The Panda Adventure bears seeing
by Michael Kraft, entertainment editor

    Going to a movie can be a fun time. But the experience of a “regular” movie is multiplied when seeing an IMAX film, and the new film China: The Panda Adventure is admirably served by this format.

    China: The Panda Adventure is truly a breathtaking film. From the scenes on location in China to the shots of the pandas, it is a stunning visual spectacle.

    The film, based on a true story, traces the journey of Ruth Harkness (Maria Bello) who traveled to China in 1936 to recover the remains of her husband Bill, a scientist who died tracking and studying the giant pandas. In the film, she begins reading his journal and takes it upon herself to finish his work and bring a panda back to the United States.

    One small problem is that she is racing, more or less, against a professional hunter Dakar Johnston (Xander Berkeley). He is trying to find the pandas as well, but to shoot and kill them, not save them.

    She enlists the help of her husband’s former Chi-nese guide, Quentin Young (Xia Yu), and sets out to find the pandas.
    During her 1,500-mile trek up the Yangtze River, she encounters a slew of interesting characters and even takes in a local Chinese opera. The performance is beautifully filmed and choreographed and includes a unique trick called change-face, where the performers move their hands in front of their face and appear to wear a different mask.

    It is here that Johnston convinces the local army to detain Harkness and her expedition so he can get a head start. After they all get on the road again, more difficulties spring up. First the boat’s engine seizes; then the porters desert them, and they must con the local army people to let them continue despite fears of bandits.

    The scenery is some of the most beautiful in the world with the lush green mountains and the river flowing through them. As the expedition continues into the Min Valley, the scenery is more gorgeous, and Harkness encounters a dizzying array of people. At the point when she gets to a checkpoint, she discovers that Johnston has hired all the male porters away, so she enlists the help of the local women, who are happy to accompany her. Later she runs into an old hermit who claims to be a great hunter.

    The film is beautifully shot and China is a truly stunning country. The best part of the movie is that the wilderness shots are not the only good shots. The scenes in Shanghai and other cities are excellent and made me want to see China.

    The film shows a mother panda and two cubs. Seeing the pandas play and interact is very special, and the scenes with the pandas are some of the best ones. These animals are truly magnificent and beautiful. The fact that anyone could think that they were vicious man-eating beasts is ludicrous. Even though they have the digestive tract of a carnivore, they spend all their time eating bamboo.

    The film not only shows the pandas, but educates the viewer to their plight as well. Pandas are becoming rare with only about 1,000 in the wild and 100 in captivity. That number is getting smaller as humans are encroaching on their lands despite the Chinese government’s protective laws.

    But the population may be turning around through new breeding techniques and the support of animal organizations such as the World Wildlife Foundation.

    China: The Panda Adventure is recommended for all audiences. Its only hindrance is that it is showing only on IMAX at the Cinemark 17 at 635 and Webb Chapel.