“Only one creature has carved a life for itself in every habitat on Earth,” explains narrator John Hurt at the opening of this BBC-aired natural history documentary series. “That creature is us.” Shot over the course of three years, Human Planet follows Earth and Life as the final piece of an unofficial trilogy, and while not a literal sequel, it features the same high-quality HD photography of landscapes and ecosystems worldwide. In this case, however, the primary focus is not on wildlife but rather human life and its evolution in various places on the planet. Each of the eight 50-minute episodes profiles a different environment—“Oceans,” “Deserts,” “Arctic,” “Jungles,” “Mountains,” “Grasslands,” “Rivers,” and “Cities”—tracing the relationship between mankind and his surroundings, from traditional cultures to modern life, surveying the ways in which humans initially adapted to survive in the harsh venues, as well as the later effects of technology. Unlike Earth and Life, which used advanced telephoto lenses to observe from afar, the filmmakers here are much more involved with the people shown onscreen, making this less visually spectacular but more intimate. Without preaching, Human Planet ultimately illustrates the many ways in which human societies affect the environment. Both the DVD and Blu-ray editions feature the original, uncut British version of the series (shown stateside in slightly edited form on the Discovery Channel), plus brief behind-the-scenes featurettes on select sequences. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Axmaker)
Human Planet: The Complete Series
(2010) 3 discs. 400 min. DVD: $39.98, Blu-ray: $49.99. BBC Worldwide Ltd. (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 0-7806-7174-0 (dvd), 0-7806-7175-9 (blu-ray). Volume 26, Issue 4
Human Planet: The Complete Series
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