CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

Konterr Brilliant and touching

Ava-Grace Willis Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

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

vlntryst For me the film got dubious at:"I had this idea the most powerful issue of our time was the interaction of humans and nature." "Needed to show these things in a more seductive fashion" -- James BalogHmm, really? I've always considered humans part of nature, but hey, that's just me. But the question remains, the issue is powerful how exactly? Al Gore kinda powerful maybe? Seems like most climate change proponents, heck environmental protectionists in general, what they really advocate is control, political/social control (Hence my summary). Greatest good for the greatest number anyone? According to James Balog, "we humans are causing it" (climate change). The unstated assumption is that since humans have the power/ability to change the environment, the geology, even the climate of the planet, why not simply change it for the "better." Aye, there's the rub. On the one hand humans are the disease and if they can only be taught to see the error of their ways they can be magically transformed into the cure too. A very seductive idea to the aspiring do-gooder indeed.When the film ended I thought, gee, had some pretty pictures but otherwise not particularly focused or interesting. For those who'd love to change/control the world I'd heartily recommend it. For those like myself who confess we don't know what to do, might flip a coin to decide. Score - 4/10

f-odds-1 This is one of those documentaries that sets out with good intentions but ultimately fails to make a convincing impression. It would be vastly improved if it were about 30 minutes long, if all the irrelevant stuff about Balog were excised and if it focused on a single and simple message. As it stands it's unclear if the picture is primarily intended to show its auteur as a hero, to illuminate the alarming speed with which global warming is causing glaciers to recede, or to demonstrate what a rugged, challenging and difficult business it is to try to get direct photographic evidence of the glacier recessions (for all but rugged disbelievers in the impact of global warming, competent annual maps would do just as well).What we're given is a curious admixture of all three elements. Balog starts by telling us how beautiful he finds ice as a photographic subject, yet we're shown only a small handful of his ice pictures. One quickly gets the impression that the cinematographer brings home such superb images Balog's still pictures don't compete particularly well. The business of Balog's knee I found just plain tiresome. A handful of the shots showing what a difficult operation it was to set up the time-lapse cameras would be sufficient to make the point that the task is not one for wimps.The time-lapse photos of the glaciers receding are impressive; so too the shots of huge chunks of sheet ice 'calving' icebergs the size of Manhattan. But the long wait to see the time-lapse photos is not justified by the intervening material. I liked the comment that the glaciers are the planetary equivalent of the canary in the mine, giving early warning of a change that needs to be taken seriously. If this had been the clear emphasis of the movie, without all the subsidiary and — candidly — dull stuff about Balog's knee, the picture would have made a far stronger impact.At one point someone makes the comment that filming and camera placing leaves you realizing you've spend months of your life just looking at ice. It's the responsibility of the director and editor NOT to convey that feeling to the audience!

Sean Lamberger Noted photog and National Geographic contributor James Balog leads us on a tour of the glacial north in this stirringly-framed argument against the sins of global warming. It's a three-pronged picture, stuffing a biography, research paper and technical adventure into one seventy-minute package, and often feels scattered as a result. The science makes for interesting brain food and Balog's personal journey is unique, if a bit overplayed, but the real show-stoppers are his long-form time lapses and breath-stealing snapshots of nature at its most profound. The centerpiece of this film, and of his argument, are a series of three-year-long panoramas in which we clearly watch several glaciers shrink and recede at an alarming rate; a convincing testament to both the presence and speed of the global melt. Though Chasing Ice can certainly be accused of getting caught up in its own self-importance (or lost in the data), those lingering tastes of proof are worth waiting for and the constant presence of Balog's powerful photo portfolio makes the ride there especially sweet.

Ordinary Review When I came across Chasing Ice, I was very enthusiastic. I always loved the Great North and documentaries, but even more these two combined. I, for example, loved Werner Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World (2007) although it was, this time, the South Pole.Chasing Ice follows the ambitious project of National Geographic photographer James Balog who, after first doing a short project on glacier, saw the impact it had and decided he had to do more than that. That's when he decided to put in place a massive scale Glacier Watch Unit by implementing cameras to take many many pictures so that afterwards, in time lapse, the glacier could be seen moving. The project surveyed glaciers in Greenland, Alaska, Canada and Iceland for a few years. This documentary is the story behind it.The documentary starts with a mix of random news cast about global warming and natural disasters. I always considered myself a skeptic about global warming, not because I don't believe that the ice is melting, but because I know the planet has gone through a lot and is still kicking. I was quite surprised and forgot about the global warming for a while as the work and photos of James Balog were being shown. It is simply breathtaking.Once their project started, the implementation of cameras, reminded me a lot of The Cove (2009) in that they also faced technical difficulties (one has to realize that the cameras were and had to function in the worst possible condition). I felt a very human connection as the documentary also underlines the risks, the annoyances (for example when a fox has eaten away at the cable or when an electronic chip has been malfunctioning and they just traveled across the world to realize there were no shots taken) but also the family of James Balog who we briefly see and the health issues he faces with his knee. It all helps to make the actual work they accomplished all so much tastier and the evidence about the glaciers are hard to dismiss.I found it to be one of the most spectacular display of nature images. The ending is, without surprise, a warning for the public to take into account the danger of our behaviors. I think that this might throw people off, but I'd say it's a necessary evil. I don't have that much faith in humanity myself, but if there is anything that can inspire something to be done, it will be through these images, because texts and statistics never changed behaviors.It moved me.I liked: Breathtakingly beautiful. Human aspects. Harsh conditions. Team work. Stunning glaciers.I disliked: Yes, it holds a political agenda, but where does mankind and politics differ when it comes to the apocalypse?88/100 One of the most striking documentary I've seen, if not for the scientific dimension but simply for the beauty of the ice. And to paraphrase James Balog, as a photograph it is so beautiful, but as a human being it's very sad.More reviews at: www.theordinaryreview.blogspot.com