Chasing Ice (2012)
91%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
9 wins & 5 nominations total
Chasing Ice captures the urgency of climate change while prevailing as entertainment, thanks the awe-inspiring scenery and James Balog’s charisma.
Chasing Ice is a documentary that will leave you feeling both amazed and depressed. The stunning images captured by James Balog are a testament to the beauty of nature, but also a stark reminder of the devastating effects of climate change. While the film may not be for everyone, it’s hard to deny the impact of seeing glaciers retreat in real-time. Plus, who doesn’t love a good daredevil hero? Balog’s determination and passion for photography are truly inspiring. Overall, Chasing Ice is a must-see for anyone who cares about the environment and wants to be moved by the power of nature.
Production Company(ies)
Amazon Studios, Stay Gold Features, Kindred Spirit
Distributor
Submarine Deluxe
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Bolivia
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language
Year of Release
2012
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 14m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 9, 2012 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 14, 2014
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
Keyword(s)
Chasing Ice, documentary, biography, climate change, glaciers, James Balog, Extreme Ice Survey, Mark Monroe, Jeff Orlowski, Jerry Aronson, Paula Dupré Pesmen, PG-13, English, Submarine Deluxe, directed by Jeff Orlowski, written by Mark Monroe, produced by Jerry Aronson, Paula Dupré Pesmen, Jeff Orlowski, reviewed by Bilge Ebiri, Brad Newsome, Marjorie Baumgarten, David Jenkins, Mike McCahill, Tim Robey, Jordan M Smith, Daniel Green, Matt Neal, T’Cha Dunlevy, Margot Harrison, Simon Foster, starring James Woolsey, James Balog, Louie Psihoyos, Synte Peacock, Sylvia Earle, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, documentary film, climate crisis, melting glaciers, environmentalism, global warming, photography, time-lapse, awe-inspiring scenery, urgency, charisma, critic reviews, audience score, documentary filmmaking
Worldwide gross: $1,358,668
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,751,628
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,448
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 191,017
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
James Balog – self
Louie Psihoyos – self
Jeff Orlowski – director/producer
Synte Peacock – self
Sylvia Earle – self
Director(s)
Jeff Orlowski
Writer(s)
Mark Monroe
Producer(s)
Jerry Aronson, Paula Dupré Pesmen, Jeff Orlowski
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
9 wins & 5 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (72) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (69) | Rotten (3)
True, there’s no blood this time around, no gruesome images of dolphins dying, but it could be argued that the supernaturally beautiful images that Balog (and, by extension, Orlowski) captures are even more despairing and alarming…
March 25, 2020
Bilge Ebiri
Spirituality & Health
TOP CRITIC
[A] spectacular but depressing documentary.
October 31, 2018
Brad Newsome
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
If seeing equals believing, then this film’s documentation ought to sway the world. But daredevil heroes and sexy screen goddesses probably help the medicine go down.
February 15, 2013 | Rating: 3/5
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Is this about the hazards of global warming or the awesomeness of James Balog? Not entirely sure…
December 13, 2012 | Rating: 2/5
David Jenkins
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
If any film can convert the climate-change sceptics, Chasing Ice would be it: here, seeing really is believing.
December 13, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Mike McCahill
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
National Geographic photographer James Balog illustrates climate change with time-lapsed records of glacial retreat.
December 13, 2012 | Rating: 3/5
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The doc is obviously a big screen advocacy spotlight for the project, but it is also a fascinating portrait of a man infatuated with nature, photography, and their combined ability to affect people in spellbinding ways.
February 9, 2020
Jordan M. Smith
IONCINEMA.com
Orlowski’s soulful direction, coupled with Balog’s evocative eye, predictably leads to a number of awe-inspiring juxtapositions, best sampled on the big screen.
February 6, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Daniel Green
CineVue
Orlowski’s documentary is brilliant because of the wondrous way it shows a worldwide story and a personal one at the same time.
March 29, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Matt Neal
ABC Radio (Australia)
While their persistence is remarkable, it is rewarded by the breathtaking yet heartbreaking images obtained. In every location, they find irrefutable evidence of the dramatic degradation of the planet’s glaciers.
April 7, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
T’Cha Dunlevy
Montreal Gazette
As a documentary, it offers most of its likely viewers grim confirmation of what they already know, rather than the thrill of discovery.
May 22, 2013 | Rating: 7/10
Margot Harrison
Seven Days
Less a didactic ‘message-movie’ than a study of one man’s steely determination, the debut helmer directs with a sure hand and no-frills aesthetic.
April 25, 2013
Simon Foster
sbs.com.au…
Plot
National Geographic’ photographer James Balog was once a skeptic about climate change. But through his Extreme Ice Survey, he discovers undeniable evidence of our changing planet. In ‘Chasing Ice,’ we follow Balog across the Arctic as he deploys revolutionary time-lapse cameras designed for one purpose: to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers. Balog’s hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate. Traveling with a young team of adventurers by helicopter, canoe and dog sled across three continents, Balog risks his career and his well-being in pursuit of the biggest story in human history. As the debate polarizes America and the intensity of natural disasters ramp up around the world, ‘Chasing Ice’ depicts a heroic photojournalist on a mission to gather evidence and deliver hope to our carbon-powered planet
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
James Balog, the acclaimed photographer and subject of the documentary, is praised for his charisma and evocative eye in capturing the urgency of climate change.
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