Earth (2009)

Similar to the recent “Babies,” the Disney/Discovery/BBC documentary “Earth” is critic proof. Its 90 minutes of absolute wonder as cameras roam around Earth from the North Pole to Antarctica to Africa, Canada and India, as we follow simple stories of animal survival – happy and sad – unfolding during the course of a year. The voice of James Earl Jones takes us through each story, with the perfect pitch to each occasion, again happy or sad. If there is a gripe -- and it’s futile -- to make, it’s that the narration warns us of man-made dangers to the Earth, but the only on-screen humans we ever see are the camera crews during the end credits. A little commentary, a nudge, a slight finger to the ribs, for humanity to wake the hell up before it’s too late, is needed. Especially in these dark Gulf of Mexico days. A-