ANNOUNCEMENT / NOTE:
Cathay Cineplexes & The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) will be donating $1 for every ticket purchased to WWF Singapore during the opening weekend of Disneynature’s Born In China.
CATHAY EXCLUSIVE
Disneynature’s Born In China
生于中国
Language
English with no subtitles
Cast
Narrated by John Krasinski
Synopsis
Narrated by John Krasinski (“13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi,” NBC’s “The Office,” “Amazon’s “Jack Ryan”), Disneynature's new True Life Adventure film “Born In China” takes an epic journey into the wilds of China where few people have ever ventured. Following the stories of three animal families, the film transports audiences to some of the most extreme environments on Earth to witness some of the most intimate moments ever captured in a nature film. A doting panda bear mother guides her growing baby as she begins to explore and seek independence. A two-year-old golden monkey who feels displaced by his new baby sister joins up with a group of free-spirited outcasts. And a mother snow leopard—an elusive animal rarely caught on camera—faces the very real drama of raising her two cubs in one of the harshest and most unforgiving environments on the planet. Featuring stunning, never-before-seen imagery, the film navigates China’s vast terrain—from the frigid mountains to the heart of the bamboo forest—on the wings of red-crowned cranes, seamlessly tying the extraordinary tales together. Opening in Cathay Cineplexes on the 17th August, 2017, “Born in China” is directed by accomplished Chinese filmmaker Lu Chuan, and produced by Disney’s Roy Conli and renowned nature filmmakers Brian Leith and Phil Chapman.
Reviews
By Hoai 18 Aug 2017
‘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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