DVD Review:

Discovery Channel

Planet Earth

Movie

I had heard about this series but never got a chance to see it when it was on the Discovery Channel. After watching this set I am kicking myself that I did not watch it when it was on. This is without a doubt the most breathtaking nature program of all time. Considering the big focus on the environment right now this is required viewing. Sit your family down and watch this set. It really show’s you how beautiful this planet is, and what we would be losing if we don’t change some of our ways. There is footage in this set that has never been filmed before, and since this series was shot using hi-definition cameras, they can give you an up close look without disturbing the animals for the first time ever. There is a total of 11 episodes, they are: Pole to Pole, Mountains, Deep Ocean, Deserts, Ice Worlds, Shallow Sea, Great Plains, Jungles, Fresh Water, Seasonal Forests, and Caves. My favourite out of these episodes would have to be Jungles. Seeing chimpanzees battle and some of the amazing birds in New Guinea was absolutely breathtaking. Also I should mention that this version has Sigourney Weaver narrating, which is different than the BBC version. I found her to be very easy to understand and her voice has a calming quality to it. I want to end this section with a quote that sums up this series for me. The quote is from Tom Shales of the Washington Post, Rarely does television touch heart and soul as effectively as Planet Earth."

10 out of 10

Video

Since the series was captured almost exclusively with high-definition cameras I was expecting perfection. That is just what I got. It looks gorgeous. Everything is so colourful and vibrant. The amazing colours that are on this planet naturally are amazing. The visuals just suck you in and never let go. You can’t get any better unless you buy the Blu-Ray or HD DVD editions.

9.5 out of 10

Sound

Like the video in the set the audio does not disappoint either. Using a 5.1 track the producers of this series make you truly believe that your in the middle of a jungle or at the depths of a large cave. It’s very immersive and does an amazing job of putting the viewer right in the middle of the action.

9.0 out of 10

Extras

Each episode of the show has a little extra attached to it. These go into the dangerous situations the filmmakers put themselves in to capture the amazing footage. They are not very long but are interesting. The main bonus feature is called “The Future" documentary – a three-part companion series revealing the vulnerability of the natural history of earth. This extra is 3 hours long and is uses clips from the shows as well as footage that were not used in the show. It’s interesting but for me the extras that were included with each episode were a lot more interesting. They go into a particular challenge that was faced in creating that episode such as waiting for months for a particular species to show up. It really shows you why it took 5 years to complete this set.

7 out 10

Overall

I cannot recommend this set enough. I think I have used words like breathtaking and amazing so many times in this review. Simply put, for nature documentary’s this is the finest.

9.5 out of 10

You can order this set directly from the Discovery Store by clicking this link