While Disney doesn’t have a monopoly on Earth Day they have climbed the hill of ecology by making a nature film an annual event every April 22. Last year was the aptly titled Earth, itself a condensed version of a British nature series from a few years ago. This year is Oceans and to leave no sense of mystery what next year’s Earth Day premiere will be, Oceans is preceded by the trailer for next year’s African Cats.

Oceans is helmed by no less than Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud the directors who gave the world one of the best nature docs ever - Winged Migration. The US version is narrated by Pierce Brosnan.

It’s amazing how a person would never take a small tyke to see something like Kick Ass, and yet the images in Oceans capture the cruelest ironies of nature and kids seem to be alright with the presentation. More than once we see the predatory aspect of aquatic life. A colony of baby sea turtles being killed by birds hammers home the food chain concept.

The footage constantly takes your breath away with a combination of awe and reverence. We go from up close and personal with exotic deep sea creatures to oceanic views obtained by satellite. While not quite on the level of Winged Migration Oceans still has a certain charm and certainly behaves in a serious manner. This ain’t some cute penguin flick.

- Michael Bergeron