|
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series | 
 enlarge | Actor: David Attenborough
Studio: BBC Warner
Category: DVD
List Price: $79.98
Buy Used: $19.08
You Save: $60.90 (76%)
New (72) Used (45) from $19.08
Avg. Customer Rating:  1859 reviews
Sales Rank: 22
Format: Anamorphic, Box Set, Closed-captioned, Subtitled
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 5
Running Time: 44
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.6 x 1.3
MPN: WARDE2938D
UPC: 794051293824
EAN: 0794051293824
ASIN: B000MR9D5E
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: April 24, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 04/24/2007 Rating: Nr
Amazon.com
As of its release in early 2007, Planet Earth is quite simply the greatest nature/wildlife series ever produced. Following the similarly monumental achievement of The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, this astonishing 11-part BBC series is brilliantly narrated by Sir David Attenborough and sensibly organized so that each 50-minute episode covers a specific geographical region and/or wildlife habitat (mountains, caves, deserts, shallow seas, seasonal forests, etc.) until the entire planet has been magnificently represented by the most astonishing sights and sounds you'll ever experience from the comforts of home. The premiere episode, "From Pole to Pole," serves as a primer for things to come, placing the entire series in proper context and giving a general overview of what to expect from each individual episode. Without being overtly political, the series maintains a consistent and subtle emphasis on the urgent need for ongoing conservation, best illustrated by the plight of polar bears whose very behavior is changing (to accommodate life-threatening changes in their fast-melting habitat) in the wake of global warming--a phenomenon that this series appropriately presents as scientific fact. With this harsh reality as subtext, the series proceeds to accentuate the positive, delivering a seemingly endless variety of natural wonders, from the spectacular mating displays of New Guinea's various birds of paradise to a rare encounter with Siberia's nearly-extinct Amur Leopards, of which only 30 remain in the wild. That's just a hint of the marvels on display. Accompanied by majestic orchestral scores by George Fenton, every episode is packed with images so beautiful or so forcefully impressive (and so perfectly photographed by the BBC's tenacious high-definition camera crews) that you'll be rendered speechless by the splendor of it all. You'll see a seal struggling to out-maneuver a Great White Shark; swimming macaques in the Ganges delta; massive flocks of snow geese numbering in the hundreds of thousands; an awesome night-vision sequence of lions attacking an elephant; the Colugo (or "flying lemur"--not really a lemur!) of the Philippines; a hunting alliance of fish and snakes on Indonesia's magnificent coral reef; the bioluminescent "vampire squid" of the deep oceans... these are just a few of countless highlights, masterfully filmed from every conceivable angle, with frequent use of super-slow-motion and amazing motion-controlled time-lapse cinematography, and narrated by Attenborough with his trademark combination of observational wit and informative authority. The result is a hugely entertaining series that doesn't flinch from the predatory realities of nature (death is a constant presence, without being off-putting), and each episode ends with 10-minute "Planet Earth Diaries" (exclusive to this DVD set) that cover a specific aspect of production, like "Diving with Pirahnas" or "Into the Abyss" (the latter showing the rigors of filming the planet's most spectacular caves, including the last filming ever officially permitted in the "Chandelier Ballroom," a crystal-encrusted cavern found over a mile deep in New Mexico's treacherous Lechuguilla, the deepest cave in the continental United States.) With so many of Earth's natural wonders on display, it's only fitting that the final DVD in this five-disc set is devoted to Planet Earth: The Future, a separate three-part series in which a global array of experts is assembled to discuss issues of conservation, protection of delicate ecosystems, and the socio-economic benefits of understanding nature as a commodity that returns trillions of dollars in value at no cost to Earth's human population. At a time when the multiple threats of global warming should be obvious to all, let's give Sir David the last word, from the closing of Planet Earth's final episode: "We can now destroy or we can cherish--the choice is ours." --Jeff Shannon More Planet Earth 
Planet Earth on Blu-ray | 
Planet Earth on HD DVD | 
More BBC DVDs | Stills from Planet Earth (click for larger image)
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 1854 more reviews...
 Great films, lousy disk holder January 8, 2009
Planet Earth by the BBC on Blu-ray has received rave reviews by many folks and hardly needs another by me. In a word, it is awesome. However, the mechanical design of the disk holders is terrible. I almost break the disk each time I remove a disk from its holder. The center catch is just too stiff and no matter how hard I push on it the disk doesn't release. There are several superior center holder designs, why doesn't the industry settle on the few that work and stopping using the ones that don't?
Nice Video Set January 8, 2009
Though have not viewed entire set, video quality so far is good. Delivered fairly promptly and in good condition. Very good first buying experience with Amazon.
 great product but wrong purchase January 7, 2009
I did not realize one needed an HD DVD player for this product, nor did a few of my tech savvy relatives upon first thought. It will be returned.
Top documentary January 7, 2009
This is arguably the most ambitious and sumptuous documentary of all time, a magnificent achievement from certainly the foremost natural history film-makers of the world. Often visually breathtaking and encompassing the world's major geographical regions and a fair representaion of the fauna and flora found therein.
The script/narration is a little melodramatic at times. As a naturalist in southern Africa, with over 45 years experience of its wildlife, I was a little perturbed about the chapter on the "plight" of elephants in the dry season in the Kalahari region where they trudge many days, or even weeks, through the waterless wastes until, almost miraculously, they arrive at the life saving waters of the Okavango Delta. (Elephants need to drink almost daily, though can go three days without drinking.) So if this story is hyped up and rendered over-poignant, perhaps others are, too....
But there is no denying the generally stunning photography and visual feast of this BBC production.
One of the best shows television has ever produced January 6, 2009
This is a must have for everyone. The series is informative, beautifully done, and captures some of the most amazing footage ever. Each hour long episode is as interesting as it is informative and visually captivating. I would recommend this for anyone, and it makes a great gift.
One note about the version. You will want to get the BBC version narrated by David Attenborough, as it is much, much better than the American version narrated by Sigourney Weaver.
|
|
|
Disclaimer: This is an Amazon storefront - the products referenced on this site are manufactured and sold by other parties and sold through Amazon.com We make no representations regarding either the products or any information vendors offer about their products. Any questions, complaints, or claims regarding the products must be directed to the appropriate manufacturer or vendor, or to Amazon.com. |
| |
