Two women, over 5,000 miles apart, adopt orphan animals and prepare them for reentry into the wild. In Borneo, Dr. Birute Galdikas looks after young orangutans while in Kenya, Daphne Sheldrake sees after abandoned elephants, in each case, one creature at a time and with great painstaking care. "Born to Be Wild" is a wonderful nature documentary that tells two simultaneously touching stories and is replete with beautiful photography of each environment. It is narrated by Morgan Freeman, whose powerful voice I have always felt detracts from similar types of films, who is also joined by the subjects who, in a nice touch, also help in telling their own story. "Born to Be Wild" separates itself from the recent string of Disney nature docs, which are also visually stunning, by not being ingratiating towards young children and crafting a film that can be enjoyed by parents and their young, alike. My only complaint here is that the feature is far too short (about 40 mins) and I would have gladly sat through over twice the duration of this impeccably crafted documentary.
