Nature’s Most Amazing Events (BBC Earth/Mini-Series/Blu-ray + DVD-Video)
Picture:
B/C+ Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: B
After so much
success with David Attenborough and Planet
Earth (2006, reviewed elsewhere on this site), you can see why BBC Home
Video continues to issue more nature programming and with titles like Galapagos (also reviewed elsewhere on
this site) among others, they have reinforced their reputation for offering
some of the best special interest nature documentary titles in the field. Now
comes another mini-series, Nature’s Most
Amazing Events. David Attenborough
again narrates and the episodes this time include:
1) The Great Melt
2) The Great Salmon Run
3) The Great Migration
4) The Great Tide
5) The Great Flood
6) The Great Feast
Each of the
hour-long programs are quick to point out an environment in decline and in
crisis as it also shows the nature in fully realized ways you might not have
seen before, and not just because of global warming. The set as a while is a fine flipside to Planet Earth, though you should be
advised that this can be graphic at times and not always child-friendly. Still, it was not just a by-the-numbers
“let’s run through the same old nature” situation. Instead, Nature’s
Most Amazing Events is the latest quality installment in a series of
documentaries the BBC seems committed to producing and that is definitely a
good thing.
The
program was shot in 1080i HD and is presented in 1.78 X 1 on both formats,
looking especially good on Blu-ray, though the 480p anamorphically enhanced,
standard DVD is not bad but not great.
The is motion blur more than expected, some shots that looks soft and limited,
especially in some shots over others.
The DVD can cover up some flaws, while the Blu-ray shows details, color
and depth the DVD is not capable of. The
sound is sadly only available in both formats as Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with
limited surrounds and not a 5.1 mix like Planet
Earth, indicating that this is a production conceived earlier. The combination is good, but could have been
better. At its best, the image looks
great. There are no extras, though
Attenborough) hosts epilog addendum “Events Diaries” at the end of each
show. We’ll just count those as parts of
the episodes, but they are all good.
- Nicholas Sheffo