Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Born to Be Wild observes various orphaned jungle animals and their day-to-day behavioural interactions with the individuals who rescue them and raise them to adulthood. The film unfurls in two separate geographic spheres. Half of it takes place in the rain forests of Borneo, where celebrated primatologist Dr. Birute Galdikas assists baby orangutans; the other half takes place on the arid savannahs of Kenya, where zoologist Dame Daphne Sheldrick works with baby elephant calves.
Born to Be Wild is a visually lush IMAX documentary with stunning cinematography of Borneo rainforests and Kenyan savannahs that genuinely earns top marks. The human-animal relationships with the orangutans and elephants are emotionally engaging, anchored by two remarkable real-life figures in Galdikas and Sheldrick. However, the narrative structure is fairly thin even by documentary standards — the parallel storyline format is somewhat formulaic for nature docs, and the film offers little in the way of new insight or distinctive voice beyond its gorgeous visuals. At roughly 40 minutes, the ending feels abrupt rather than truly satisfying. Novelty is limited as the wildlife rescue documentary is well-trodden territory.