Such a frustrating disappointment

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Captivating movie !

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Werner Herzog is a living legend in my opinion and this film explains why. He is willing to go to the edge of the world to find meaning and purpose- and he finds them in people, geographical objects and even penguins. Herzog goes to a base camp in Antarctica to learn about the inhabitants and why they are there. We learn about the kind of people and the kind of mindset they possess. But this isn't just a point and shoot interview. Featuring gorgeous but humbling vistas of the ice sheets and barren white land there is a poetic quality to the work. A scene featuring a lone penguin walking to its impending doom reeks of existentialist pain. This is a fantastic documentary by the amazing Werner Herzog.

Werner Herzog's documentary studies a community of North American scientists in Antarctica. Investigating the origins of early life, icebergs, neutrinos and the mysterious ways of penguins, nothing that is prodded, poked, scrutinised or measured is as bizarre as the people doing the 'work'. The film includes early footage of Scott and Shackleton's doomed expedition and is itself a masterclass in unfussy documentary making. Using classic observational footage it transcends the largely prosaic reality it documents and becomes a haunting reflection on men's insatiable and destructive desire for conquest.

With ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, Werner Herzog has once again delivered a compelling nature documentary, this one exploring life and death in Antarctica. While I didn't love it quite as much as GRIZZLY MAN or THE WHITE DIAMOND - it seems less focused, less passionate about the subject matter - this is still essential viewing for those who want to learn more about our world. And for fans of the director, of course.The man vs. nature theme is present and correct here, as well as unusual creatures; the ones on display here are mainly made up of undersea beasties and some mentally ill penguins. Along the way, Herzog introduces us to the kooky characters inhabiting McMurdo station, and takes us up the slopes of Mount Erebus to get a look inside an active volcano. The cinematography is as clear and crisp as ever, and the narrative is thoroughly engrossing, so I wasn't disappointed, but I wasn't moved to tears here as in the other two productions I mentioned.

Werner Herzog is unique in his ability to make both fiction and non-fiction films that are equally fascinating, original and beautiful. With Encounters at the End of the World he takes us to the most unforgivingly remote place on the planet: Antarctica. But Herzog does not make normal documentaries, so do not expect this to be a typical natural world film. Instead we have a film that is as interested in the people who have chosen to live in this place, as much as the beauties of its natural landscape. In keeping with the director's previous preoccupations this is another look at outsiders and dreamers. The people who live here have chosen to do so for a variety of reasons but what seems to tie them all together is a certain individuality; one that Herzog can identify with.The imagery captured is often poetic in its beauty. We see underwater sequences of life below the ice, a large volcano in the middle of the continent and a penguin wandering insanely in the direction of the distant mountains to its doom, like a crazed hero in a Herzog movie such as Aguirre. There are many small moments of the bizarre that stay long with you such as the stories about microscopic sea-monsters and icebergs the size of Ireland. He captures other unexpected surreal moments such as the tunnel where things are preserved; the fish encased deep in the ice, preserved forever. And only an eccentric such as Herzog would ever ask a penguin expert if there were instances of the birds going insane or practising homosexuality.The film is divided in its view of man's existence in Antarctica and exploration in general. Herzog clearly disliked the ugly settlement of McMurdo and is saddened that Antarctica could not have been left alone. Yet a romantic spirit as adventurous as Herzog is equally fascinated by it and is of course compelled to explore its mysteries. It's another very personal documentary from one of the most consistently interesting film-makers around.