Beavers are lovely, interesting animals that should be shown more than they are in nature documentaries. When they are shown or focused on, which is not enough, it has always been done engagingly and in an informative way. While not being fond of every IMAX short film there's ever been, many of them are good and more (the best of them absolutely great). Any flaws are fairly common (which is often the length), but the strengths are as well (the production values being most common).
1988's 'Beavers' is an excellent and beautifully done short film. Not one of my all time nature documentaries, but when talking about documentaries showing or focusing on beavers it is a contender for the second best and very close behind the Disney True Life Adventure short film 'Beaver Valley'. It isn't flawless, but it's close to that and the strengths are numerous. The best of them nothing short of miraculous and that is not being hyperbolic, regardless of how it sounds.
To me, 'Beavers' like a lot of the IMAX short film documentaries is too short, it could have done with 10-15 minutes longer.
However, everything else works wonders. It looks great and at its best stunning. The scenery is enough to take the breath away and the intimacy of the vibrant cinematography mostly worked very well. The beavers look wonderful and are both adorable and mischievous, not to mention very easy to relate to in whatever circumstances they're in. Their story entertains and touches.
It is also very educational, did find myself learning a lot and caring for the beavers. The information for these scenes is informative and not too cute, juvenile or over-serious. The narration never comes over as too jokey or gimmicky, neither does it come over as mawkish or too sugary. Did appreciate that it didn't over explain or was not overused. Earl Pennington's delivery has nice authority and any messaging doesn't preach.
Concluding, excellent. 9/10.
