Friday, December 20, 2013

Africa [Blu-ray]



One of the finest things ever created in the history of film
The title for this review seems a bit much, but let me quickly explain why it's not hyperbole or meaningless oversell. I help at my friends video store, which hosts a giant collection of Blu-ray features. I own many, but I should specify the only Blu-Rays I purchase, mostly due to replay-ability, are nature documentaries. My modest collection boasts over 75 Blu-ray nature documentaries: BBC, Nat-Geo, Discovery and other independent sources. I've been collecting nature Blu-rays since the evening I installed a compatible drive in my computer. The PC is linked via 1080p HDMI connection to a large LCD screen. The reason I'm telling you this personal information is so you know I'm serious about the genre. I'm critical. It takes a lot to blow me away since I've viewed so many astonishing, eye-popping nature documentaries over the years. Other people collect guns, stamps or shoes. Well, I collect nature documentaries.

This is, without question, the best nature documentary ever...

Once again, surprisingly superb
I've been watching nature documentaries for decades now, so I approach these newer ones with weary skepticism, especially since the wave of glossy 'remake-upgrades' started by Planet Earth. In this specific case, the topic is the wildlife of Africa, which has been covered in almost every major BBC documentary so far, as well as hundreds of other docs, and it has also been the focus of the very good 'Wild Africa' series (also by the BBC).

The one detail with 'Africa' that gave me hope was that it was produced by Mike Gunton, producer of arguably the best of the new breed of documentaries: 'Life'.

I am happy to report that this one is just as good as Life, if not better.

The approach here is to find footage of surprising, educational and entertaining animal behaviour not seen before and film it in dramedy style as with Life. In addition, the documentary masterfully combines summary information on the natural history and climate to provide a complete...

Another Incredible BBC Nature Documentary!!!!
Africa is the latest incredible nature documentary from the producers who brought us Planet Earth, Life, Frozen Planet, and Human Planet. Africa is narrated by the great Sir David Attenborough. Unfortunately the Discovery Channel airing of Africa used a different narrator. This Blu-Ray is the original uncut broadcast with Attenborough. The Discovery Channel cut out scenes for commercials during the hour long broadcast when it aired.

Africa is a 6 part series which includes: Kalahari, Savannah, Congo, Cape, Sahara, and The Future. Each episode is stunning. From forest elephants to kick-boxing frogs, the animals of Africa come to life in stunning high definition. The cinematography in Africa is amazing. This is definitely one of the best BBC nature documentaries to date. This Blu-Ray is a must have for anyone who enjoys nature.

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