CHARLOTTE – Pandas is now showing at the IMAX® Dome Theatre in Discovery Place Science. Experiencing the adventures – or misadventures as they may be – of the film’s cute and cuddly star is well worth the ticket price to see the movie, but the deeper storyline offers even more reason to check it out.

As dedicated researchers work to bring back the giant panda population from the brink of extinction, Pandas immerses viewers in the natural world, whether deep inside the dense mountaintops of Sichuan, China, or walking beneath the autumnal forest canopies of New England.

Stretching over two-plus years, the documentary beautifully captures the importance of connections – between people, cultures and even animals – in finding solutions to global problems like the endangered wild panda population.

Two people, a world apart, work together to come up with a plan to introduce captive-born Qian Qian (pronounced Chen-Chen) into the wild. Others work for years to build a relationship with the growing bear and ultimately earn her trust as she experiences true nature for the first time.

Qian Qian’s adventures are at times laugh-out-loud humorous but at other times they are harrowing to the point you’ll be biting your nails with worry as the suspense continues to build. No matter the conundrum, though, the message viewers take home from this film is one of resilience and determination.

“We all face adversity. What is important is how we respond,” Ben Kilham, black bear rehabilitator, notes during the film. “Do we give up or do we get stronger?”

The film is narrated by actress Kristen Bell. A playful selection of music helps capture the fun – including everything from ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

Lean back and go wild as you take in this must-see IMAX film at the IMAX Dome Theatre located inside Discovery Place Science. For tickets and showtimes, click here.