Wow. I really enjoyed this presentation. Great choice to open with soft moist clumps of snow falling from a night time sky. The 3D so sparkled on this digital effect that kids in the audience had both hands up in the air trying to catch a floating flake or two. This scene spliced splendidly against a big wonderful shot of the hard edge a flat-topped glacier spilling multiple waterfalls into the ocean below. An exciting and chilling preface to a powerful piece of big movie. That said the crashing ice font should have probably been limited to just the film's title. It's a little much to reprise it on every opening credit.

The expansive aerial images are interspersed nicely throughout the production maintaining breathtaking awe and providing you with that magical feeling of being there without the trouble and inhospitable temperatures. The "ice" shares the starring role with wildlife. As the poster suggests, polar bears get top billing and lots of white furry camera time. You'll marvel at every shot. And the underwater images of these bears swimming seemingly within a few strokes of the camera are absolutely jaw-dropping. The caribou migration gets some air time. A newlywed couple following them on foot adds an even more compelling angle to that story. Walruses also cameo.

Love the music. The score is good, but it's the songs of Paul McCartney that bring a welcome warmth to these brisk visuals. "Because" is especially powerful. Surprisingly "I am the Walrus" isn't on the track (guess John wrote that one).

I highly recommend this film. No, it's not an objective scientific research report. It's clearly got an agenda to encourage us to think about the problem of global warming and continue to seek solutions for that. But so what? Where's the harm in that? Also, it's clearly biased toward polar bears. We aren't encouraged to protect any mild-mannered seals from those cute cuddly bears. That said, thankfully, the film also includes some less flattering footage of these lovabears bloodying their innocent white fur with the incidental seal feast (not to mention the constant threat of in-species cannibalism).

Great pacing and camera work. And even thought the 3D itself isn't really a big factor in the film overall, the images are still remarkable, the editing artful and the total product well worth your time. In fact, I enjoyed "In the Arctic" so much that I wanted more! I wanted to know how this photographer was able to swim with a mother polar bear and her cub and not be end up as seafood. I wanted to know more about the husband & wife's adventure following the caribou migration on foot. That alone is fascinating! Is there a book? (If you two need a ghost rider -- contact me!) And lastly, what about the poor seals? Are they of no interest, except to fill the bellies of polar bears? Alas, the proof of successful engagement, leaving your audience with a stimulated curiosity.

Showing Through October at California Science Center IMAX