In this era, one wonders if we have become so used to seeing the impossible with our own eyes that we are now jaded- harder to impress. I mean, we saw a helicopter on Mars this week!
Happily, the new Disney+ docuseries The Secrets of the Whales proves that a viewer can still say “wow” and “oh, my God!” while witnessing wondrous images, even on a screen as small as an iPhone. National Geographic’s production stands among their very best, which is saying something extraordinary, of course.
Photographed by renowned photojournalist Brian Skerry, who is frequently name-checked throughout, the footage is rich, intimate, and succeeds in giving the viewer a point of view that feels, again, like something impossible, or at least previously impossible to imagine.
In the first episode of four, we learn that whales are among the smartest creatures on the planet, with their own languages (we are told that each family has its own unique language, for example), that they “love deeply, play with joy and mourn their dead.”
If those words sound like human attributes, then we have run into, perhaps, the series’ only weakness, which is a tendency to go overboard on the narrative being written like a children’s booklet, not trusting the viewer, regardless of age, to “get” how amazing these creatures are without Sigourney Weaver’s super-slow narration, which os otherwise well done, and the writer’s too stylized storytelling technique. The word “culture” is used so many times I lost count – we get it: they are “just like us.”
But that is a minor quibble in the big picture, and not meant to be snarky. From New Zealand to Norway and nearly a couple dozen locations in between, the information and art are combined to make this a must-see for anyone who loves nature films. Executive Producer James Cameron makes brief appearances at the end of each episode that are worth staying for.
The four episodes, titled “Orca Dynasty,” “Humpback Song,” “Beluga Kingdom” and “Ocean Giants (Sperm Whale)”, have more than enough info unique to the respective species to have warranted the length and time investment to watch the entire series. The trailer is posted below to show you scenes rather than me describing them. These pictures tell the story much better.
The Secrets of the Whales begins streaming on Disney+ April 22 | 3 ½ out of 4 Stars |
