Pandas take the screen in IMAX's 'China'

Julien R. Fielding

Had it not been for the determination of one extraordinary woman, the world might never have known the truth about the giant panda.

Following her husband's death in 1936, New York socialite and clothing designer Ruth Harkness journeyed to China to retrieve his ashes. After reading about his brush with a giant panda in his journal, she decided to fulfill his wishes - to not only study the creatures and prove that these weren't the vicious beings of folklore, but also to bring one back to the United States.

Visitors to the Lozier IMAX theater at Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha can witness this woman's tremendous adventure in the one-hour film, "China: The Panda Adventure," which is based on Harkness' autobiography, "The Lady and the Panda."

Directed by award-winning documentary and feature filmmaker Robert M. Young and adapted by Paul Andersen, John Wilcox and Jeanne Rosenberg ("The Black Stallion," "The Journey of Natty Gann"), "China" proves a real treat.

The wide-screen format gives an "in the moment" feel, and the script contains enough brushes with danger to quicken the pulse.

Furthermore, the pandas are absolutely adorable, and the Chinese scenery on the Yangtze River, the Min Valley and Jiuzhaigou Park is lush and awe-inspiring.

Actress Maria Bello portrays well the gutsy, independent woman who would let nothing deter her from her task. Bello has a talent for these types of roles. Audiences will remember her as the owner of "Coyote Ugly," the tough call girl in "Payback" or the success-driven karaoke singer in "Duets."

But she exudes more than brassiness. She also manages some well-placed softness, especially when it comes to the animals.

The actress has met her thespian equal in co-star Xander Berkeley ("Shanghai Noon"), who plays English bounty hunter Dakar Johnston. He's perfectly despicable as the conniving treasure hunter with a black heart.

Also notable in the film is Quentin Young, Harkness' Chinese travel guide. He plays off Bello well and conveys an easygoing charm.

Since many of the films at the Lozier IMAX are travelogues or documentaries, it's always a treat to get something that presents feature film stories and actors in this exceptional format. Executive producer Andrew Gellis demonstrates more than a knack for blending fact with fiction; he also brought "T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous" to fruition; a 3-D film that played at the zoo last year.

And, just like "T-Rex," "China" entertains while it educates.

Since widespread exposure to the giant panda is only recent - the first Western documentary was made in 1984 - few probably know much about these creatures. Here we learn that when pandas are born, they are tiny, weighing about 3.5 ounces. And that although the female typically gives birth to twins, she will raise only one of the young.

At the end of the film, the environmental organization World Wildlife Fund informs of the panda's plight, telling us that only approximately 1,000 giant pandas exist in the wild today, scattered in six isolated mountain ranges in south-central China.

And that, other than leopards, the panda has just one enemy - humans. Pandas feed on bamboo, and hunting and habitat loss have led to their declining numbers.

In captivity, about 100 live in zoos and reserves, such as China's Wolong Nature Reserve and Captive Breeding Center, which served as a filming location for "China."

Fewer people still probably know anything about the fascinating woman who started the panda conservation effort. Since her 1938 autobiography is out of print, "China" might be the only opportunity people will have to encounter her heroics.

Henry Doorly Zoo is one of only three zoos to present "China: The Panda Adventure" this summer. It won't be on wide release until this autumn.

"China" can be seen through July 31 at 11 a.m., 1, 3 and 5 p.m. daily.

Also showing at the Lozier IMAX are "Island of the Sharks" at noon and 2 p.m. and "Special Effects" at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Admission for nonmembers is $6.75 for adults, $4.75 for children and $5.75 for seniors. Members get a $1 per ticket discount. For more information, go to www.omahazoo.com or call 733-8401

Pandas take the screen in IMAX's 'China' was originally published in The Daily Nonpareil on 12 July, 2001. © Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil LLC