The Life of Mammals on DVD
For anyone who loves all those Discovery Channel documentaries about animals,
we now have the definitive version, care of the BBC who also brought us The
Blue Planet: Seas of Life and The Life of Birds.
Once again hosted by David Attenborough, were once again taken right
into the line of fire to get a close-up look at the life of mammals. Breathtaking
footage combined with Attenboroughs enthusiastic narration makes for a
very entertaining and educational experience.
This four-disc set features ten 50-minute episodes, each focusing on different
classifications of mammals. The first is called A Winning Design,
and shows us the versatility of the warm-blooded creatures, and how we came
to be the most dominant animals on the planet. We learn about the two most bizarre
mammals, the echidna and the platypus, and some of the most fascinating, such
as the kangaroo.
Episode two is called Insect Hunters, and centers on anteaters
and their various relatives. Episode three, Plant Predators, shows
us a series of herbivores, ranging from the very small (shrews), to the very
large (elephants).
Disc two features Chisellers, Meat Eaters and Opportunists,
and is probably the most interesting single disc. Disc three features Return
to the Water and Life in the Trees, and disc four features
Social Climbers and Food for Thought.
These are the kinds of documentaries that really make you think about Darwins
theory of evolution. His theory never makes as much sense as when youre
watching all these zany creatures that have adapted so well to their surroundings.
Case in point is the sloth, an animal that does nothing but sleep and eat leaves
all day, and therefore has become very slow, both physically and mentally. It
has no real predators, so it doesnt need to get away, but it has developed
very long, curved claws, so it can grab onto branches to make the leaves more
accessible.
The visuals are stunning, often getting closer to animals than a camera has
ever been, and sometimes just sometimes we even get to see mammals
that have never before been captured on film. These docs make you appreciate
the circle of life, even if sometimes we feel sorry for the poor little baby
animals that get eaten.
If youve ever watched and enjoyed those animal documentaries you happen
to catch on TV while flipping through the channels, The Life of Mammals is guaranteed
to entertain. And who knows, you just might learn something, too.
Each of the ten episodes is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby
Digital Surround. Much like The Blue Planet, its very nice to see these
done anamorphically, because not only does it prove that the BBC is with the
times, but it also gives us a widescreen look at the animals.
The quality of the picture is excellent, with no grain or dust or, well
anything
wrong at all. Its important (for me, at least) to see the detail of the
animals fur, or the color or their eyes (but maybe Im just that
much more of a nerd). The Dolby Digital Surround may not be 5.1, but Im
not sure the two rear speakers would have made The Life of Mammals more enjoyable.
We can already hear Attenboroughs narration and the noises of the animals
well enough, and the rear channels probably wouldnt have been used anyway.
So this is more than adequate.
Special features include fact files and photo galleries on each disc, as well
as selections from the original score and a music video on disc one, and a couple
of behind-the-scenes featurettes on discs three and four. The featurettes are
very well made, and give you a look at how some of the footage was filmed. The
fact files provide a bit more information on various creatures, and the photo
galleries feature some very nice still shots.
All in all, these are some excellent documentaries with some excellent DVDs
to go along with them.
The Life of Mammals, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
500 minutes, anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1) 16X9 enhanced, Dolby Digital Surround
Written and presented by David Attenborough
Series Producer: Mike Salisbury
Hosted by David Attenborough
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