle of life weaved into the narrative are also a nice bonus. Make sure to stick around for the outtakes during the credits to catch a glimpse of the shooting process, which is no less fascinating than the film itself.
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