The Film
When preparing for that new baby (especially the first), it's funny how we feel the need to prepare. We amass vibrating chairs, swings, pacifiers and endless onesies. Apparently, none of that is really needed -- at least not according to the movie Babies.
Babies is a documentary that follows four wee ones for the first year of life. The subjects are from various corners of the globe: Hattie in San Francisco, Mari from Tokyo, Bayar in Mongolia, and Ponijao in Nambia. We see them in stores, in fields, on floors, and frolicking with pets, as well as pooping and eating things off the ground. It doesn't seem like such a bad life, even with the flies, cries, and frustrations.
The film has virtually no dialogue, except for the coos and cries, and occasional chatter from cooing adults. It plays a lot like a Baby Einstein video, but for adults.
Most likely, if you don't have a baby or don't want one, you won't want to see Babies. Like the life of a baby, the movie is a little repetitive, but it's also very cute.
The Picture
One would think that Anne Geddes directed Babies, because it looks as good as one of the photographer's precious pictures. If you're anti-Geddes, don't let that scare you away. The movie isn't quite as sappy, but let's make no mistake -- it is about babies. The 1.85:1 transfer has its moments, with scenes that are a bit on the soft side. Overall though, the colors are as beautiful as the film's subjects, with details to match. Most of the image will have viewers longing for that new baby smell (when it smells good, anyway). You can almost count the wrinkles on those teeny tiny toes, as well as the rocks as the Nambian baby plays in the dirt. Other babies have equally textured backgrounds, too. After all, isn't it all about the colors and textures at that age?
The Sound
This DTS-HD Master Audio track is nothing to put in your memory box, but won't leave you crying like a baby, either. The various babies coo and cry, which all sound very natural and bold. The film also has its share of ambient noise, inside the hospital and outside of the huts. There's animals and chatter and a bit of clanging from, well... the things that babies do. If anything, those with offspring will be amazed just how quiet these babies can be.
The Extras
Like baby's first year, this release's extras are cute and fleeting. One short takes a look at the movie's subjects three years later. At 4 minutes, however, it doesn't offer a whole lot more than what was shown in the film's closing credits. It feels like this extra really could have been something special. Most likely, budget concerns have kept it looking more like a deleted scene. Other than that, there is just one quickie slideshow, which includes both video and pics of Babies contest participants.
Final Thoughts
Babies is certainly a cute idea. However, instead of some big study into baby's first year, it's more like America's Funniest Home Video outtakes -- you know, the stuff that's not all that funny. It's cute, but also a little repetitive. Parents and parental wannabes might enjoy the antics of babies all over the world. All others might find this flick to be the cinematic equivalent of a dirty diaper.
Product Details
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