Océans 2010

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: This monumental documentary gets intimate enough to hear a crab sneeze. Read more

A.O. Scott, At the Movies: Oh, it's amazing. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: The wow factor alone makes Oceans a great Earth Day/Earth Week at the movies. Read more

Mary F. Pols, MSN Movies: It fulfills Jacques Cousteau's statement that 'the best way to observe a fish is to become a fish.' Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Though never quite as stirring as March of the Penguins or Winged Migration, it quickly establishes its own gentle pace. Read more

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: It comes to American theaters saddled with narration by Pierce Brosnan, who purrs through the gratingly vague script like the world's plummiest old half-drunken uncle. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: You're torn. Is this a work of nature pornography or consciousness raising? The movie thinks if it overwhelms us with the former, we won't notice the relative absence of the latter. Read more

Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News: Oceans is more of a random collection of images from the deep. But, boy, what images. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: There have, over the years, been a lot of terrific undersea documentaries, but if you want to know what distinguishes this new one, it comes down to a single word: technology. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: This really is a film that manages to show us things we've never seen and make what we have already seen look different and new. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: It is highly unlikely that you ever would have the opportunity to witness such spectacles in person; Perrin and Cluzaud scoured all five oceans to bring them to you. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: With a subject as literally vast as this one, it's essential to either narrow the focus (make the film about one particular species, or region) or carefully construct the approach (group footage by theme). Oceans does neither. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: Perfect for families and exquisitely shot, this entry from the Disneynature division is even better and fresher than last year's Earth. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: The movie could -- should -- be a symphony, and it frequently makes excellent use of spare classical music. When Brosnan pipes up, he is as welcome as a car alarm. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: The voice-over almost manages to turn the majestic into the mundane. Almost. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: Its visual splendor more than makes up for its intellectual poverty. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Exposing humans to the rich ecosystem that produced and sustains all life makes Oceans inherently valuable. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: There are life-and-death dramas, moments of playfulness and tenderness, which create an ever-increasing sense of wonder. Read more

Andrew Schenker, Time Out: The film's rigorous commitment to probing the undersea kingdom's oddities separates it from the usual tepid Discovery Channel fare... Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: While it may not plunge deeply enough, Oceans continues the worthy efforts of explorers such as Jacques Cousteau, reminding us to respect nature and preserve the myriad life forms that rely on the ocean to survive. Read more

Jay Weissberg, Variety: Boasts extraordinary images rendered with a clarity sure to become a touchstone for nature docus; even viewers who don't care about fish will find plenty to exclaim about. Read more

Michelle Orange, Village Voice: An almost miraculously photographed showcase of some of the seven seas' least seen and most incredible specimens. Read more

Rachel Saslow, Washington Post: For all Oceans does to please the eyes and ears, it does nothing to engage the brain. Read more