Earth's Natural Wonders

Broadcast on PBS, this three-part BBC series features magnificent photography of some of the most breathtaking sites on Earth, including Victoria Falls, Mount Everest, the Grand Canyon, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the Amazon rainforest. But as opposed to a traditional travelogue, the filmmakers have added personal stories related to these unusual environments. Some are simply edifying, such as the efforts of researchers to save condors from the poisoning they contract from eating animal carcasses shot with lead bullets near the Grand Canyon, or the attempt of a man from New Guinea to tag manta rays for scientific study. Others deal with local practices—such as 9-year-old boys stung by poisonous ants in an Amazon rite of manhood, a young man trying to succeed as a bull runner in the Camargue, and a so-called icefall doctor overcoming his fear in order to aid Everest climbers. And still others follow Zambian brothers braving crocodile and elephants to reach the rich fishing waters at Victoria Falls, a fisherman contending with a whale shark to secure a deep water catch, and a Tanzanian man assigned to protect his village fields from elephants. These stories too often strive to create tension by having protagonists fail to achieve their objectives until the last minute, but the astonishingly vibrant cinematography compensates for any narrative clichés. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)