This documentary has so much story to it. The characters make you laugh and smile. And it's amazing to see the stories that elephants bring among them. Probably one of the best nature documentaries I've watched in a while!
23 Reviews
OMG - Super powerful
albertojh16 February 2021
Good overall, but annoying sound effects
e-bently1 December 2019
Overall this was good, narration was really good and so to was the photography. The one bit I did find annoying, which detracted from the documentary som what was some of the dumb sound effects e.g. helicopter sounds when following a beetle flying, or the 1950 sound effect of punching added to beetles fighting. To me, it was totally unnecessary.
Powerful & Sad
pamelareh12 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Humans are responsible for the climate chaos that's destroying our planet & the majestic creatures like Athena & her young she guards with such care. We have so much to learn from our animal companions if we we only had eyes to see & ears to hear. It's hard for me to watch these documentaries. While we humans have mostly lived it up like drunken teenagers, the planet, the animals, the trees & all other sentient beings suffer the consequences of our irresponsibility. Still this documentary was told so gently & with so much beauty that I could watch it without feeling completely devastated even though the end credits shared that Athens is missing along with the elephant king. Poachers & big game muderers remain a constant threat even in the most protected sanctuaries. All our voices matter...may we all be a force for healing & good.
Beautiful family aaga
rhonda06947 February 2020
Such a raw and beautiful chronicle of Athena and her family. Elephants are beautiful, loving family oriented creatures. I loved watching their struggle to survive the dry season. I was moved to rears and elated share in their triumphant return to their homeland. Beautifully shot and narrated! A must see!
Amazing
markstandlick2 November 2019
Queen of elephant documentaries
TheLittleSongbird26 April 2021
2018's 'The Elephant Queen' appealed to me straightaway. Am a great fan of nature documentaries, especially the work of David Attenborough. Love elephants and have done ever since seeing 'Dumbo' for the first time and instantly relating to the titular character, such majestic beautiful animals. Chiwetel Ejiofor is an actor of considerable talent, evident in '12 Years a Slave', and has the right sort of voice for this kind of documentary.
'The Elephant Queen' is a triumph. Have not seen a better documentary on elephants anywhere (much, much better than last year's DisneyNature documentary 'Elephant', which was chiefly let down by disastrous narration), and it is a truly beautiful documentary and film in its own way. Also the best nature documentary seen since 'Eye of the Leopard', reviewed in January. This is a primary example of how to balance educational facts and telling a very human but not over-humanised story that resonates. Also a primary example of how to have more than one tone and balance them expertly.
Visually, 'The Elephant Queen' looks gorgeous. Have not seen the savannah look so imposingly beautiful yet uncompromisingly unyielding in quite some time. The elephants are a spectacular sight and everything is spectacularly photographed, with no cheap gimmicks in sight, the vivid colours popping out on screen. The music is an expert balance of the grand and the subtle, without sounding over-scored or lacking in presence.
Can find absolutely no fault with the elephants, they are amazing and it was very easy to root for them, their triumphs and struggles every step of the way. The narration has no clumsy or childish attempts at humour and is not too serious, it also doesn't spell things out too much and doesn't over-explain. Instead it entertains, it teaches (with a good mix of the familiar and the not so familiar) and moves. Ejiofor delivers this great material with dignity and charm.
Absolutely loved the storytelling, which had amusing humorous moments but it's the dramatic and emotional moments that fare even better. There are parts that are darkly disturbing, but not in a traumatising way. This was necessary though, as the struggles that elephants have to endure are very harsh and life-threatening. Their journey really warms the heart, not since 'The Last Lions' has a portrayal of the love of a mother animal warmed my heart or moved me to this extent. And it also moved me to tears, this is quite the emotional experience.
Summing up, absolutely wonderful. 10/10.
'The Elephant Queen' is a triumph. Have not seen a better documentary on elephants anywhere (much, much better than last year's DisneyNature documentary 'Elephant', which was chiefly let down by disastrous narration), and it is a truly beautiful documentary and film in its own way. Also the best nature documentary seen since 'Eye of the Leopard', reviewed in January. This is a primary example of how to balance educational facts and telling a very human but not over-humanised story that resonates. Also a primary example of how to have more than one tone and balance them expertly.
Visually, 'The Elephant Queen' looks gorgeous. Have not seen the savannah look so imposingly beautiful yet uncompromisingly unyielding in quite some time. The elephants are a spectacular sight and everything is spectacularly photographed, with no cheap gimmicks in sight, the vivid colours popping out on screen. The music is an expert balance of the grand and the subtle, without sounding over-scored or lacking in presence.
Can find absolutely no fault with the elephants, they are amazing and it was very easy to root for them, their triumphs and struggles every step of the way. The narration has no clumsy or childish attempts at humour and is not too serious, it also doesn't spell things out too much and doesn't over-explain. Instead it entertains, it teaches (with a good mix of the familiar and the not so familiar) and moves. Ejiofor delivers this great material with dignity and charm.
Absolutely loved the storytelling, which had amusing humorous moments but it's the dramatic and emotional moments that fare even better. There are parts that are darkly disturbing, but not in a traumatising way. This was necessary though, as the struggles that elephants have to endure are very harsh and life-threatening. Their journey really warms the heart, not since 'The Last Lions' has a portrayal of the love of a mother animal warmed my heart or moved me to this extent. And it also moved me to tears, this is quite the emotional experience.
Summing up, absolutely wonderful. 10/10.
Worth watching!
mumi-5151411 November 2019
Tusk-en Raider
southdavid2 December 2020
The next movie on Apple Plus was another documentary, this one a 2018 nature feature, centring on an African waterhole, and the Elephant herd that call it home.
A small waterhole in Kenya provides support for an ecosystem including bullfrogs, chameleons, dung beetles, geese but most notably a herd of Elephants. When the dry season arrives, the waterhole dries up and the elephants are forced to trek for miles to find a more reliable water source. Led by the Matriarch, Athena, there are difficult choices to make as the journey is long and the herd includes young children.
I should say, upfront, I'm not really a massive fan of animal documentaries. I'm not convinced that anthromorphising creatures helps our understanding that much and on a basic level, the stories are limited as eat, procreate and die is all wild animals really do. That said, it's not difficult to appreciate the work that goes into them. Hours of covert filming must be done in order to capture the key moments and then be edited into a narrative, it's a massive undertaking. There's lots of beautiful shots of the savannah, particularly drone/helicopter shots showing the massive distances that that herd will traverse and conversely, the extreme close ups to show tadpoles when they are little more than a few cells.
Whilst it's not exactly nature in "tooth and claw", indeed predators are largely but not entirely absent, there are some moments which are surprising and unexpectedly sad and show a reality of life for these animals that human endeavour is only making worse. Chiwetel Ejiofor's narration is good, and his occasionally funny or mildly suggestive script helps sell the narrative more. Like another reviewer, I could have done without the silly sound effects added to certain elements though.
A nicely made documentary, just one that given its subject, and my tastes, I'm unlikely to revisit.
A small waterhole in Kenya provides support for an ecosystem including bullfrogs, chameleons, dung beetles, geese but most notably a herd of Elephants. When the dry season arrives, the waterhole dries up and the elephants are forced to trek for miles to find a more reliable water source. Led by the Matriarch, Athena, there are difficult choices to make as the journey is long and the herd includes young children.
I should say, upfront, I'm not really a massive fan of animal documentaries. I'm not convinced that anthromorphising creatures helps our understanding that much and on a basic level, the stories are limited as eat, procreate and die is all wild animals really do. That said, it's not difficult to appreciate the work that goes into them. Hours of covert filming must be done in order to capture the key moments and then be edited into a narrative, it's a massive undertaking. There's lots of beautiful shots of the savannah, particularly drone/helicopter shots showing the massive distances that that herd will traverse and conversely, the extreme close ups to show tadpoles when they are little more than a few cells.
Whilst it's not exactly nature in "tooth and claw", indeed predators are largely but not entirely absent, there are some moments which are surprising and unexpectedly sad and show a reality of life for these animals that human endeavour is only making worse. Chiwetel Ejiofor's narration is good, and his occasionally funny or mildly suggestive script helps sell the narrative more. Like another reviewer, I could have done without the silly sound effects added to certain elements though.
A nicely made documentary, just one that given its subject, and my tastes, I'm unlikely to revisit.
One of the best documentary
luca-137-6471225 November 2019
quietly overwhelming.
wifeofbath18 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
For some reason, all ! want to watch during Coronavirus isolation are films about wild animals.... This one is a quietly compelling. A story of inter and co-dependancy among species (who knew bullfrogs could be so gruesome) gives way to an intimate but epic, beautiful but harrowing journey. Death seems closer than ever for animals in the wild.
The narrative text is a bit OTT at ties, but you only really notice because, when you consider the starkness and the grandeur of what you're looking at (the cinematography is a glory), words are either not enough or not necessary. By the end, you're left with an awful 'how long can they go on?' (climate change, pollution, habitat destruction, poachers - y'know, the 'side effects' of that human virus infecting the planet...) sort of feeling.
David Attenborough's comment came to mind! "The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?" or film.
The narrative text is a bit OTT at ties, but you only really notice because, when you consider the starkness and the grandeur of what you're looking at (the cinematography is a glory), words are either not enough or not necessary. By the end, you're left with an awful 'how long can they go on?' (climate change, pollution, habitat destruction, poachers - y'know, the 'side effects' of that human virus infecting the planet...) sort of feeling.
David Attenborough's comment came to mind! "The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?" or film.
Wonderfull
japanguy-13 November 2019
As Botswana weeks, the reality of elephants
matlock-gm4 July 2020
Viewing this documentary has additional resonance in the week when the plight of Botswana's elephants has been widely reported.
A mysterious cause has resulted in the mass death of hundreds of these endangered creatures, in a country home to one third of Africa's elephants.
So watching this movie has been doubly moving as we become witnesses to a tribe of elephants led by the brave Athena.
At times funny, as they tip toe around tortoises and frogs, they must navigate drought and other challenges.
Magnificently filmed to the standard we would expect from David Attenborough's BBC crew.
I hope it makes people wake up to the real dangers these magnificent creatures face, and that we help their future in the wild.
Why didn't they rescue Mimi?
henrycoles915 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The movie takes a heartbreaking turn for the worst toward the end and I can't help thinking why the filmmakers couldn't intervene to rescue the young elephant calf Mimi as they watched her succumb to the drought right before their eyes. They are an endangered species, for heaven's sake.
Another scene seared on my mind is when the herd, on the way back to Athena's kingdom hoping for the rainy season, stop to pay tribute to a fallen fellow elephant by rubbing their trunks on its skull. It was utterly surreal.
Another scene seared on my mind is when the herd, on the way back to Athena's kingdom hoping for the rainy season, stop to pay tribute to a fallen fellow elephant by rubbing their trunks on its skull. It was utterly surreal.
An incredible documentary
adriendelesseps9 November 2019
Excellent Story
hatimboutros3 October 2020
Nature is not made for us. We are made for nature and our mission is to exponentially revolve and expand life across the galactic landscape. This is humanity's Purposehood. It all start by ensuring nature flourish in our common homeland, Earth.
A Must See!
SkokieSue13 September 2023
This is the best animal document I have ever seen. I don't really watch animal documentaries any more. As I get older, I find that I cannot take the attacks by predators, and the inevitable scenes of animals dying. Makes me cry like a baby. This one has only one scene that will make you cry. Otherwise, it is pretty tame and uplifting.
It's not only about the elephants. It shows how other animals (birds, reptiles, insect and other mammals) interact and live alongside them in harmony in the harsh environment, and the changes from a paradise to a baron dryland.
There are some hilarious scenes too. The dung beetle scenes are embellished with sound effects. Like when three of them get into a skirmish over a dung ball. Or when they smell some newly "placed" elephant poop, and hundreds of them flock towards it, accompanied by the soundtrack from the helicopter scene in Apocalypse Now, including the music from Ride of the Valkyries. Or Steven, the alway late, always last baby goose. Even frogs and turtles get some humorous on-screen time. Really makes you wonder how they capture all this amazing footage!
This is definitely a show to be shared by the family. I absolutely loved it!
....
It's not only about the elephants. It shows how other animals (birds, reptiles, insect and other mammals) interact and live alongside them in harmony in the harsh environment, and the changes from a paradise to a baron dryland.
There are some hilarious scenes too. The dung beetle scenes are embellished with sound effects. Like when three of them get into a skirmish over a dung ball. Or when they smell some newly "placed" elephant poop, and hundreds of them flock towards it, accompanied by the soundtrack from the helicopter scene in Apocalypse Now, including the music from Ride of the Valkyries. Or Steven, the alway late, always last baby goose. Even frogs and turtles get some humorous on-screen time. Really makes you wonder how they capture all this amazing footage!
This is definitely a show to be shared by the family. I absolutely loved it!
....
If only God gave humans elephants brains
gee-8729119 June 2021
It would be a much better world if God gave humans elephants brains there caring compassionate and there only focus in on there family's and the protection and happiness of there families. I gotta say God for it wrong when it came to humans there selfish greedy heartless and flat out stupid. Family values mean nothing in this society at least the elephants understand what family and loyalty really means.
Mammal mothers
mbatzaya-8070322 May 2021
Watched The Elephant Mother on Apple tv and realized how alike we really are as mothers. A mother who is sacrificing everything to the extent possible just to make the little one a little bit stronger, a little bit healthier; delaying everything until the little one gets a little older. Waiting and hoping and praying and delaying.
really exceptional animal-documentary
arminwax24 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I liked it!
Visual impressions were spectacular.
They even implemented storyline and kept the "scholaring" about "climate change" to a minimum.
They implemented some sound effects, which made me wonder, if there were more inserts, than appropriate...
Also I couldn't understand, how they could let a little elephant die...
Loved it, tough!
Impressive Work!
Visual impressions were spectacular.
They even implemented storyline and kept the "scholaring" about "climate change" to a minimum.
They implemented some sound effects, which made me wonder, if there were more inserts, than appropriate...
Also I couldn't understand, how they could let a little elephant die...
Loved it, tough!
Impressive Work!
A spectacular film
dagnew9914 February 2022
Amazing
glavas-544044 January 2022
I'm so touched from the story of the elephants. It is sad how the climate change make the lives so difficult. If it was raining one more time probably the story of the little elephant would be different. Incredible how every animal species play his role for the survival other animals.
It pulls on your heart strings - superb documentary!
joeg997130 December 2021
Truly amazing - I am lost for words! Get ready to experience the full cycle of life from a great laugh to a somber heartbreaking moment. I strongly recommend this documentary, the filmmaking is really amazing, the storyline - from start to end is really well put together.
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