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The filmmakers have beautifully exploited their access to the trove of archival film that the Kraffts built over decades of work studying volcanoes. This is an editor's film, through and through. The storytelling is a good balance of natural science and human interest, showing the importance of science Maurice and Katia practiced while not shying away from the corrupting influence of the self mythologizing they practiced.

The only shortcoming is that the ending is perfunctory relative to the breadth and bounty of the lives profiled. Blink and you'll miss it. Inexplicable, given the power, depth and beauty leading up to this point.

The Territory has a good heart, and one can see why foundations and festivals fall for it. Indigenous rights, deforestation, climate change, the producers pulling in (one set of - the agreed-upon, correct set of) subjects as collaborators (to hell with the others). Boxes get checked, an echo chamber is built. What is lost in all that is the need to tell a cohesive, engaging narrative with simply understood facts. Confusion reigns, except that the bad guys are horrible people and the good guys are saints.

So much untold effort and resources go into making a documentary, and watching this it's hard not to appreciate that. But how about we support actual great filmmaking, not feeding poorly conceived righteous indignation. Good starting point for making the argument: "Darwin's Nightmare" and "Honeyland," two masterful documentaries interweaving environmentalism and story.