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China: The Panda Adventure

EMAILPRINTIMAX Corp.

China: The Panda Adventure reviews
49
5.5 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 7 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 2 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Drama

Written by: Ruth Harkness (book The Lady and the Panda)
Paul Andersen
John Wilcox
Jeanne Rosenberg

Directed by: Robert M. Young

Release Date:
Theatrical: September 14, 2001
DVD: February 1, 2005

Running Time: 50 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: Not Rated

Starring Maria Bello, Yu Xia, and Xander Berkeley

Maria Bello stars in this IMAX film inspired by the true-life story of widowed New York socialite Ruth Harkness, a fiercely independent woman who dared to take up her late husband's expedition, journeying deep into the mysterious forests of China, following his passionate quest to study the Giant Panda. (IMAX Corp.)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90

New Times (L.A.) Gregory Weinkauf

These pandas, they're truly wondrous on the big screen, as no digital effect could ever recreate. Director Robert M. Young delivers a spry, richly detailed adventure for general audiences, truly a feat deserving acclaim.

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70

LA Weekly Mark Olsen

The true star of the film -- areas whose mind-boggling size and immense beauty are still too overwhelming to be fully captured by the supersize IMAX screen.

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63

Chicago Tribune John Petrakis

The landscapes and backgrounds of the Min Valley and the Nanking Road, not to mention the cuddly pandas themselves, are the big-ticket items here.

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60

Variety Robert Koehler

This wobbly docu-drama ends up being caught in between the impulse to make theatrical a true story and the usual Imax mission of imparting information about the natural world in an entertaining way for families.

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60

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Since her claim to fame is having brought the first living panda -- a cub named Su Lin -- out of China, Harkness's success is a given, but the footage of pandas in their natural surroundings is enchanting.

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38

New York Post V.A. Musetto

Might have worked as a travelogue, minus the story. In its present form, it is hardly worth the $10 you will be asked to fork over at the box office.

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10

The New York Times Dana Stevens

Just as the vast, square Imax screen magnifies panda-haunches and steep, jungle-clad gorges, its relentless scale also enlarges a half-baked, mediocre little adventure story into something almost grotesquely bad.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 5.5 (out of 10) based on 2 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Bob D. gave it a 10:
It was like totally sweet dude!!

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