Ocean with David Attenborough (2025)

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  ScreenZealots

  6 / 10

  The documentary “Ocean with David Attenborough” tends to prioritize education over entertainment, which can make for a dull viewing experience. The information is compelling and well-delivered, but the tone is repetitive and mundane. Luckily, the film is beautiful. True to National Geographic’s reputation, the film is a visually dazzling display of all the natural wonders the world’s oceans have to offer. From vibrant coral reefs to sweeping vistas of vast open waters, the film delivers eye-popping beauty even when the narrative leans into a more academic tone.
  
  Narrated and hosted by the legendary Sir David Attenborough, the film carries the quiet gravitas of a college-level marine biology lecture wrapped in the cinematic gloss of high-end nature photography. His familiar calm and authoritative voice grounds the documentary with a sense of trust and wisdom. While Attenborough’s on-camera appearances lend a more television-style feel to the film, his proper British narration preserves a more cinematic tone.
  
  The documentary explores the ocean not just as a place of beauty, but as a vital force in maintaining the balance of life on Earth. From coral reefs to kelp jungles to remote seamounts, Ocean draws connections between ecosystems that are both majestic and under threat. It doesn’t shy away from difficult truths: overfishing, plastic pollution, coral bleaching, and industrial damage are depicted and discussed. But what sets this film apart is its unwavering sense of hope. In every dire moment, Attenborough offers a counterbalance with stories of recovery, regeneration, and real-world solutions to preservation that are already gaining ground.
  
  This is not a thrill-a-minute documentary, nor does it pretend to be. The film’s mission is clear: it’s meant to inform, inspire, and advocate by making the case that the fate of the world’s oceans is tied to our own. “Ocean with David Attenborough” not only reminds us all of what we stand to lose, but it serves as a powerful rallying cry for what we still have time to protect.
  
  By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS

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