Reviews of Life (David Attenborough-Narrated Version) (2010)

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Over the past two decades, the BBC Natural History Unit has become a prolific documentary factory of the highest order, with ever-improving skills and increasing dedication. Some of their productions are relatively minor, but this is one of their flagships, and you can tell this because they use David Attenborough as the narrator (who is still in top form).

The theme for this 10-part series is the challenges of life and how various animals and plants solve them. This includes unusual and extreme food gathering techniques, hunting strategies, surprising evolutionary weapons and defenses, adaptations to harsh environments, mating rituals, and the lengths they go to in order to pick the right breeding partners.

Each episode covers this vast topic in specific areas: The first episode is an overview and top-20 hit parade of the upcoming episodes. Each of the ensuing episodes then cover a branch of the animal kingdom, including reptiles, insects, mammals, plants, birds, fish, with additional specialized episodes covering hunting, sea-life and primates.

This will obviously overlap with many of their previous releases, especially The Trials of Life, Attenborough's series covering the animal kingdom, and even The Living Planet and Planet Earth. But their approach here is interestingly well-chosen: Previously covered footage and educational information is usually summarized, before continuing with the more obscure, the upgraded, and the exciting new details.

For example, The Private Life of Plants is obviously much more comprehensive and educational, but this show's episode on plants features things like a 60-second time-lapse shot of growing life in the woodlands that took two years to create, new information on the strange shape of the Dragon's Blood tree, and more footage on the Venus Flytrap, this time its dual use of insects complete with tiny sound recordings.

Now, I have a pet peeve about repetition. This show's annoyingly useless overview episode, and the fact that much of the information and footage lacks freshness and has been covered before, all tempt me to rate this show lower. But the combination of nicely summarized educational information, a good theme and structure, new amazing cinematography that uses the latest skills and technology, and some new exciting footage that I don't think I have ever seen before, compels me to give this top marks. This is a much better release than Planet Earth.

In addition, while many nature documentaries have elements of drama and laughs, this show has more than usual, and you will find yourself frequently touched, horrified or very amused by all of the amazing behaviour on screen, all obviously very real.

The BBC also continue their recent trend that devotes the last 10 minutes of each episode to a 'making of' featurette. These are usually just as interesting as the footage and you can always stop watching if you aren't interested, so I suppose I can't complain. But keep in mind that if you subtract the overview episode and diary scenes, you are actually getting 450 minutes instead of 600.

In summary: If you are relatively new to BBC documentaries, this will amaze you to no end AND provide a nice informative summary of life on earth. If you are a seasoned watcher of Attenborough's series, you can still enjoy this series as a combination of educational summary, a provider of new, complementary and upgraded information with some of the most beautiful, rare and amazing footage ever recorded, and even as a highly entertaining natural drama and comedy, or 'nature dramedy', if I may coin a phrase.

However, if you place emphasis on educational and more comprehensive information, Attenborough's previous Life series still reign supreme and will probably remain unequalled for a long, long time.

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The Life series is fantastic, but it comes in two versions -this one, narrated by Oprah Winfrey for the US market; and the original version as narrated by the naturalist David Attenborough.

While the cinematography remains unchanged, Oprah's narration lacks the depth that Attenborough's years of experience as both naturalist and narrator brings to the table. I strongly recommend waiting for the US release of the original BBC version, narrated by David Attenborough.

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This is atrocious. I'm watching "Life" on Discovery channel right now, with Oprah narrating. Some of the reviewers said that the script was re-written for her, and I can believe it. I can't believe Attenborough saying lines like "hunting crab seals is toooo much work!" Oprah narrates this thing as if she were reading a bedtime story to little kids and comes off as snarky and condescending. In the opening segment, she's discussing a fox chasing an ibex kid and it's basically like "heeeere comes the fox! UH OH!!"

The most embarrassing thing is that I'm thinking that British people think that Americans demanded this. Who's going to be doing the next special, Dr. Phil? "Oh-kaaay, here comes the alee-gaytor, it's prey tries to run, but that neeeever works! HAW HAW HAW!" Don't get this. Get the real version.

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As a frequent watcher of nature programs over the last 30 years, I have to say that this is one of the all time greats. Attenborough docs are always solid and there's no shortage of the usual charm, but the filming techniques have really come to the fore on this effort. There are utterly spectacular moments in each of the episodes. Yes, the overview episode is redundant, but there's very little else to be critical about. One for the ages, this.

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Why on earth have they decided to dub the documentary into American English baffles me. Is British English appallingly obscure and incomprehensible?

First Harry Potter and now this. What a shameful way to undermine language for the sake of a couple of bucks?

I have various BBC Documentaries I LOVE them, and despite the fact that I am not British I understand everything, and David Attenborough's voice in much more credible, isn't this what he does professionally?

Oprah would probably be more suitable for bedtime story recordings for sleepy youngsters.

I suggest getting the original David Attenborough version (Check the star rating and compare!)

Review of David Copperfield (1935)

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Dickens, with his vast humanity and that amazing vitality of his which created a whole world of characters, contains inexhaustable riches for the screen, though his long rambling plots are the despair of scenerio writers. His people--types, caricatures, or whatever you choose to call them--are distict and individual in appearance, actions and speech--and are rare parts for good actors. The trick in getting Dickens effectively on the screen was an enormously difficult one of selecting and condensing--keeping enough to satisfy the Dickens lover who complains bitterly when any favourite character or episode is left out. Some may find Dickens as being overlong, overly sentimental and often more than a bit tedious; at any rate, however, this is excellent Dickens! Good intentions and imposing ambitions are plentiful enough in the making of movies, but woefully rare are the instances where technical excellence, good taste and judgement and an intelligent sense of the rightness of things combined to bring thowe intentions and ambitions to a successful issue. DAVID COPPERFIELD is one of those rare and happy successes. It met every reasonable expectation competently and generously, and the film was highly praised by the critics and public alike back in 1935. This filmed version of the classic novel by Dickens, is remarkably faithful to the source rich in atmosphere and fine characterisations. David himself is played ideally by both Freddie Bartholomew and Frank Lawton; they miraculously seem to be the same person at different ages! If Frank Lawton seems less interesting, its only because his adventures are so mild compared with those of Bartholomew. W.C. Fields' whole career seemed to have been a preparation for his role as Micawber; he is magnificent in his off-beat role. Edna May Oliver and Jessie Ralph give flawless pictures of Betsey Trotwood and Peggotty. The black villainy of the Murstones is done in just the right spirit by Basil Rathbone and Violet Kembell Cooper while Roland Young makes you actually feel the dampness of Uriah Heap's hands! The film is a splendid picture-book of the novel, custom made for those who admire the splendid novel by Dickens.

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There are so many adaptations of Charles Dickens, but many of them in and after the 1950s are actually made for television like BBC mini-series. The golden era of the Dickens FILMs was the 1930s and 40s, when David Lean's `Great Expectations' and `Oliver Twist' were produced in England. Before these classics, however, Hollywood also made two great films based on Dickens in the same year from the same studio: MGM's 1935 version of `Tale of Two Cities' and `David Copperfield.'

George Cukor's `David Copperfield' respectfully treats the immortal characters Dickens created. The original's plot was never changed drastically, and you still feel that this is a Hollywood film Hollywood in the 1930s when the name of producer David O. Selznick appears on the screen AFTER the director's name. Then the film shows a book cover, and someone slowly turns over the page. No one makes films like this today

The film starts with the delightful turn of Edna May Oliver as Aunt Betsy Trotwood, one of the juiciest roles in this film, and she never disappoints us. Beautiful Elizabeth Allan (then on contract to MGM, also seen in `Tale of Two Cities') effectively plays the young mother of David, too young and maybe foolish. Basil Rathbone as chilling Murdstone makes a great contrast with her sunny personality that is destroyed by his cold heart.

Cukor's `David Copperfield' is usually associated with W. C. Fields's Mr. Micawber, which is surely convincing and funny without overacting, but as I have pointed out, there are so many good actors besides Fields (who actually replaced Charles Laughton after the shooting had started). MGM's studio system sometimes damaged the career of the talented actors such as Buster Keaton who was often miscast during his MGM era, but as far as `David Copperfield' is concerned, every player is put in right place. Watch angelic Maureen O'Sullivan as the endearing and doomed heroine Dora, and you know what I mean. Well, I want more Lionel Barrymore and Elisa Lanchester, but I admit the film is near perfect.

Of course nobody is perfect, and so is George Cukor. No matter how he tries, the film's location never looks authentic, and at one scene an obviously painted backdrop stands for the city of London. By today's standard this is unacceptable, but as I said, no one makes films like this today. Enjoy the world of Dickens, and Hollywood when it was making real Hollywood films.

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Charles Dickens, like Jane Austen, is a 19th Century writer whose stories translate very well to the cinema. It is because of the strength of the characters and the fact that most of the stories have a happy ending and the baddies end up properly punished.

David Copperfield, while somewhat faded in the physical quality of the video itself, as a film is a perfect example. It's full of wonderful character actors who seem to be having the times of their lives in their parts.

Basil Rathbone is at his villanest, as the evil stepfather, Mr. Murdstone. Roland Young is particularly effective as the slimey Uriah Heep. And the great W.C. Fields personifies the always hopeful Mr. Micawber. Dickens would have loved his interpretation of the wonderful mountebank.

The only clinker in the whole cast is Freddie Bartholomew, who often comes across as a whiney twit. I'm sure Fields would have liked to have given him a kick in the pants, like he did Baby LeRoy in The Old-Fashioned Way.

I recommend the film heartily for young and old. You will certainly recognize the same virtues and vices in people you see today. Unfortunately, good and evil nowadays don't always result in the same outcomes as in Charles Dicken's time.

When you've finished this film, move on to Great Expectations with Alec Guiness, Jean Simmons and John Mills; Oliver Twist with Alec Guiness, Robert Newton and Anthony Newley and A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim. If you aren't dripping with good will and cheer by then, let's face it you're either dead or Scrooged.

Happy Holidays!

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When Warners announced that the original nitrate camera negative had been found for George Cukor's 1935 DAVID COPPERFIELD and that it would digitally remaster the film for DVD, I was delighted. However, the results are so disappointing that I really doubt any restoration was ever even attempted.

The print on display here is in pretty wretched condition, with a plethora of marks, scratches and other blemishes on almost every frame. True, this is a 70 year old film, and one must make allowances but if the original negative WAS available, then much could have been done to minimise the damage of time and restore the image.

I think that Warners didn't want to spend the money, which may explain why the DVD slipcase makes no mention of digital remastering or original negatives at all...!

What a great pity and a missed opportunity.

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One of the major problems that any Hollywood director faces in transferring Dickens from the printed page is selectively deleting extraneous plot and character so that Dicken's original vision can be encompassed within a two hour time frame. In DAVID COPPERFIELD, director George Cuckor succeeds admirably in catching the flavor of a vast panorama of characters and subplots without losing Dickens' sense of horror at the then widespread brutalization of children. The result was a richly deserved nomination for Best Picture of 1935

David is played in the first half by Freddie Bartholemew, and in the second by Frank Lawton. David is a sweet, unassuming boy who loves his doting mother to the point that the audience early can guess that his happiness is soon to be blighted by nasty adults, the most insidious of whom is Mr. Murdstone, whose rapid sense of diction is matched only by his ability to use that diction as a precursor to pummeling David. David is thoroughly traumatized by Murdstone's sadistic comments such as, "David, do you know how I break a horse? I beat him." And all the while the audience is screaming for his mother to intervene and throw out this bum of a husband. But she does not, and David's debasement continues until her death when Murdstone inherits her property and banishes David to live with distant relatives. In many of Dickens' novels, he portrays women as falling into one of two categories: the sweet but essentially helpless women who are no more able to control their lives than a young David is able to control his. His mother and Dora (Maureen O'Sullivan) whom he later marries are typical. The other kind of woman is the rompin stompin in your face female played by Edna May Oliver, who steals the movie as Aunt Betsy, who stands as a rock of refuge for the tormented David. It is she who drives away the hated Murdstone, who comes to reclaim the runaway David.

The first half of the movie is far more of interest than the second. It is almost as if Dickens used up most of his creative juices in delineating the character of a David whose youthful helplessness far exceeds the interest generated by Frank Lawton, who plays David more as wimpish Phillip Carey from OF HUMAN BONDAGE than the introverted but tormented Heathcliffe from WUTHERING HEIGHTS. The second half drags as David attempts to sort out the women in his life. He marries the child-woman Dora, only to rage against a childishness that he should have spotted long before their marriage. Equally unbelievable is his one-sided relation with Agnes (Madge Evans), who somehow falls in love with the articulate but socially fumbling David. Both halves of the movie are carried by the extraordinary talents of the supporting cast. Edna May Oliver's loud voice and broomstrokes mark her as a stalwart defender of youthful innocence. W. C. Fields as Micawber adds comedy and pathos in a gravely base voice as only he can. Roland Young makes the most of his screen time as the weasily and slimy Uriah Heap whose 'Umbleness' tagline stamps him as yet another unforgettable Dickens creation. By movie's end, the audience can see that Dickens did not believe in the fairy tale happy ending. Sometimes the bad guys (like Murdstone) got away with their villainy. And sometimes (like Heep) they did not. The Dickens of both book and screen both agree that life is most often a gamble, but if one has true grit and a loud protective female presence somewhere in the background, then all might turn out well. Sort of like real life.

Buy Frozen Planet: The Complete Series (David Attenborough-Narrated

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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.

This seven-part seven-hour series covers the natural and wild habitat of the Arctic and Antarctic circles, covering indigenous life, their survival tactics, hunts, and mating cycles, as well as the landscape and natural events, most of which involve ice in dozens of surprising forms, and the extensive effects of the seasonal cycle. The first episode is a kind of overview, four more episodes cover these habitats during the four seasons, the sixth episode covers various human explorations, studies and residents of these regions, and the final controversial episode covers melting ice and global climate change.

I recently re-watched Attenborough's Life in the Freezer (also produced by Fothergill) in preparation for this series, figuring that this would cover much of the same ground and would probably be a remake/upgrade (as with Planet Earth). Unfortunately, I guessed correctly, but this series adds the following:

Arctic footage (Life in the Freezer only covered Antarctica). But even this footage is not always fresh, having seen polar bears, arctic wolves and other Arctic animals in many previous releases such as Planet Earth and Life.

Breathtaking landscape footage in high definition. You've never seen so much ice and snow take on so many forms and do so many awe-inspiring things.

Upgraded footage in high definition. A lot of the Antarctica footage covers the same ground as Life in the Freezer, except this time they use the latest technology and go the extra mile (or hundred miles) to create the perfect shot.

That said, I felt that Life in the Freezer, in its mere 3 hours running time, educated me better and more systematically. Although Attenborough gives us a wealth of facts and knowledge on this release, the overall writing and structure is lacking. This is mainly due to the chaotic and whimsical structure similar to Planet Earth that splices together any spectacular footage it could find regardless of its educational value. Categorizing the footage under which season it happened in is simply not enough guys.

Let's illustrate this with a specific example: In Life in the Freezer, Attenborough discussed and showed us lichens to complete the picture of life on Antarctica. But, evidently on this release, lichens were deemed too boring and they were replaced with yet another bloody and action-packed hunt instead.

Other details:

The quality of the picture and sound is top-notch as expected.

The first overview episode doesn't repeat the same footage used in later episodes as they did with Life/Planet Earth, but cuts out footage from several scenes in upcoming episodes instead to provide a random selection of upcoming attractions. So it is not as repetitively annoying, but it is still the wrong thing to do in my opinion.

As on previous releases, each episode ends with 10-minute behind the scenes footage. Except this time, some of the scenes that are covered aren't on the episode we just watched, which is a bit weird.

In summary, at least half of this is a remake, and the structure is very weak, but the footage is breathtaking, there are many moments of dramedy as with the Life series, there is some new and surprising behaviour, and the not-so-new is upgraded. So I'll give it four stars. Personally, I think the best reason for getting this is the breathtaking footage of the ice and landscape.

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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 Earth" (This includes Scott of the Antarctic)

2. "Spring"

3. "Summer"

4. "Autumn"

5. "Winter"

6. "The Last Frontier" " (humans in the Arctic and Antarctica)

7. "On thin ice" (David Attenborough's view on climate change in the Arctic and Antarctic.)

NB Wiki has a much more detailed synopsis.

The book and the calendar are both available now. Frozen Planet: A World Beyond Imagination, Official BBC Earth Frozen Planet Calendar 2012

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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 & conspiracy theories that is.

Did those people know that the dinosaurs in otherwise 'factual' TV series, weren't filmed in real life? They were nothing more than the (best guess) imaginings of scientists, palaeontologists & CGI?

Nit pick if you must, but get a life!

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Part 3 of second CD, called The Last Frontier is very educational and beautifully done. I had to watch it twice with a laptop next to me so I could do the search for all the places that they were talking about to see the exact geographical locations. I think it's critical for human creation to accept the responsibility not to disturb the animals we encounter, and to encourage everyone to respect and protect the natural world. What a privilege it is to see wild animals undisturbed in their natural environments and no one accomplishes that like the crew of BBC and the talented, dedicated and educated David Attenborough... I wish David lots of health since he truly is indispensable... No better way of watching a nature documentary than having David as the narrator with his own unique accent and personality. All the UK versions are with David but producers change the narrators for some countries but regardless the PLANET producers, a BBC production is the one when comes to cinematography, quality new shots, locations and education... Simply Bravo.

Life

Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series

Life in Cold Blood

The Blue Planet Seas of Life Collector's Set (Parts 1-4)

Life in the Undergrowth

Frozen Planet [Blu-ray]

Madagascar [Blu-ray]

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Pro: Great quality as usual.

Con: You CAN'T skip the trailers in the beginning on a PS3.

Once you've seen all the other BBC planet collections they all start to seem the same though.