Sadly Over-hyped

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Made by the BBC Earth using footage from the nature series Planet Earth II, this film focuses on a single day across the continents as we drop in on the natural world.Narrated by Robert Redford we get to see that famous sequence of writhing snakes chasing newborn iguanas on the beaches of the Galapagos Islands, the baby iguanas get away just in time. There are a family of sperm whales giving birth and feeding milk to its young, the milk has to have the consistency of cottage cheese.We have penguins taking a dangerous trek in order to feed its family and hoping to find the right nest. Two giraffes fight for love but the older one has enough knowledge to know when to duck and return with a knockout blow. Zebras cross crocodile infested rivers and a bear trying to scratch that itch.The photography is wonderful but it is a case of we have seen it all before if you have watched the television shows.

Relentless background music, nursery style dialogue. Why not just have the glorious sights and sounds of nature? Have just given up after half an hour. Could have been spectacular.

Leisurely paced BBC nature documentary, narrated by Robert Redford, which travels across the globe, in one day, to discover some wondrous goings on in the animal kingdom. I've seen many nature films but this one had numerous scenes that I had never witnessed before, like a sloth crossing a river trying to answer the call of a potential mate.Often shot in close-ups, slo-mo, or time lapse photography the movie offers some truly amazing insight into wildlife and our natural habitat. There is one sequence involving snakes lying in wait to attack young iguanas as they emerge from their nesting place that may be too much for young children, but otherwise I would think the entire family could enjoy and learn from this documentary.Overall, I found this film to be exceptional.

The same old formula for this type of film is trotted out with a "why bother?" result. Various life forms on planet Earth are shown in various stages of peril/battle/life threatening situations. Between these dark, lovingly photographed segments are scenes of "cute" animals performing silly antics with jolly music. Really? We all know animals must hunt to live, may freeze/starve to death, etc but why dwell on it? With the budget and resources these filmmakers had, why not throw caution to the wind and make a celebratory, joyous TRULY amazing film? Robert Redford delivers uninspiring narration with some real cringe-worthy lines at times. Avoid! Rated a 2 for the scenery/photography.