Planet Earth II
2016
Original language: English
- documentary
- family
The story
David Attenborough presents a documentary series exploring how animals meet the challenges of surviving in the most iconic habitats on earth.
What it’s like
Sweeping aerial shots of mountains, forests, savannah and coastline, held long enough to let the scale sink in, with the grading pushed toward saturated greens, deep blues and warm golden dust. Slow-motion close-ups of iguanas, flamingos and leopards give the wildlife a tactile, almost intimate presence, while the ultra-high-definition picture makes every ripple, feather and wet rock look sharp and luminous. Attenborough's measured narration arrives in unhurried paragraphs, and an orchestral score swells and recedes around the images without ever crowding them. The mood is awe-struck and calm, with a quiet undertone of concern for a changing planet, and the rhythm is episodic: each habitat gets its own stretch of patient observation, so it suits a rainy Sunday, a bedtime wind-down, or background viewing while cooking. Its tension comes from nature itself, with predator-and-prey sequences that can be startling but are shown without gore or lingering cruelty. It is gentle viewing for families, nature lovers, and anyone who wants to feel small in a good way.
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