Incredible images abound in Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble’s “The Elephant Queen,” which follows a herd of elephants led by a giant Athena. The nature documentary joins the matriarch of the title and her group on their journey across the African savanna as a drought threatens the land and its many inhabitants. Alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor as narrator, elephants might earn top billing, but the documentary features a variety of animals from their diverse ecosystem, including geese and bullfrogs. With its all-ages appeal, “The Elephant Queen” is sometimes overly cutesy, anthropomorphizing its subjects a bit too much, such as calling an oft-tardy gosling Steven. But the documentary doesn’t hesitate to reveal the dangerous reality facing elephants and the other animals, offering a frank look at their existence in a film that’s as entertaining as it is moving.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 17, 2019 17:48 UTC