This is the first movie that I went to see in IMAX and I was not disappointed. The narration by Kristen Bell was great but in the end, the movie really does not go anywhere with it's characters or story. The story was about getting Giant Pandas back into the wild but in the end the Panda is faced with a choice to stay in the enclosed habitat or go out to the wild. The whole movie was leading up to this moment and the audience does not even get to see if the team succeeded with there mission.

The fun family IMAX film, Pandas is wonderfully entertaining and educational. It is a documentary about the journey following one particular panda living in captivity, to its release into the wild. The movie begins when Chen Chen is just a pup, living with other baby pandas in captivity. Based on the black bear research of Ben Kilham, this lucky panda is released and followed in the wild. The American researcher, Jacob Owens and the Chinese researcher, Bi Wen Li work together to help bring Chen Chen into her natural environment. Along the journey, she has some awkward moments and challenging times. I won't tell you what they are because it would give away a big part of the movie.My favorite scene is the beginning when we see Chen Chen and the other pandas playing together. In many ways, they seem just like little kids happily playing. My other favorite scene is when Ben Kilham is playing a peek-a-boo game with a black bear behind a tree (say that 10 times fast). The music, by Mark Mothersbaugh, is really child-like, which adds to the fun playfulness that we see with the pandas. The narration by Kristen Bell is spot on with her happy tone and soothing voice throughout the film. The sweetness in her voice adds to the enjoyment of the movie. My favorite character has to be the adorable Chen Chen and also the researchers. Chen Chen is always entertaining because she is so cute, loving, has a great personality and is very curious. I especially love the part when the researchers say they will always be there for her whether it is in ten or 20 years. The message of this film is that, through research, working with others and a lot of patience, pandas and other endangered animals raised in captivity can be successfully released into the wild. The message also is that it is important to save species from extinction because "once they're gone, they're gone"I recommend this film for ages 5 to 18 and give it 5 out of 5 stars.Reviewed by Abigail Zoe L., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org.

got to see this one a week or so ago and really enjoyed it. it helps that the director and the scientist who stars in the film were there for a lengthy q&a afterward?

This absorbing film...manages to pack a lot of information - and some real drama - into its 40-minute running time.

Though dazzling to watch and almost unbearably cute (sorry) Pandas is infuriatingly spare with its facts and will leave kids asking questions.

Pandas, the latest large-screen doc, [is] which is just about everything you could hope for in a cute-umentary.

Beyond its awesome cuteness factor, "Pandas" dramatizes the benefits of cross-cultural cooperation, showing a path forward for similar endangered species.

Educational doc about scientists training pandas to go wild.

"Pandas" does its subject justice and is a reminder of the importance of protecting endangered species and preserving the environment when these values have fallen from official favor.

By the time it's all said and done, you don't just want to help save the pandas, you want to take one home with you.

The film creates an immersive experience with sweeping views of the mountains of Sichuan, but while the scenery is stunning, the focus stays on the bamboo-loving Qian Qian and her struggles in her new environment.

Hands down the cutest movie of the year.

So visually dynamic that even the most pedantic (think Neil deGrasse Tyson level) skeptics will probably not mind listening to narrator Kristen Bell - speaking for writer-co-director Drew Fellman - rattle off 43 minutes' worth of cutesy panda trivia.

About as perfect as IMAX nature documentaries can get: informative, family-friendly, beautifully and immersively photographed, and so adorable that my scribbled screening notes are full of trenchant observations like "SO FUZZY!"

Chronicling the challenges faced by Chinese researchers in regard to preparing captive-bred giant pandas for release into the wild, the involving, breathtakingly photographed documentary makes the most of its allotted 43-minute running time.