OCEANS
The Beauty of Creation
Should You Watch It?
OCEANS is a breathtaking documentary that displays the beauty, variety and wonder of the seas. It moves from timid crabs and blanket octopuses to great white sharks, killer whales, dolphins and humpback whales. The filmmakers capture scenes most viewers would otherwise never encounter, and the movie keeps those images entertaining through smooth pacing and beautiful construction.
The content is gentle enough for even young viewers, though families should know about moments when ocean predators hunt sea lions. The film also presents environmentalist ideas about polar icecaps and global warming, along with a light possible evolution element. God is not given credit as Creator for the wonders on display.
If your family can discuss those ideas with discernment, OCEANS is worth seeing for its majesty, beauty and celebration of the ocean's creatures.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESA group of French children on a beach begins with a simple question from narrator Pierce Brosnan: “What exactly is the ocean?”
The documentary travels to each continent, moving across the surface and beneath the sea to observe creatures great and small. Crabs tiptoe, a blanket octopus sails, dolphins play, humpback whales nurture, and newborn green turtles race toward the water.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means OCEANS is a beautifully shot and constructed documentary that succeeds at its central task. Its cinematography captures the majesty of creation through long vistas, polar regions, endless beaches and underwater scenes unfamiliar to most viewers.
The editing keeps the movie flowing, blending slow motion with real-time footage, while Pierce Brosnan's narration carries the travelogue forward. There are occasional lags, and some viewers may tire of the slow-motion elements, but overall the film is compelling, effective and lovely.
The Worldview
OCEANS presents the ocean as a place of majesty and wonder, filled with creatures ranging from the timid to the terrifying. It encourages viewers to value the natural world and draws attention to pollution and environmental concerns.
The film departs from a biblical view by not overtly acknowledging God as Creator. It also includes a light possible evolutionary idea in the phrase “Bigger fish eat smaller fish” and promotes strong environmentalist ideas about polar icecaps breaking off and the global warming “crisis,” which the source identifies as discredited. These ideas may distract from the beauty of creation that the film displays so effectively.
The central wonder of OCEANS points beyond the sea itself to the One who made it: “The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Light, family-friendly moral worldview that, however, does not overtly acknowledge God and contains some very strong global warming, environmentalist and light possible evolutionary “survival of the fittest” references to polar icecaps melting and to big fish eating little fish; no foul language; mild wildlife violence such as great white sharks hunting sea lions and killer whales try to eat baby sea lions; no sexual content; no nudity; no alcohol; no smoking; and, some references to pollution in the oceans which may or may not be a really huge deal.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
What parts of the ocean seemed most full of wonder to you, and what do they suggest about the God who made them?
Psalm 104:24 · Romans 1:20The film shows creatures hunting and surviving in the ocean. How should Christians think about the goodness of creation alongside suffering in the natural world?
Genesis 1:31 · Romans 8:19–22OCEANS presents concerns about pollution and the environment. What responsibilities does Scripture give us for caring for the world God has made?
Genesis 2:15 · Psalm 24:1The film does not give God credit as Creator. How can you appreciate the beauty of creation while remembering where that beauty ultimately comes from?
Psalm 96:5 · Acts 14:15–17The Final Word
OCEANS offers families a lush, beautifully paced view of the creatures and wonders beneath the sea. Its environmentalist and evolutionary ideas require discernment, but the movie's majesty is real. If your family can discuss those ideas thoughtfully, WORTH THE TRIP.
