Hey, who needs Werner Herzog when you have Richard Harris, a killer whale and huge hunks of Styrofoam?

As maverick moviemaker Werner Herzog braves the elements in Antarctica for Encounters at the End of the World, he adds to the accumulation of movies — comedies and dramas, cartoons and documentaries — that have sought intelligent life (and box-office success) at the North and South Poles. You can read my Houston Chronicle piece about some of those earlier efforts here.