What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this stunning nature documentary portrays how animals around the world are born, live, and, yes, die. Although there aren't any grisly shots of predators ripping apart their prey, there are disturbing scenes in which animals are chased and attacked. In a few cases, the predators win; you see them grip their catch with their teeth, but then the scene quickly changes. Other than those possibly upsetting scenes -- plus another in which an animal dies of starvation and exhaustion -- the film is appropriate (and educational) for kids of all ages. It's worth noting that the movie uses footage from the acclaimed TV series Planet Earth, so if you've seen that, you've seen the images included here.
- Families can talk about the circle of life. Some of the animal death scenes may be upsetting, but they're also part of nature. How do kids feel about seeing some animals attack others? Does it make them feel differently about the predators?
- Were the animals overly humanized, or was it clear that animals aren'texactly like people?
- Families can also talk about how the planet'screatures are all interconnected. How does the changing climate in onepart of the world affect animals across the globe?