Between 1948 and 1960, Disney made fourteen nature documentary films, seven of them short subjects and seven of them full length and all narrated by Winston Hibler. Starting with 'Seal Island' and ending with 'Jungle Cat'. This series was called True Life Adventures, seen as a big fan of Disney and nature documentaries and after wanting to see some older nature documentaries. The True Life Adventures series is a more than worthwhile one and of consistently high quality (especially the short subjects) and do prefer all of them over most of the recent years DisneyNature films.
All of the seven short films in the True Life Adventures series are must watches. 'Nature's Half Acre' certainly fits my definition of a must watch and manages to make what doesn't sound at first glance like the most appealing of subject matters actually quite fascinating and very beautifully. Was expecting to not like 'Nature's Half Acre' quite as much as the other short films for some reason, it actually ended up being one of my favourites of the series.
While everything is glorious about 'Nature's Half Acre', the best aspect is the photography. All the documentaries in the series are beautifully made and hold up very well visually, but 'Nature's Half Acre' is one of the most beautiful. It's beautifully shot in vivid colour and the scenery is completely natural and is gorgeous and unyielding in equal measure. The time lapsing photography really blows the mind and quite unique for the series. The music fits more than ideally too, in one of the series' few perfect marriages of visuals and music. Didn't think that it was overused or intrusive, things that have been problems in some documentaries that exist.
'Nature's Half Acre' is very educational, did find myself learning a lot and being riveted by a subject that isn't always as interesting as ought in documentaries. It doesn't shy away from showing the dark side of what the nature depicted here has to adapt to and struggle with daily, though the emphasis on death and gloom isn't laid on as thickly as it sounded like researching it prior to watching. There are also some welcome more comedic moments, but without falling into jokiness that eluded at times the series' feature length films.
The footage is fantastic at its best and it doesn't look manipulative or staged. The time lapsing sequences are a wonder. Winston Hibler's narration delivery has always divided those that have watched the True Life Adventures films, personally had no problem with it in all but one. Here it is good natured and even the more deadpan delivery doesn't come over as that monotone.
Overall, glorious. 10/10.
All of the seven short films in the True Life Adventures series are must watches. 'Nature's Half Acre' certainly fits my definition of a must watch and manages to make what doesn't sound at first glance like the most appealing of subject matters actually quite fascinating and very beautifully. Was expecting to not like 'Nature's Half Acre' quite as much as the other short films for some reason, it actually ended up being one of my favourites of the series.
While everything is glorious about 'Nature's Half Acre', the best aspect is the photography. All the documentaries in the series are beautifully made and hold up very well visually, but 'Nature's Half Acre' is one of the most beautiful. It's beautifully shot in vivid colour and the scenery is completely natural and is gorgeous and unyielding in equal measure. The time lapsing photography really blows the mind and quite unique for the series. The music fits more than ideally too, in one of the series' few perfect marriages of visuals and music. Didn't think that it was overused or intrusive, things that have been problems in some documentaries that exist.
'Nature's Half Acre' is very educational, did find myself learning a lot and being riveted by a subject that isn't always as interesting as ought in documentaries. It doesn't shy away from showing the dark side of what the nature depicted here has to adapt to and struggle with daily, though the emphasis on death and gloom isn't laid on as thickly as it sounded like researching it prior to watching. There are also some welcome more comedic moments, but without falling into jokiness that eluded at times the series' feature length films.
The footage is fantastic at its best and it doesn't look manipulative or staged. The time lapsing sequences are a wonder. Winston Hibler's narration delivery has always divided those that have watched the True Life Adventures films, personally had no problem with it in all but one. Here it is good natured and even the more deadpan delivery doesn't come over as that monotone.
Overall, glorious. 10/10.