Whales: An Unforgettable Journey (1997)

Please don't spend money on this.

How sad is this?

Best movie ever!

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

"Whales: An Unforgettable Journey" is a 45-minute nature documentary on the animals mentioned about the title. Yes, whales are fast swimmer, but because of their huge size, this seems like a very slow movie. This is not a criticism, it's just how things are. However, this is also why it becomes a slow movie and a film like this needs a narrator who really nails his part and makes this an interesting experience that is worth the watch. In my opinion, Patrick Stewart ("Star Trek") did fine for the most part, but the women who narrated a lot as well, especially in the second half, had the talent to talk somebody to sleep. This, unfortunately, is the reason why I cannot give this little documentary more than ***/*****. In terms of the directors, writers and producers, pretty much everybody did a good job. I cannot say that there are many moments of true greatness, but it's a rock-solid watch from start to finish and you can see that Emmy winners were in charge here. Competent approach, but still I must say that this could have been easily a great film with some improvements in certain areas and not just the good one it turned out to become. Recommended.

What a great special.Shot under the best of circumstances.Blue is now my favorite color.All that underwater footage! What great work by those cameramen.I'd like to know where I can get a copy of this special.Haven't seen it in a while.Is this out on DVD? I'd gladly purchase this! There are far too few shows like this.This show displays a great understanding of these cetaceans.And what's not to like about Hawaii?

This movie is good for its educational value, but it wasn't very entertaining. The movie, except for the intro with the whale jumping out of the water towards you, dragged on for the entire 40 minutes. Not even Sam Cardon's music made it any better. Unless you're very interested in whales, don't expect too much from this documentary.

This beautifully shot documentary gives Imax viewers an idea of the how big these giants of the deep really are. There is rare footage of blue whales, along with few shots of killer whales and the smallest "toothed whales," aka dolphins and porpoises. The main part of the documentary follows the science ship Odyssey as she tracks two right whales, mother Misty and calf Echo, as they take the dangerous annual trek from Hawaii to their feeding grounds in Alaskan waters. The photography is breathtaking, with fascinating underwater shots and fantastic aerial footage. The scenes of whales feeding was really neat, and has to be seen to be appreciated. I went to see this film with about 300 elementary children, kindergarten through sixth grade. At times, you could hear a pin drop in the theater as all of the kids sat in rapt attention. "Whales" is a must see for anyone who loves whales, water or oceanography. Take the kids. Any movie that can keep that many school children quiet and well-behaved (without any threats or bribes) is well worth the price of admission!