Wildlife Specials DVD Review

David Attenborough, one of the many notable voices of the BBC, brings us into the world of six different animals in the DVD collection Wildlife Specials. The six 50 minute documentaries are amazingly shot and use unique devices to educate audiences about these unfamiliar habitats. They explore a range of environments from the arctic ice, to the vast ocean, to the African savannah. They are complete stories within themselves and do more than simply educate.

Each of the documentaries covers the basics for each animal: birth, eating, death, and sex. However, each documentary goes about it in a slightly different way. In Agent of Darkness, the camera crew uses an infrared camera to film the nocturnal leopard hunting antelope in the darkness. In Giant of the Oceans, the crew rides in a boat alongside a humpback whale and tracks its communication with technological equipment. These techniques heighten the learning experience and make the shows more than just lectures.

Each documentary is like a mini movie. Attenborough follows usually one animal through its journey of survival. In Arctic Warrior, we follow a female polar bear and her two cubs as they come out of hibernation and struggle to find food. They face obstacles like any movie hero or heroine does. This makes the documentaries even more captivating. As in March of the Penguins, we see these animals almost as images of ourselves, and this connects us with nature even more.

This collection of documentary really broadens horizons and makes you look at the bigger picture. The beauty of these animals and of the Earth is captured very vividly. There are so many images that will stay with you after you have stopped watching, enhancing the learning experience. One such image is of the forest eagle that drops a turtle from husndreds of feet in the air to get at the meat inside of its rigid shell. It is an amazing sight to see and reminds us that humans are not the only intelligent beings on this planet, as some people seem to believe.

This collection of Wildlife Specials is for anyone who is curious, loves animals, or simply loves natural beauty. There is something for everyone. David Attenborough is a great narrator. He speaks with a calm and even tone that blends into the background. If you cannot go out and see the wonders and mysteries of the world first-hand, these Wildlife Specials are a great alternative. You will see things up close and personal that could not see otherwise. There is no reason to skip this DVD set.

The extras that come with these six documentaries are about as good as the documentaries themselves. Two bonus documentaries come in the two-disc set, which include Great Natural Wonders of the World and Greatest Wildlife Show on Earth. They are similar to Discovery Channel’s series Planet Earth. Greatest Wildlife Show on Earth covers more animals, usually rarer or more specialized than the ones covered in the actual feature. Though the coverage on these animals is significantly briefer in order to fit in a larger variety, it still covers the basics of the animals’ lives. Great Natural Wonders does for the environment what Greatest Wildlife Show on Earth does for animals. It is equally as awe-inspiring and stunning. All in all this is a can’t miss DVD set.