In the IMAX film “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar 3D,” which opened on Friday, David Douglas takes audiences around the world on an incredible journey through the Madagascar wilderness to expose the truth about a species that thrived long ago and is now becoming severely endangered.
Narrated by Morgan Freeman, “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar 3D” follows the journey of Dr. Patricia Wright, an American primatologist, conservationist and anthropologist, who became interested in lemurs after realizing these creatures are highly evolved from millions of years ago after arriving in Madagascar as castaways.
Wright originally came to Madagascar to focus on a particular breed of lemur called the greater bamboo lemur that, at one point, was in great abundance, but hasn’t been spotted in the Madagascar forests for a very long time. To prove that this relaxed and curious breed is not completely endangered, Wright set out to find one and is not disappointed.
In this 40-minute film, not only does Wright focus on lemurs, but she also talks about the deforestation and brush fires that continue to devastate the Madagascar forests and eliminate many breeds of lemurs from existence.
In the hopes of saving the lemurs, Wright goes the distance to repopulate these creatures that have outlived the dinosaurs, and she continues to do research and conserve the land of Madagascar so the species can hopefully thrive once again.
Throughout the movie, Freeman does an excellent job narrating the lifestyle of the typical lemur living in Madagascar including how they fend for food, how they travel and who is the head of the lemur pack. Primarily focusing on ring-tailed lemurs and the greater bamboo lemur, it would have been nice to learn about a couple different breeds of lemurs.
Seeing this movie in 3D definitely makes all the difference. When watching, the audience feels like they are swinging from tree to tree along with the lemurs, or walking along the trails with Wright doing research, giving them a strong connection to the film.
The music played in the film is similar to any wildlife documentary you’ve seen in the past. When there is a suspenseful moment, the music helps to put the audience on the edge of their seat, and when there is a calm moment, the music goes along smoothly with the actions. The music also gives a touch of western rhythms with the typical wildlife documentary orchestral music.
Throughout the film, the audience has the chance to learn about the many different types of lemurs in existence, why it’s so important for them to remain populated in the Madagascar forests and how to help conserve areas of land to keep other species from joining the endangered species list.
“Island of Lemurs: Madagascar 3D” takes audiences on a colorful, wildlife journey through Madagascar to uncover the ugly truth the many species of lemurs face every day. If you are at all interested in wildlife, conservation or cute animals in general, this movie is definitely for you.
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jwrixon@ramapo.edu
