Silkki's Reviews: BBC EARTH Planet Earth 6-disc Special Edition

This fall, experience the ultimate portrait of our world like never before as BBC Earth releases Planet Earth Special Edition and PlanetEarth Limited Collector’s Edition to Blu-ray and DVD October 4

Synopsis: The new, 6-disc Planet Earth Special Edition is also available in this special, limited, numbered collector?s edition globe package! All six discs, plus a set of 4 exclusive art cards featuring some of the most stunning images from the series are housed in a sturdy, weighted globe, numbered for greater collectability. Available with both the DVD and Blu-ray. 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, and this totally unique collectible package, 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.

MY REVIEW:

I'm THRILLED to finally be able to tell you about BBC's Planet Earth 6-Disc Special Edition. I know it has been a long month and a bit for those who've been waiting for this but let me tell you, it was worth it. I got it Monday morning and started it right away, it took me a few days to watch all six discs because there was close to 16 hours of wonderful world to explore. I knew right away my husband would love it because he always admires this kind of program. He didn't think I would like it very much but it's so beautiful to see our world this way. A way most will never see it. To experience the wonderful creatures on this Earth in their natural habitats is just breathtaking. The beauty of some of these beasts really shows through. On these six discs you will find amazing footage of some of the worlds most beloved, most fear, most breathtaking animals, from the largest to the smallest creature this program has it all. And the way they capture some of the footage is so surprising. My husband and I watched the first disc with my 11 year old daughter and she was so fascinated by it that she wanted to watch more the next day when she got home from school. I didn't need to partake in that because my 1 and 3 year old children helped me finish discs discs 2-5 during the school hours and then I finished the series the next day. I couldn't believe how excited my three year old son got when he saw the elephants and the monkeys. I was amazed that the footage was able to captivate all four of my children, that almost never happens. I would encourage anyone to go out and buy this BBC production, own it now on Blu-Ray. It is amazing.

On a not so positive note, but not really bad.....as I was watching along with my husband we noticed, on more than one occasion, that parts of the shows seem to be "animated" maybe it's not, maybe it is all actual footage but it was a little upsetting to be watching these amazing creatures and then all of a sudden it looked like you were watching a much better quality, life like Finding Nemo. They can do amazing things with technology now so if it wasn't animated why did it look that way? That was my only issue with these discs. I really did enjoy watching the world around me change and see how it has changed and will likely keep changing. It's hard not to feel sorry for the animals who's lives we are changing and it's to no fault of theirs that they have to suffer the way they do. Really makes you think...

It's not just about the animals though, you're also going to see lightening storms and how the lands are changing. Caves and the highest mountains, just to name a few things. It's a great big world out there and it's ours to discover, BBC helps us do that with this series. I enjoyed it a lot and I'm sure you will do.

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