'Earth' review

"Earth" (Credit: Steven Kazlowski/naturepl.com)

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Birds migrate. Polar bears wander. Lions hunt. James Earl Jones narrates.

The buzz: When someone releases a movie called "Earth" on Earth Day it's only a matter of time until Flag Day brings "Flags: More Than Just Thread on a Pole." On the plus side, Disneynature's documentary "Earth" is an extension of the acclaimed BBC TV series "Planet Earth," and Jones' voice comforts like a crackling fire in the middle of winter.

The verdict: The movie is full of great, gorgeous footage: a rainforest bird's mating dance; a young caribou trying to outrun a wolf; baby ducks trying to fly but instead, as Jones says, "falling with style." Though it jumps across the globe at random, "Earth" is ultimately a stunning depiction of the world's exciting and harsh realities, from walrus parenting techniques to the effect of melting ice on polar bears. Good luck finding a sight as poetic as a lone elephant in the Kalahari trying to find its family, following the tracks in the wrong direction.

Did you know? Apparently some whales swallow thousands of krill in one gulp. Perhaps if they ate slower they'd better appreciate the krill's complex flavor and lose some of that blubber. It's almost bikini season!

Note: For every "Earth" ticket purchased for April 22-26, a tree will be planted

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