Review of Tarka The Otter

Introduction

"One of the best loved animal films of all time" is the self-proclaimed tagline of Tarka The Otter - the story of Tarka the otter (as if you hadn`t guessed already), and how he grows up from a cub into a mature adult, roaming the countryside in search of food and company.

When watching the film, it comes across as some bizarre nature documentary - from the lingering shots of the wildlife to the voiceover which seems to instruct the viewer on their modus operandi.

As mentioned above, the plot revolves around a solitary Otter, who, on his travels, finds love with another otter, gets into numerous fights, and has to constantly evade the vicious otter hunters, complete with blood-loving hounds.

Video

It is presented in 4:3 Fullscreen, yet the print is still fairly sharp and crisp, although of course an anamorphic widescreen transfer would have been the tops. The visuals are deep mostly, with the odd compression sign, but nothing as bad as some other fullscreen renditions.

The wildlife photography is superb: the essence of various creatures` lives have been captured on celluloid, and they add some real realism to the plot. The otter himself has also been captured well (I hear he earned six eels for appearing in the film...although he went off the rails in recent years after being accused of assualting another otter on the set of another film, and has since retired from acting), and the directing on the whole is good, especially during some heightened-suspense sequences, such as the chase at the end.

Audio

A DD Mono track is all we get - unsurpring for the age of the film. It is mainly dialogue-driven, which is reproduced well, but during any music (and there is a fair bit) or when emphasis needs to be made, this is lacking a surround sound track. A pity.

The script is weak...really all it is is an excuse at showing different creatures, and the plot is not gripping whatsoever - my main complaint with the film. Really, you do not care what the hell happens to Tarka, of course, the reverse effect of what the film-makers want. I think the film stalls to much, and although the well written and effective end sequence helps, it is too little, too late.

Features

No extras whatsoever - which is annoying as no doubt hearing how they trained all the animals in the film would have at least boosted the package somewhat. But alas, as ever, us consumers have been robbed.

The menus are static with music in the background, and are very easy to navigate.

Conclusion

I loaded the DVD up with average expectations - and what I found was an average film. Due to missing out some key film rules: development, engaging the viewer, empathy and so on, Tarka The Otter seems a chore in places to watch. I found myself wishing it over after about fifteen minutes...not a good sign at all.

However, there are two redeeming features that have boosted its score: firstly, this is aimed at kids, and yes, kids will no doubt get a kick out of seeing all of this wildlife crammed into 86 minutes; and secondly, the final ten minutes is enjoyable.

The disc itself is as basic as you can get - no extras, below average audio, average visuals.

If you have young kids, then find this cheaply, and stick it on one dreary Sunday afternoon and hope they enjoy watching very slow moving events. Otherwise, this just isn`t worth it.