A documentary about Antarctica and its inhabitants, especially humans. Herzog located himself at McMurdo station to investigate the base's activities and it purposes.The film contains stunning footage of the wildlife, the landscapes and seascapes. We are also provided with a number of interesting interviews. However, despite comic moments and some amusing narration Werner Herzog's cynicism about some of the workers occasionally becomes tiresome. He would have been better to let the viewers interpret what they see and hear rather than trying to guide our interpretations.

This movie is not your typical type of environmentalist documentaries focused around the earth's beauty and or the circle of life. Indeed, filmmaker Werner Herzog makes it a point to state his disinterest in making "another film about penguins". The key word in the title is not the 'End' of the world, but the 'encounters' at the end of it. Herzog documents his journey to Antarctica where he delves into the lives of the inhabitants on the continent. The focuses of the film are the eccentric characters present amidst the harsh climactic conditions, their stories, and the passion that drives them through their oddly surreal lifestyle. However this is not to say that the documentary does not document the environment and nature in Antarctica. In fact, contrary to Herzog's statement, the filmmaker does question an expert about penguins and their antics. The film is a hypnotic and serenely beautiful take on what life is like down in Antarctica and achingly calls out to the humanity and spirituality of the viewer.

Werner Herzog's narration with improper enunciation is overshadowed by the land everyone dreams of visiting in their lifetime. A treat to lovers of nature and those who are ardent fans of 'Discovery'. A lovely documentary set in the land of ubiquitous icebergs and moaning seals.The movie takes you to the least inhabited continent on this planet. A land that has barely any vegetation and verdant fields but has million of hectares of nothing but ice. The continent was believed to be static by the early explorers but observations and constant research has shown the continent is a cluster of several hundreds of thousands of icebergs which are ready to move north at will.Herzog interviews several scientists who are here on a purpose, who have been through civil wars in a totally different nation, who have been held hostage and those who have done years of research on language that is deemed to be extinct.The documentary is bolstered with the brilliant background score and the scenes shot sub-marine; under several meters thick ice lies a sea and a totally different species of marine life that could lead to several answers on the long-asked questions on the origin of life on Earth. The background score and the wonderful handling of camera could put the makers of 'Tree of Life' to shame.Herzog learns about a few disoriented penguins and has ensured the movements of the deserters are well-captured. Herzog also takes us to the only one among three volcanoes on the planet that exposes its magma lake and then to the helium balloon set into the stratosphere, a balloon that could trap neutrinos and give a radiant blue beam of light upon making with the neutrinos.

If you have ever gone travelling, and just started wandering around a strange city, letting your nose take you off the beaten path, you see a completely different world from the one of travelogues. You get a feel for what it would be like to live there.Encounters at the End of the world is like that. Herzog pokes around Antarctica, letting his curiosity guide him. You come away with a feeling you know quite well what it would be like to live there.There is a fair bit of underwater footage. You see strange things. Are they plants, animals, rocks or discarded bits of technology? He tells you nothing. You just get to look and marvel.Herzog narrates in his easy-to-understand Bavarian-accented English. There are subtitles, but rarely are they necessary.Over and over something catches his eye, and he decides to explore, never telegraphing what is coming. He discovers the most amazing places.There is no plot or development or theme other than exploration.The sound is exceptionally crisp without wind noise. It is almost spooky. I read in the credits that Herzog handled this personally.