Saw 'Ghost of the Mountains' as a fan of documentaries and of Disney, as well as somebody who has enjoyed (though with reservations) most of the DisneyNature documentaries. Was very interested in seeing a rare chance of seeing snow leopards on film and also to see the human aspect as one sees how the cruel conditions the crew have to work in and the sight of the animals affect them. The latter not something usually see in the DisneyNature documentaries.
'Ghost of the Mountains' is not a perfect documentary, but it more than serves its purpose of giving the viewer a chance to see snow leopards in a way that one is not going to find to this extent anywhere else. Although it is one of the lowest rated DisneyNature documentaries, and probably because viewers felt that there was too much emphasis on the crew and not enough of the snow leopards, to me actually 'Ghost of the Mountains' was one of the better ones.
Do think that there definitely could have been more of the snow leopards, though they do captivate when they're on screen.
The failure to mention Tibet once in the documentary, when it was one of the more prolific homes for the snow leopards, was disappointing and somewhat sloppy.
However, what is seen of the snow leopards, shown in their full nuanced glory, is really quite astonishing. Very tense, moving and how they, ruthlessness and methods of survival managed to be filmed is something of a miracle. The photography as always for DisneyNature is quite breath-taking and the scenery is both beautiful and unforgiving. Really loved the compassionate portrayal of the crew and what they courageously undergo to get this footage, one roots for them just as much as the snow leopards. 'Ghost of the Mountains' has charm but it is also suitably uncompromising, appropriate as the methods of survival should not be sugar-coated, and harrowingly so. While also done tactfully and with enough to make one think long and hard afterwards.
Of the DisneyNature documentaries, 'Ghost of the Mountains' is by far one of the best narrated. The writing of the narration itself is sincere and doesn't have any over-sentimentality or corny and out of place attempts at humour that the writing in some of the other DisneyNature documentaries did. The tone is serious without being gravely so or spelling out too much about feelings or what's going on on screen. The delivery of the narration is just right, it's the right type of voice and it shows an engagement with the material without being over-eager or too jokey. The music is also one of the better ones, tonally it's well suited and the placement isn't too much. It has presence but it doesn't try to be too sweepingly epic or be too cinematic.
All in all, very good. 8/10
