Sharks 3D (2004)

 

Time for a short one this time around, but seeing as it is about beautiful beasties, why not? 

There was a short lived trend (because of course) to bring documentaries and documentary shorts to the screens in 3D. This died out almost as soon as someone deemed it a great idea, because - let's be honest here - most regular televisions aren't equipped to correctly present 3D anyway. So they always included a 2D version that everyone could enjoy. 

This one is, mostly, about sharks. Filmed by the team of Jean-Michel Cousteau, we are taken on a trip by a sea turtle who lets us gaze at these denizens of the deep. Some of the voice over is a bit too much, but not irritating. So we get a minor selection of some species, because trying to document them all would be nigh impossible in the 40 minutes this lasts. We even get some dolphins and sea lions thrown in for good measure. 

All in all, this is mainly about stunning pictures of these elegant creatures and doesn't aim to improve your knowledge, even if there are some small tidbits thrown in left and right. 

It is the ending that will smack you right in the face, though. Every shark shown during this documentary gets a little send off and literally with everyone comes the notion that they are either endangered or critically endangered. It makes you feel like a horrible person and also that the human race does nothing better than destroy and annihilate. Maybe this will get some more minds working on how to stop this ravaging and rampant destruction.

So, it's a nice addition to your list if you like sharks, but it is perhaps not the most essential of documentaries.