Boxoffice-March.2000

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••*
GRIZZLY FALLS
Starring Daniel Clark, Bryan Brown.
Richard Harris, Tom Jackson and Oliver
Tobias. Directed by Stewart Raffill.
Written by Richard Beattie. Produced by
Peter S. Hampton and Allan Scott. A
Providence Entertainment release.
Adventure. Rated PG for wilderness
adventure violence and some mild language.
Running time: 9.1 min.
This is a trip down memory lane to
those Disney and similar films where all
the kids were the heroes
and all the animals cute
when they weren't being
ferocious. It
takes a serious
suspension of reality to
enjoy them. But, hey, isn't
that what movies are all
about?
Young Harry Bankston
(newcomer Daniel Clark)
goes on an expedition to
the Canadian wilderness
with his Indiana Jones-style
dad (Bryan Brown). It's a
bonding experience to
make up for father being
absent for much of his
young life, including when
his mother died.
The purpose of the trek is to bring
back a live grizzly and, naturally, it doesn't
all go according to plan. In fact it
goes so awry that Harry gets kidnapped
by a mother grizzly whose two cubs have
been captured by the expedition. Only
fair, you might say.
Ma Grizzly is actually good at her
chosen profession and Harry's only
problem seems to be that his diet is a little
undercooked. Apart from berries it
consists of raw fish, freshly-killed animals
and purloined eggs. Quit complaining,
kid—sushi and steak tartar would
cost you a packet in Beverly Hills.
The scenes with the bears are very
convincing and whatever special effects
there may be are seamless, though the
film could have done with a few less of
human-style gestures. Do grizzlies
really do that crooked arm wave thing
when they want you to hurry up? And
some of the continuity is very sloppy.
several days of being schlepped by
a bear, Harry's shirt looks like it just
came out of the dryer.
Still, it's a pretty entertaining trip for
the whole family, except for very little
kids who might find some of the scenes
too intense. Performances are adequate,
with young Mr. Clark a standout.
Richard Harris, as the much older
Harry, bookends the story and shamelessly
sets up a potential sequel. Mike
Kerrigan
REVIEWS
SPECIAL FORMATS
MYSTERIES OF EGYPT • ••
Starring Omar Sharif and Kate Maberly. Directed by Bruce Neibaur. Written in consultation
with Dr. Mark Lehner, Dr. Zahi Hawass and Dr. Nicholas Reeves. Produced
by Scott Swofford and Lisa Truit. A National Geographic release. Documentary.
Unrated. Running time: 40 min.
Set against the wondrous backdrop of the sweeping Nile and the majestic Ciza pyramids,
"Mysteries of Egypt" takes the viewer on an engaging journey through the Land
of the Pharaohs. Meant to be educational as
well as inspirational, the large-format film
conveys pertinent information in the form of
a running conversation between a wise old
grandfather (Omar Sharif), who stresses the
importance of historic perspective as well
as respect toward the ancients, and his
inquisitive granddaughter (Kate Maberly),
who is eager to hear about the legendary
Mummy's Curse and the more titillating
tales associated with the region.
Seeking to satisfy both this thirst for knowl-
"'
^m* JS edge and the morbid curiosity about
f.\
ancient Egyptians, the film is interspersed
with reenactments of events such as the
mummification of royal family members
and the plundering of rich tombs by intrepid
grave robbers, with Sharif's voice-overs serving to explain the onscreen depictions of
the archaic traditions and their historical significance.
Despite the potentiality for contrived dialogue or distraction caused by the grandfather-granddaughter
relationship, "Mysteries of Egypt" is quite successful at communicating
basic information about the country's history as well as avoiding the pitfalls
associated with a documentary featuring real events and places, but fictional characters.
The only flaw of any note is the film's inability to delve deeper into topics it introduces,
including the short life of King Tut and the mysterious construction methods
behind the pyramids, igniting viewer curiosity only to let it down much too quickly.
However, having to cover an entire civilization in just 40 minutes is no small task,
and director Bruce Neibaur makes the most of the time he is allotted by using the
giant screen to depict Egypt's breathtaking landscape and timeless monuments on a
scale in which they deserve to be seen.
DOLPHINS
Starring Dr.
•••
Francesca Dinglasan
Kathleen Dudzinski, Alejandro Acevedo-Guitierrez and Dean Bernal.
Directed and produced by Greg MacGillivray. A MacGillivray Freeman release.
Documentary. Unrated. Running time: 40 min.
This is the first Imax release for MacGillivray Freeman since its "Everest" broke all
boxoffice records for the giant screen. This is
unlikely to scale any new financial
peaks but it is a visually pleasing and thought-provoking peek at life beneath the
waves. In short, it's just the ticket for the Imax treatment.
"Galapagos" had Dr. Carole Baldwin swimming with the sharks and this one has Dr.
Kathleen Dudzinski in Dances with Dolphins. Dr. Dudzinski sports a fetching red
bikini as she frolics without diving gear in a group of dolphins. Actually Dr. D is
doing serious and important work—trying to decipher dolphinspeak. If she ever
cracks the code, we are in for some very interesting discussions with out aquatic
cousins.
Enhancing the visual delights is a great score by Sting, whose music perfectly complements
the film's atmospherics. Mike Kerrigan
March, 2000 (R-19) 53