Enchanted Kingdom, new wildlife film, review

This video is the trailer of the new film Enchanted Kingdom, aka Nature 3D. It is the first film in 3D by the BBC Earth filmmakers.

The theme of the film is wildlife in Africa, centred around water.

It was filmed in 13 African countries.

This is the first time ever that I went to a cinema and put 3D glasses on. They did enhance seeing the movie: an elephant‘s trunk seems to reach out to very close to the audience; there is more depth in mountain scenery; you see more clearly how various fish in a coral reef swim behind each other; etc.

Just after the beginning, a forest which exists because of rain water. Millions of army ants march through the rainforest, feeding on animals much bigger than the ants.

Then, a gorilla family.

Then, volcanism in Africa. It seems to make life impossible. However, at Lake Bogoria in Kenya (see also here), volcanism creates the right conditions for many lesser flamingoes to feed.

The movie continues to the almost waterless sandy desert in Namibia. And shows how snakes, lizards and insects adapt to that harsh environment. Much of this part of the film are macro lens recordings.

East of Namibia is Botswana. Also a rather dry country most of the time. Elephant herds have to migrate over long distances to find water at last. They have to be careful because of lion attacks.

Then, from an environment with little water to one of 100% water: a coral reef in the sea off Africa. Where hawksbill sea turtles, lionfish and many other animals live.

Then, to the highest level in Africa. Mountains of over 5,000 meter, like Mount Kenya. Near the top, water, especially during freezing nights, exists only in the form of snow or ice. Special plant species have adapted to these high altitude circumstances. So have gelada baboons in the Ethiopian highlands.

Eventually, the ice melts, and forms rivers which get bigger and bigger. Pied kingfishers dive for fish into these rivers. During their long migration to Maasai Mara in Kenya, wildebeest follow the water of the rain. They have to cross river water, where Nile crocodiles which have not eaten for a year may attack them.

This is a really good film. One of the good sides is that, contrary to the film Earth by the same filmmakers, and contrary to some other good wildlife films, the film Enchanted Kingdom does not have on screen greenwash propaganda for polluting corporate sponsors.