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TV Review: Secrets of the Whales (2021)

Lucas Fashina

If I asked you to picture in your mind a movie starring a 3-story-tall animal fighting every day for survival you probably start channeling images of Godzilla or King Kong. But if you imagine it as a marine mammal and place it on its side, swimming … now you have got a Killer whale, also known as an Orca.

Orca Dynasty, executively produced by James Cameron is the latest documentary from National Geographic that takes an in-depth look at the Orca Whale and how their environment plays a part in their cultural diversity of these highly intelligent creatures.

The driving motor for Orca Dynasty, was to follow the Orcas feeding patterns to gain insight into the ways the massive creatures thrive together and eat.  The Center of Gravity of the documentary is culture, and how that culture helps the ORCAS survive.

When you think of culture as a a way of life of a group of people–the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept come to mind, but for the Orca in this cinematic piece, it is about how they used learned skills without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next.

Orca Dynasty will change your perception with some life lessons. The amount of stuff I learned on Orca’s was ridiculous: from Orca Offensive strategy during the hunt, to their defensive strategy in protecting their young Even how certain groups of Orcas have training diverse phases, and that can make the difference in their individual success and for the group.

Narration:

Narrated by Sigourney Weaver, Orca Dynasty feels more like an African Folklore at times more than a documentary. At times Weaver does deliver in the monotonal voice familiar to National Geographic, but there were some great sequences ending one-lines and quite a couple of quotes that belong as memes, or T-shirts, such as the iconic phrase from the commentator is” Close! But Close don’t eat!

Cinematography

Delivering all the up close “that couldn’t be me moments” Luis Lamar, as the Underwater Director of Photograph also on duty for the cinematography is Brian Armstrong, and Andy Mitchell. Maybe it was because I was not expecting tons of underwater photography, but I was surprised at how well it turned out Coupled with the Aerial Cinematography of Thomas Miller, the footage delivered and an intriguing look into the Orca’s familial relationships.

Direction:  

The director does not focus on one type of whale, ‘Free Willie’ style, but instead give glimpses into the Orca. Methodically, endearing the species to the viewer by depicting its vulnerability to its environment while at the same time demonstrating its uncanny predator side, striking an eerie balance, that makes you forget you are watching a documentary.

 Note to Prospective Viewers:

After watching this today, I was enthralled with the information gained. Once, again this documentary is a potential perception changer. Now I care more about the Killer whale than I ever did before, but I felt angry at how much the Orca’s environment was dangerously polluted and their resources being drained. Secondly King Kong and Godzilla, and the Expendables have nothing on these amazing creatures.  But I was also perplexed at the fact that there are not more Killer Whale theatrical movies. Sure, there was The Meg (2018) which did well. I would note that some of it may not be for young or sensitive viewers, mostly due to its graphic depictions of dead whales, stingray, and seals.

* Episode airs 22 April 2021

 SCORE: 9/10

Trailer:

Bonus Images: Check out the teams and tools used to make this amazing documentary:

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Lucas Fashina
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