Disney’s Oceans Trailer

Posted by on April 22nd, 2009   Filed under: Documentary, Trailers

oceanstrailer

So I guess nature documentaries are back in vogue again. Ever since March of the Penguins made $127 million back in 2005 and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary, we’ve been seeing a lot of similar attempts to bring lavish landscapes and cute creatures to the big screen with varying success. Then Oprah re-ignited the craze by plugging the Planet Earth series on her show, and now Disney has launched Disneynature, a spin-off label dedicated solely to nature films.

With their new film Earth hitting theatres today in order to coincide with Earth Day, Disney has also unveiled the trailer for their 2010 Earth Day release, Oceans. Yep, you better get used to it — this is going to become an annual tradition. (I get the feeling that they may be missing the point of Earth Day by turning it into a big commercial venture, but what do I know?) The cool thing about Oceans is that it’s directed by Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud who previously did Winged Migration. Disney also has the following nature flicks on deck: The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos, Orangutans: One Minute to Midnight, and Big Cats. While I think nature documentaries can be both fascinating and beautiful, I’m less excited about the Disney approach where they tend to try and make a cute little story out of it all. What do you think, are you excited to see movies like this on the big screen, or do you generally find nature films to be boring? Check out the trailer for Oceans in HD over at Apple.com.



  • I like nature documentaries and shows, but I doubt that I would ever pay to watch one on the big screen.

  • Sara

    I watched the trailer and some of it looks computer animated. Is this all real footage or is some of it animated?

  • Resident01

    Some of the shots look like repurposed footage from Planet Earth (which is all their “new” film Earth is), and others look new. Is it a combination, or is it all new footage and I’ve just watched Planet Earth too much?

  • Jennifer

    They don’t make it cute, although funny at some points. It’s raw and many scenes of animals conquering their prey. They show how they filmed the footage at the end of the documentary so I don’t think it was altered. Finally, Walt Disney had a nature series previously,this has been in the making, not some recently developed thing.More of a continued legacy.

  • Jennifer

    Also… about Planet Earth

    Q. Tell us about the genesis of the movie and how it differs from the BBC series Planet Earth, which supplied about 60% of the footage.

    A. We had the movie commissioned at the same time as the television series, so we were able to work on both projects in parallel. From the very beginning, we had a separate script and plan for the movie, (which) was going to tell this extraordinary story of the sun and its seasonal influence on the planet through the eyes of three key characters: the polar bears in the north, the elephants in the tropics and the humpback whales taking us from the tropics to Antarctica to complete the journey.

  • This is the shit that should be in the new digital 3D!!! People would literally soil themselves.

  • swarez

    “I watched the trailer and some of it looks computer animated. Is this all real footage or is some of it animated?”

    The mouse and the deer in the beginning were animated yes.

  • I also feel like there is some computer tampering going on with some images. The 3 penguins jumping onto the ice looks suspect and the spinning dolphin as well. In general it looks like highlights and shading (dynamic ranges) have been pushed beyond what “film” usually yields, but it is really hard to tell these things. Any others thinking this???

  • cak

    Can’t stand US documentaries, such as on the History channel. They are a joke compared to true classics that come from BBC and Australia. Try to make everything so dramatic, it makes me sick. As if you need some presenter announcing absurdly to make nature any better. If it is anything like this, it deserves to die.

  • what

    I think people take to heart that the word “Disney” appears. They assume that it is made by a money hungry evil corporation and thus end up missing out on some of the best nature footage taken by some of the best camera men and women in the world.
    They worked with the BBC (not stole) big whoop… Get over it and go see it, then unplug you entire house before logging onto the internet to complain that they aren’t doing their part for earth day. Put it on mute if the narrator bothers you, its the footage you should watch it for.

  • koyonasquatsi

    This film was made by a French company Galatee, they did winged migration and other amazing films. Disney is the main buyer for release. It is a French film 99% more than US of A. There is no computer enhancements in Oceans, only footage by teams of camera crew around the world over 4 years. Filmed in HD with classified beta and gamma positioning it is truly a magnificent spectacle….

  • Joe

    I agree with comment 3 and 5, they did take footage from Planet Earth and this is just beating what ever is left of that amazing footage to death with revamped narration by some “Disney” standards probably, also meaning the narration is most likely horrible.

  • nrdufour

    Too bad they had to associate with Disney in order to distribute it in USA. The US trailer is just awful compare to the original one in French(http://oceans-lefilm.com/). Perhaps Disney like to glorify themselves whatsoever.

  • Al

    Come on guys, lay off, it’s only a movie. We don’t have to hate on other people’s work because we think some one else can do better…I think it looks really cool for a movie produced by Disney (Who pioneered animated cartoons, get over it). I say, knowing I probably can’t do better, keep rockin your copacetic movies Disney.

  • Melanie

    I for one welcome it; we have alot of trashy movies on screen and off with nudity and profanity etc that you can’t even sit down and watch with your kids and family; it is refreshing to be able to sit down and relax and watch a descent movie for a change.

  • its just me

    im all for this movie and cant wait for it to come out… i think everyone over analyizes everything… its nice to finally have a movie that i can take my 4 yr old to and know that he’ll be glued to the screen loving every min of it. everyone else just needs to relax… its a movie not a political debate… if you have a problem with it then dont go see it geez. for all those who feel the need to go over it with a fine tooth comb and freak out over it…. breath in.. breath out and repeat as much as necessary.

  • Tania

    Hey. Anyone knows when Oceans are released in the UK? Cheers!

  • David

    Absolutely none of the footage came from Planet Earth or any other source. It was all shot exclusively for OCEANS (which took 4 1/2 years) under the brilliant direction of Jacques Perrin. And none of it is animated. I should know as I worked on it.

  • Simon

    I’d love to know if this will be getting a cinema release in the UK too. It looks incredible the great white footage is jaw-dropping. I also don’t think it borrows any footage from Planet Earth or any other BBC work. Anyone know if it is being released in UK cinemas?

  • Sally

    I’m looking to go and see it in the UK – looks fab and our whole family – 2 teenagers and a 10 year old – can finally agree….

  • Lindsey352

    This movie in parts look CG to me as well, but still no answers on this page as to if they are or not.Somebody doesnt want to say.