Review by Stuart O'Connor
Narrated by Morgan Freeman | Featuring Birute Galdikas, Daphne Sheldrick
Written by Drew Fellman | Cert UK U | US G | Runtime 40 minutes | Directed by David Lickley
Now this is what 3D is really meant for. Forget your monster robots, misanthropic gods and CGI toys ... heartwarming documentaries like Born to be Wild demonstrate the true value of 3D filmmaking.
Narrated by Morgan Freeman (are there no other documentary narrators in the world?), this is a lovely look at how orphaned baby orangutans in the Borneo rainforest, and orphaned baby elephants in Kenya, are rescued, raised, rehabilitated and eventually returned to the wild. And in both countries, the work has been led by two amazing women – Biruté Galdikas in Borneo, and Dame Daphne Sheldrick in Kenya.
It's a heartwarming tale that is tinged with sadness, because it's the fault of thoughtless – often greedy and evil – humans that these animals need rescuing from in the first place. The elephants' mothers have been killed by poachers; the orangutans' habitat is being destroyed by loggers. In both countries, these extraordinary two women have devoted their lives to making sure that these beautiful babies grow to adulthood and live their lives back in the wild.
It's wonderfully shot, and full of warmth and humour and some brilliant camerawork from the IMAX team. The only slight quibble is that, at just 40 minutes, it really does feel too short. You definitely want to spend more time with these wonderful creatures, and the amazing people doing all they can to ensure that future generations can enjoy them too.