Give Me Singing Polar Bears Anytime

Have you seen the movie trailers for the new Disney film, Earth? The film, to be released on Earth Day (April 22) follows three animal families and their struggles to survive over the course of a year. Although the animals don't have names or sing songs, according to the New York Times, the genre, which is part nature documentary and part up close and personal Disney, may be a difficult niche to carry off.

In other words, this is Bambi without animation and it remains to be seen if parents will take their children to see nature without the sugar coating, even if it is rated G. To me, it is almost a no-win situation for the company that brought you Mickey Mouse.

I understand Disney is trying to both grow up and capitalize on the "green" back to nature movement. Hence the film is made by the same people who made the highly successful Planet Earth mini-series on the Discovery Channel. And to be fair, the photography is spectacular--at least the shots I have seen in the trailers.

But, elephants are not penguins and neither are polar bears. Not that penguins are any less subject to being anthropomorphized, but there is something about laying eggs versus giving birth to live beings that makes the birds a heartbeat away from us. Elephants and polar bears are too close and too subject to being stuffed animal cuddly, even if they really aren't.

Hence when a baby elephant is separated from its mother and dies and the father of two polar bear cubs bleeds to death, it may be too much stark reality for animal loving adults, let alone kids. Yes, it is the real world but since when has Disney ever been about reality?

My advice to Disney would have been to create a "green" ride somewhere in its theme parks, promote all it does to recycle and maybe even install low flush toilets and showers in its hotels, but stay away from the big screen unless we are all going to feel good when we walk away from the theater, preferably humming a catchy tune.