Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Warner Home Video – 92 minutes – 2008 – Rated PG – Widescreen 1.85:1 – Dolby 5.1 Audio Mix

The Earth is in trouble. It may sound like a tagline for a big Hollywood sci-fi movie, but it’s far from it, because instead of aliens coming to attack our home, we’re actually the one’s doing the most damage to mother Earth. The 11^th Hour is a documentary that shines a bright light on the issue of global warming, available on DVD from Warner Home Video, produced and narrated by actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

THE MOVIE

In 2006 Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth made people aware of the global warming situation, but it was very straight forward, almost like a college lecture. Directors Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners obviously targeted a much younger crowd, offering a slicker package that gets right to the point, delivering the information in easy chunks instead of just going through charts of research. Various experts in the subject and respected figures in science such as Stephen Hawking offer their insight, and possible solutions to tame the problem before it becomes irreversible.

The 11^th Hour takes the subject seriously; right down to the way the DVD is packaged, shipping not in a typical case, but in an environmentally safe cardboard folder the size of a birthday card envelope. But don’t let the minimal packaging steer you away, because the production itself it top notch, keeping things interesting instead of preachy. It starts off explaining how humankind has actually only been around for a very short period of time, but the population has grown so rapidly, that billions of people are feeding off of resources that effect the planet. At the dawn of the human race, the sun was the only source of energy and all life worked around it; but as we became more intelligent we found other sources that we could manipulate for energy such as oil, using it to help us advance. Now we are so dependent on these sources that it has posed a danger to the environment, causing the Earth to heat up to one of the highest points it’s been in millions of years.

Scientist and other professionals are desperately trying to make people and companies that harness these sources fully aware that the situation is bad, but it can be altered if serious actions are taken now. One of the main obstacles is that many of the major companies and various figures in congress believe that the issue is being overblown, declaring there is no definite proof. But anyone can research the situation to see that there have been extreme changes in the weather, causing the polar ice caps to melt, a decrease in the ozone layer, drought in certain regions of the world, and even the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina.

There are facts presented that make the future seem grim, but it is also emphasized that there are steps we can take to improve our chances of living on the Earth much longer. While most celebrities are only noted for their controversial antics, it’s refreshing that someone with Leonardo DiCaprio’s status will commit to this effort, knowing that a young audience, who’ll one day be the future leaders, will become aware of the issue now. This DVD is definitely worthy of your time and with a retail price of only $5, there’s no excuse for not giving it a look.

VIDEO

This is a standard DVD aimed at television viewing, so the image quality will be fairly equal on both a SD and HDTV. It’s aimed at a younger audience, so there is a lot of quick cuts and jump shots to keep your attention.

SOUND

There are plenty of interviews as well as DiCaprio’s voice over, with a good musical theme to set the tone. It’s a solid 5.1 surround sound mix that does the job.

THE EXTRAS

The documentary runs 92 minutes, but there is extra material on the disc on the subject of global warming.

“Wonders of the World” takes a view the beautiful wonders the planet has to offer.

“Religious Perspectives” offers views on society through spiritual beliefs.

“Our Reactions in the Face of Environmental Collapse” displays views and opinions on various world events and theories to solve them.

“Nature’s Operating Instructions and Solutions” goes into how we can learn from the Earth and use the information for our own preservation.

“Solutions We Have Right Now” looks at how science and technology can be used to solve many of the environment’s problems.

BOTTOM LINE

The 11^th Hour is an excellent educational documentary that offers many insightful details on what caused global warming and what can be done to stop it. If anything it should make people aware of the issue and inspire others to get involved, if even in the smallest way, it’s better than not doing anything at all. The DVD is available through various retail and online stores, or you can order it direct from http://wip.warnerbros.com/11thhour/

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 4.5

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 3.5

Bottom Line: 4.0