It was kind of nice to watch Julia Roberts in her search for the Oran-gutangs in the jungle. Is it necessary more educational programs in TV? Well, here's one. And there's even a wired scene at the end when a big Oran-gutang tries to hug Julia Roberts and she seems really scared.
6 Reviews
A Great Documentary
sierra803 February 2002
More stars should do things like this. Julia Roberts goes in the wild without any luxuries to educate the public. Aside from that this is a very informative program and i enjoyed it very much. Julia Roberts is great in everything she does including this. I never thought a monkey documentary could be so entertaining. I recommend it!
A touching look at creatures that would otherwise be ignored
v_maguire17 July 2000
This great documentary goes to show EVERYONE that Julia Roberts heart is as big as her smile. She interacts with the orangutans beautifully and shows warmth. A brilliant piece of work that should be watched by everyone. Very informative about the distresses of these great creatures and hopefully this will help in the saving of the animals of the jungle.
Julia goes ape!
radiaz4 March 2001
While most nature shows are either overly clinical or senselessly dramatic, this show is perfectly balanced. Julia is entirely herself and we love her for it. She brings a sense of concern and urgency to the plight of the orangutan that has a palpable immediacy. At the same time, she manages to finds humor in many of the situations, while staying true to mission of the show.
Every reason people love Julia Roberts in her movies is also present in this feature. She and the orangutans will win your heart and at the same time inspire us into action to save this very endangered species.
Every reason people love Julia Roberts in her movies is also present in this feature. She and the orangutans will win your heart and at the same time inspire us into action to save this very endangered species.
Viewers deceived by fake documentaries
afloor19 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I like nature documentaries. What I don't like, are documentaries that take their viewers for morons. Unfortunately, this is one of them.
Julia Roberts goes looking for orangutans in the jungle. Good. While traveling up the river and seeing some houses on the riverside, you hear her saying "these are the homes of the dayaks. They are the last people we'll see on this journey". In other words: we're alone and god knows what could happen to us.
Ms Movie Star continues her way and ventures deep into the jungle. Then suddenly she stops as she sees some red-brownish creature moving in the bush. Julia's jaw dropped in amazement and she froze, afraid to scare the ape away. Until this point, it's an okay documentary.
What makes it NOT okay, is that the camera suddenly switches to a standpoint directly BEHIND the orangutan, looking down at Ms Roberts. Who is, of course, standing still with her mouth opened in amazement. Flabbergasted, she whispers "this is the first orangutan I've ever seen". 3, 4 other camera's track the young orangutan climbing down his way to the daredevil actress. Camera from afar, from behind the ape, from below, from the side... And remember folks, we're deep in the jungle, this creature is as wild as they come.
In other words: this doc's got FAKE written all over it. It's like Neil Armstrong stepping out of Apollo 11 onto the moon surface, where a fully equipped camera crew is waiting to ask Mr Armstrong what it's like to be the first man on the moon.
The message of this series is one of great importance and should be told. However, that message is lost once the viewer realizes that the title "In the Wild" is as bogus as they come.
Julia Roberts goes looking for orangutans in the jungle. Good. While traveling up the river and seeing some houses on the riverside, you hear her saying "these are the homes of the dayaks. They are the last people we'll see on this journey". In other words: we're alone and god knows what could happen to us.
Ms Movie Star continues her way and ventures deep into the jungle. Then suddenly she stops as she sees some red-brownish creature moving in the bush. Julia's jaw dropped in amazement and she froze, afraid to scare the ape away. Until this point, it's an okay documentary.
What makes it NOT okay, is that the camera suddenly switches to a standpoint directly BEHIND the orangutan, looking down at Ms Roberts. Who is, of course, standing still with her mouth opened in amazement. Flabbergasted, she whispers "this is the first orangutan I've ever seen". 3, 4 other camera's track the young orangutan climbing down his way to the daredevil actress. Camera from afar, from behind the ape, from below, from the side... And remember folks, we're deep in the jungle, this creature is as wild as they come.
In other words: this doc's got FAKE written all over it. It's like Neil Armstrong stepping out of Apollo 11 onto the moon surface, where a fully equipped camera crew is waiting to ask Mr Armstrong what it's like to be the first man on the moon.
The message of this series is one of great importance and should be told. However, that message is lost once the viewer realizes that the title "In the Wild" is as bogus as they come.
The REAL King Kong
rosalindr17 December 2005
Julia goes into the jungle to learn about Orangutans from a Jane Goodall-like professor who studies them in their natural habitats. The show is interesting if you want to learn about Orangutans.
Then Julia goes in search of an adult male orangutan. These older males live alone and grow very large. She meets a 400 lb male who takes a liking to her. She goes up to him for a little chat, but he grabs her and doesn't want to let go. He doesn't want to hurt her. He just wants to keep her. It's like King Kong without the biplanes and special effects.
The screen goes blank for a moment, and Julia is free. We don't see what the crew did to Kong, but the narrator says he was shot with a tranquilizer gun. Kong-lovers know "Twas beauty downed the beast."
Then Julia goes in search of an adult male orangutan. These older males live alone and grow very large. She meets a 400 lb male who takes a liking to her. She goes up to him for a little chat, but he grabs her and doesn't want to let go. He doesn't want to hurt her. He just wants to keep her. It's like King Kong without the biplanes and special effects.
The screen goes blank for a moment, and Julia is free. We don't see what the crew did to Kong, but the narrator says he was shot with a tranquilizer gun. Kong-lovers know "Twas beauty downed the beast."
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