To the Arctic (2012)

67% of critics liked it
(27 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(6,411 ratings)

An extraordinary journey to the top of the world, the documentary adventure To The Arctic tells the ultimate tale of survival. Narrated by Meryl Streep, the film takes audiences on a never-before-experienced journey into the lives of a mother polar bear and her twin seven-month-old cubs as they… More An extraordinary journey to the top of the world, the documentary adventure To The Arctic tells the ultimate tale of survival. Narrated by Meryl Streep, the film takes audiences on a never-before-experienced journey into the lives of a mother polar bear and her twin seven-month-old cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating, adventurous and intimate footage brings moviegoers up close and personal with this family's struggle to survive in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls, and majestic snow-bound peaks. -- (C) Warner Bros

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Rating, Runtime: G, 40 min.
Directed By: Greg MacGillivray
Genres: Documentary

In Theaters: Apr 20, 2012 Limited
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Critic Reviews

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Is there a law that says we can't have some virtuosity with our virtuousness?
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.
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...
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...
David DeWitt, New York Times
Good on you, polar bears, and kudos to the cinematic expertise that captures them, especially underwater.
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.
Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media
Educational documentary explores life in the frozen wild.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Makes a most compelling and persuasive argument for preserving the rapidly diminishing Arctic ice.
Scott A. Mantz, Access Hollywood
To The Arctic overcomes its otherwise simplistic storytelling arc to succeed as a touching, thought-provoking and awe-inspiring triumph.
Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
The movie educates without shouting by showing a very large ecological problem through the activities of one small family.
Marshall Fine, Hollywood & Fine
It's a way of lighting the fuse of consciousness about looming environmental catastrophe, while offering a captivating film at the same time.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Any trip to this area of the globe is worth the journey, but for all of the warning and dire passages of the story, there's no sustained sting of reaction, with much of the worry communicated here equaling white noise.
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.
Marsha McCreadie, Film Journal International
A lovely fable about nature and motherhood in the North Pole. The problem is, it may scare the pants off you. The other problem is, it's all true.