Blu-ray Review
Planet Earth: Special Edition
Due Out: October 4, 2011 Own it on Blu-ray
PLOT: Planet Earth took the world by storm when it originally aired. It garnered uniformly glowing reviews, won four Emmy Awards, including Best Nonfiction Series and Best Cinematography, and its longevity on the best-seller list is legend. Now, with the addition of all new commentary and new bonus programs you can relive this incredible experience all over again! In this truly special, limited collector's edition, prepare to be overwhelmed again by the beauty and majesty of Planet Earth. You'll be filled with awe and amazement every time you watch this stunning BBC series about our planet's best-loved, wildest and most elusive creatures, captured on breathtaking, high-definition film in the Earth's most extreme habitats. Forty cameramen and hundreds of producers, scientists and guides spent four years and $25 million to bring you this God's-eye-view of rare action and intimate moments in impossible locations. Zoom in on the elusive snow leopard hunting a mountain goat on a near-vertical cliff face in Pakistan's Hindu Kush. Swim with the blind angelfish that lives in one waterfall in one cave in Thailand. Squeeze through underground tunnels in New Mexico's recently-discovered Lechuguilla Cave, where crystals dangle like 18-foot chandeliers. Shot entirely in high-definition film, with revolutionary new aerial photography. From the team behind Blue Planet, including the esteemed and beloved Sir David Attenborough. (plot description from BBC Shop America)
WHO'S IT FOR? People who own Blu-rays and big beautiful flat screen TVs. Yes, that is a lot of people. And yes, I'm being serious.
MOVIE:
This isn't your America's Planet Earth. Oh no. This is the one with Sir Richard Attenborough guiding use through our planet's wilderness. Yes, that makes it better. An English accent always makes it better. In all honesty, this Blu-ray collection is something everyone should own. It's the perfect thing to simply have on. For years I was hoping for would be a "Planet Earth" channel that would constantly re-run these hour-long specials. I, perhaps like you, am always more excited when something happens to be on TV instead of choosing to put a Blu-ray in. Since that "Planet Earth" channel couldn't happen, this is the next best thing. The picture quality is amazing. The sound is perfect. Plus, just look at these extras below. Just know, if suddenly all of my reviews are filled with rainbows and lollipops, it's because I was watching a "Planet Earth" episode while writing.
NEW BLU-RAY AND DVD BONUS FEATURES
• Special Sneak Peek at Executive Producer Alastair Fothergill’s next blockbuster project: Frozen Planet
• Commentary on select episodes
• Greatest Planet Earth Moments – Relive the greatest moments of this revolutionary series and discover how these scenes were captured on film.
• Snow Leopard: Beyond the Myth – The BBC Natural History Unit explores a secret cave deep in the mountains of Pakistan where generations of snow leopards return each year to raise their young.
• Secrets of the Maya Underworld – The freshwater pools that dot Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula were believed by the Mayans to be portals to the underworld. For the first time ever, the BBC Natural History Unit explores this incredible, labyrinthine system of underground rivers.
• Elephant Nomads of the Namib Desert – Follow the struggle for survival of two female elephants trying to raise their young in one of the harshest climates on Earth.
• Music only viewing option
ORIGINAL DVD BONUS FEATURES NOW ON BLU-RAY
• 110 minutes of behind the scenes footage – one 10-minute behind the scenes production video diary for each episode
• Planet Earth – The Future – This 3-part series looks at what the future may hold for endangered animals, habitats and – ultimately – us.
MOVIE SCORE: 10/10