But once the drought sets in, their entire focus is on survival as they move across parched land searching for food and water. The film captures a head-banging battle between two males competing to mate with a fertile female, as well as a charging attack by a matriarch who felt threatened by the camera crew. It's an especially thrilling sequence, enhanced by the sheer size of the IMAX screen and its proximity to the audience. Balancing such scenes are sequences showing the tenderness between elephants. Although their faces remain expressionless, their movements convey affection for a baby elephant, concern about an elephant that has fallen and sadness over a baby elephant that has died.
Elephants also seem to enjoy life, and a scene depicting a mud bath is a delight.
Producer-director Michael Caufield took advantage of the full range of the IMAX camera's power. The film includes panoramic views of parts of Africa seemingly untouched by civilization. There are also shots that effectively put an elephant under a microscope, showing every crevice of its weathered hide and allowing the viewer to look it right in the eye. At times, the background music becomes overly dramatic, such as during the battle. The visual images and natural sounds are so impressive that the music sometimes distracts, rather than enhances.