To the Arctic 3D 2012

Critics score:
67 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

New York Times: Read more

David DeWitt, New York Times: Good on you, polar bears, and kudos to the cinematic expertise that captures them, especially underwater. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: "To the Arctic 3-D" is an impassioned plea for action on global warming, and the passion is intensified by the music. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Its breathtaking photography has a purpose beyond pretty pictures: to remind us that climate change is causing the frigid Arctic to melt, bringing disruption and challenges to the animals who can only live in snow and ice. Read more

Janice Page, Boston Globe: A movie too focused on force-feeding you its agenda is bound to come across as (sorry, but it must be said) overbearing, no matter how beautifully it's packaged. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: Yes, it's a classy affair, but the 40-minute doc's at-times-nerve-wracking power comes from the subjects who put a furry face on the ongoing and daunting issue of climate change. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: MacGillivray, a specialist in gigantic-screen nature movies including The Living Sea, is up to date in his use of 70mm IMAX film, but he's stuck in the past about how to tell a story. Read more

Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter: That suspenseful sequence is balanced by a fair share of aww moments from playful to plaintive, offering lessons in eco-consciousness. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Yes, there's some spectacular footage. But there's also an awful lot of filler for a 40-minute movie... Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Is there a law that says we can't have some virtuosity with our virtuousness? Read more

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail: A children's choir sings and a graphic of the movie title explodes into ice shards to heighten the dramatic impact. Corny? You bet... Read more

Sam Adams, Time Out: For all the hardware involved, To the Arctic's ultra-high-def images have an oddly plastic sheen. Read more

Scott Bowles, USA Today: Unless you're rich, it may be the closest thing to being there. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: Imax auteur Greg MacGillivray alternates between intimate wildlife saga and majestic views of the North Pole, offering strong visual compensations for its meandering structure, syrupy tone and excessive sampling of Paul McCartney's back catalog. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: Arguably a good lesson for kids about preserving our environment, To the Arctic is definitely a threat to our equally endangered good taste. Read more