Film chronicles bear breeds
by Michael Kraft, entertainment editor

    Getting out in the wild to see animals in their natural environment is something most people will never get a chance to do.

    Movies are the only chance that some people will have to see different animals in their natural habitats.

    The new OMNI film Bears is a great look at these large mammals and their behavior away from people and civilization.

    The film chronicles different breeds of bears in different locales.

    It has segments with black bears in Montana involving a mother and two cubs.

    The adorable cubs love to play-fight with each other and explore the world around them.

    One interesting point is that bears have a definite family structure, and the cubs stay with the mother for about three years. The father never sticks around though.

    Another sequence is shot in the Alaskan wilderness with guide Chris Day.

    The sequences with the polar bears were probably the best.

    The polar bear is one of the most fierce land creatures. It is huge. While it appears clumsy and lumbering, it attacks with speed and ferocity.

    The OMNI format suits the film well because audience members feel as though they are in the Arctic with polar bears or catching salmon in Alaska with grizzlies.

    While it is rather short, and designed to educate more than just totally entertain, Bears is a good movie for family viewing.