No matter which episode you choose, it's always accessible, almost like Finally, be warned - 'Planet Earth' is highlyĪddictive. The project gives it a majesty rare for a genre usually known for its low budgetsĪnd cheesy production values. Still, 'Planet Earth' is certain to be held up as the high watermark of its genre. Though the subject matter of 'Planet Earth' is of course more far-reaching and ambitious than say a ' March of the Penguins,' it's ultimately not nearly as emotionally satisfying. That may be the doc's one weak point, at least in terms of mainstream appeal.
Instead, 'Planet Earth' is a series of vignettes loosely paced and assembled that certainly provides an eventual narrative foundation for its images, but little more than that. The narrative approach to the material is standard-issue for a nature series in fact, there really isn't much of a narrative at all. Visual brilliance aside, 'Planet Earth' isn't exactly groundbreaking in its use of the documentary form. It is like witnessing a baby take its first steps, or remembering the first time you tasted ice cream - 'Planet Earth' is a nature documentary that allows us to revel in the child-like wonder of discovering our world. The first time - such visual images have the energy and excitement of true discovery. In one of many fantastic moments, a group of baby birds dive off a cliff and take flight for The filmmakers spent hours - even days - attempting to document a single, indelible moment, and the pay-off is often extraordinary. How some of these sights were even able to be photographed by humans boggles the mind. It simply captivates our eyes with every frame. Series is ballsy - you don't name your documentary 'Planet Earth' if you'reĪs an example of "pure cinema," 'Planet Earth' definitely succeeds. Landscapes and creatures in stunning high-definition. To traverse the globe for over 60 months, capturing the planet's most amazing Over a dozen of the world's most renowned nature photographers, sent them out The BBC agreed to back such an enterprise at all is a kind of small miracle.įirst airing as an eleven episode series on the BBC, 'Planet Earth' really is huge on every level. Risk (after all, this isn't a genre known for generating huge profits). Nature documentaries - a work of great majesty, high ambition and huge financial To to the grandest Hollywood blockbusters. 'Planet Earth' is an undertaking so epic in scope and idealistic in intent, that it legitimately earns comparisons Given the huge success of the BBC/Warner next-gen versions of 'Planet Earth,' will the Discovery Channel be able to make lightning strike twice and deliver a domestic version equal to the previously-released BBC edition? Read on. This new edition is being released by The Discovery Channel (which aired 'Planet Earth' in the US), although it seems that the cable network's distribution rights to the series are limited to direct sales via its Discovery Channel Store. Now, a second version of 'Planet Earth' is debuting on both Blu-ray and HD DVD: the re-edited version that was seen during the series' US television run.
Distributed by Warner Home Video, that edition won high praise for both its content and its exceptional video quality, and went on to break high-def sales records (as of this writing, it remains the highest grossing high-def release of all time). The documentary series 'Planet Earth' first hit both next-gen formats back in April 2007, featuring the series as it was originally broadcast on the BBC.