Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Frozen Planet: The Complete Series (David Attenborough-Narrated Version)



A spectacular upgrade of Life in the Freezer with some flaws
This review is based on the UK Blu-Ray release and, so far, based on what I've read, the US release will be identical (as with Human Planet). Unfortunately, once again, Discovery seems to be planning to air their own butchered version, this time replacing David Attenborough with Alec Baldwin. I'm sure I don't have to recommend to most of you to seek out Attenborough's version.

This is the latest flagship release of the BBC's Natural History Unit, the next in line in the epic 'Planet' series after Blue Planet, Planet Earth, Life, and Human Planet. It was produced by Alastair Fothergill, executive producer of Planet Earth, and shares several similarities with that release in terms of structure and approach.

David Attenborough not only narrates this one in superb, warm and energetic form, but even makes a couple of appearances in the harsh Antarctic locations at the age of 85! The writing seems to be a collaborative effort however, and is somewhat chaotic...

Stunning filming, and excellent narration by David Attenborough.
It is about the life of animals and the seasons in the Arctic and Antarctic, which cover about a third of the area of the earth. It was filmed in HD using the latest technology, which gives this series the edge over previous series. It was three years in the making.

I have been retired for about a year. So I have been buying quite a few of David Attenborough DVD's, to update my education, as I have been working overseas for 20+ years. I have to confess, that I get bored with the plight of Polar bears, whales, penguins and seals very quickly. It covers many other species than the big four, plus superb landscape filming and I did not get bored. I am now up to episode 7 out of 7 as it aires in the UK. Frankly, the camera work was superb, slow motion and time lapse, under-sea, terrestrial and overhead. David's narration was excellent, it kept up my interest. For my fellow Amazonians, this is a must see/listen, it is stunning.

Episodes:
1. "To the Ends of the...

Phenomenal!
I cannot understand why some people are being so analy retentive as to cry, "Wolf!" Just because some of the sequences were filmed in a zoo, or a studio, or a 'controlled environment.'
The series itself is visually stunning, & makes many valid points: not least that life in those harshest of climes is life on the very edge of existence.
What was filmed in the Arctic & Antarctic was television at its best. The fact that not everything of the story could be filmed in those places, but had to be filmed elsewhere in conditions that best ensured the safety & survival of the subjects & the camera crew, only completed the picture.
It took nothing away from the reality, only adding to it by filling in the blanks; & had the programme been halted midway through a sequence, just to say that the next bit was filmed in a zoo - the magic of the moment is lost - the continuity is broken.
Nothing was done to intentionally deceive, not unless you're into extreme cynicism &...

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