Brilliant and touching

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

This movie does three things.First, it has some footage of Russian and American astronauts on the ISS. We see them doing astronaut things. As interesting as this is to those of us who are into space development and exploration, it is essentially the same old depiction of astronaut activity that you've seen in every other documentary about astronauts for the past six decades. I suppose it was interesting to see astronauts are doing nowadays. Answer: not much more than they were doing in the 1960s.Second, this film includes some footage of the earth as seen from the ISS (400 km over the planet). Of course, this is spectacular. It's hard to decide what was the most impressive. It could have been the thunderstorm seen from above. Or perhaps just the nighttime images of cities artificially lit up. This is a good usage of Imax technology and something worth paying to see. However, I would have appreciated more insights. Or at least something to make it more worth watching.I felt the footage would have been improved with longer looks at specific things or with map overlays to help the viewers understand what they were looking at. To be fair, they did use a highlighting system to identify cities at times. I have a good understanding of geography so I figured most of it out, but my friend said he couldn't tell what it all was. To him, they were just depictions of land masses and water, sometimes a little hazy. During the film, I actively wondered if I had become too spoiled and jaded by CGI depictions of space. This is the real thing though, and it is thrilling...The third thing is that at times the movie gets philosophical. We are told that these images show how we are destroying the planet (yes, Madagascar and Brazil). We are also shown CGI images of another possible earth-like planet. And we are shown how a few borders look from space. So yes there is some philosophizing and politicking about saving the planet, supporting space exploration and, yes, having borders. This movie is pro-borders and not a fan of the North Korean government. I don't mind this once in a while, but it really was the same old sh8t. It was nothing new. And nothing you wouldn't see on TV. I paid money to watch this documentary.It was an OK Imax movie, but I'm not sure I would necessarily recommend it to anyone. It didn't impress me all that much. I think Imax movies need to be more than this.

A Beautiful Planet is a phenomenal documentary narrated by award winning actress, Jennifer Lawrence. The cinematography is spot-on. Every think looks so realistic. It feels like you are in space with the astronauts. All the pictures are stunning. Plus, all the angles and shots taken are perfect. This film explores the Earth, as seen from the International Space Station (ISS) by three astronauts apart of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) who spent six months there. They are able to see the effects we humans have made on the planet and explore the galaxy in an attempt to understand the Earth a bit more. At night you can actually see major cities around the world. You also see the different storms taking place on earth. Even though it is not so pleasant when you're on earth experiencing a storm, from space it looks pretty cool! Surprisingly, there are many places that have storms occurring at the exact same time. It is very interesting to watch. Not only do you get to see the beauty of our planet, you also see the wear and tear we have contributed to it. Who would have thought humans would have such an effect! The astronauts show us what it is like for them to live in space for an extended period of time as they venture out into space and go about their daily activities. The part I enjoyed the most is seeing the Earth at night. It is so beautiful. You can really see where everything is, from the oceans to the continents. The whole planet is dark but then you see a many lights and even cities. It is breathtaking! I recommend this move for ages 5 5o 18 and I give it 4 out of 5 golden stars. A Beautiful Planet will be in theaters near you, be sure to check it out.Reviewed by Kayla P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14