Watch Pandas

Pandas is a heart-warming documentary released in 2018, directed by David Douglas and Drew Fellman. The film tells the fantastic story of Qian Qian, an adorable giant panda cub, and her journey from infancy to adulthood. The beginning of the film highlights the difficulties that the pandas face in a world where deforestation and poaching have put their survival at risk. Pandas live only in a few mountain ranges in central China and depend heavily on bamboo for their survival. As their habitats diminish, so do their numbers.

In this documentary, we follow the work of a team of dedicated scientists gathering together to carry out a remarkable plan – breeding a baby panda called Qian Qian in captivity before releasing her into the wild. Our main protagonist Kristen Bell narrates the incredible journey, providing an insight into the adversity faced by the over 40 Chinese and American professionals working together to make the dream of releasing Qian Qian into the wild a reality.

The film is aimed at animal lovers, especially those of us who are fascinated by the gentle giant pandas. The movie is incredibly engaging due to the cute, cuddly, and endearing Qian Qian who steals the show. Seeing her evolution from a clumsy cub to a confident adult during the course of the film is an absolute joy. Many of us will be satisfied with just getting to know some of these beautiful creatures and the work being done to save them, and Pandas delivers!

The overall cinematography and the vibrant and scintillating shots, make this fly on the wall documentary a visual gem. Scenes like capturing adorable close-ups of the young Qian Qian cuddling with her mother Mei Mei, showcasing her playful personality, and showing the scenic landscapes during Qian Qian's habitat training will take your breath away. The use of 3-D cameras for capturing majestic towering ridges and challenging climbing sequences, provides a beautiful visual spectacle of wildlife and nature.

Moreover, the documentary also gives a glimpse into how challenging it is to raise a baby bamboo-eating panda in captivity. The team of scientists’ and caretakers' efforts to simulate a natural habitat, feed them bamboo, teach Qian Qian to climb trees, and develop the necessary hunting skills will melt the viewers’ hearts. The lengths that the team goes in raising an animal that will eventually live as a wild animal makes for gripping storytelling.

The documentary also adds a thorough yet engaging educational aspect. It teaches us how pandas living in the wild depend solely on bamboo for nutrition, and how every time bamboo dies after flowering, entire forests of food for pandas perish. Thus, the documentary has a profound message that urges us to preserve nature and wildlife.

The intercutting of the various interviews of the multinational team provides important context and drives the story forward while also providing an honest educational undertone. We see the dedication and hard work taken by each person involved, as well as the risks and compromises they need to take to see their objective through to the end.

In conclusion, this awe-inspiring documentary is a profound celebration of nature, bears, and the shared human spirit. Pandas provides an invaluable chance for viewers to look with baby panda eyes at the work and dream of a world where all bears live in the woodland paradise they were born for. It is a championing look at the kind of dedication our planet needs right now. The film is a must-watch for anyone who loves animals, nature or merely appreciates the beauty of our planet.

Pandas is a 2018 documentary with a runtime of 40 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 82.