8.9 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.4 |
'Life' is a Ten-part natural history series that explores the unusual and spectacular behaviour employed by the world's wildlife in order to survive. Filmed over four years and focusing each episode on a different wildlife group, the BBC series, shot in HD, employs the latest advances in filmmaking, travelling to every continent on Earth to record the dramatic, and at times bizarre, behaviour of the planet's wildlife.
Starring: Michael Pitts, Barrie Britton, Doug Allan, Roger MunnsDocumentary | 100% |
Nature | 88% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD HR 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (4 BDs)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
"I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail is strung upon it, as upon a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets. It has given me blessed release from care and worry, and the troubled thinking of our modern day. It has been a return to the primitive and the peaceful. Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and benumbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail. And when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me. I am happy." Hamlin Garland, 1899
There are times when the roar of industry is quieted; moments in which the electronic chorus of the Information Age is drowned out by the stillness, meticulous order, and absolute majesty of the natural world. For most of us, such simplicity is a strange, alien existence experienced from the confines of a cozy room bathed in LCD light. But for the men and women of the BBC Natural History Unit -- a group of documentarians responsible for acclaimed series and productions like Planet Earth, Galapagos, Ganges, Yellowstone, and Wild Pacific -- this untamed kingdom is far more wondrous and engrossing than any creature comfort man could create. Four years in the making, Life is yet another outstanding manifestation of their passions and pursuits. Over the course of ten episodes, the footage they capture is nothing short of breathtaking and the risks they take are nothing short of inspiring. It's just a shame their efforts have been overshadowed by the release of two distinct versions of the series: this, the original BBC edition, narrated by respected naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough, and the US-produced Discovery Channel edition, narrated (somewhat woodenly) by daytime television monolith Oprah Winfrey. Both feature the same stunning photography; both offer similar glimpses of sights previously unseen; and both should please their respective audiences immensely. Be that as it may, the Attenborough version has rightfully emerged as the fan-favorite, bringing with it a more knowledgeable guide and more involving narration.
You may have seen some of these animals before, but never like this...
The BBC version of Life arrives with an at-times breathtaking, altogether stunning 1080p/VC-1 transfer; one that boasts gorgeous colors and remarkable detail, and puts most other nature documentary presentations to shame. Still, comparisons to the series' 1080i Discovery Channel release are the most inevitable and the most unavoidable. Simply put, the differences between the two aren't earth shattering -- in some instances, our beloved little "p" may as well stand for "placebo" -- but they are notable. There are plenty of scenes and shots in which the tiniest strands of animal hair are crisper, distant foliage is more refined, and the craggly crevices of rocky ravines are more revealing. In fact, the whole of the image struck me as more stable and, for lack of a better term, more tangible. But that boost in clarity comes with a small price: the Natural History Unit's photography is sometimes beset by more obvious source anomalies. Errant noise is more apparent, the faint vertical lines that plague the series' slow-motion sequences are more visible, and intermittent softness still haunts the NHU's trickiest shots (particularly those involving extreme weather or harsh conditions). However, the vast majority of these anomalies trace back to the inherent limitations of the team's equipment and the subsequent shortcomings of their photography, not the integrity of the studio's technical transfer. Banding and artifacting (both of which pop up from time to time in the 1080i Discovery Channel version) have all but been eliminated, black levels are a tad deeper, definition is slightly sharper, and sprawling vistas pack a bit more punch. The overall upgrade isn't as bar-elevating as some will claim (most viewers who overlook the small disclaimer on the set's back cover won't even notice that a single episode, "Plants," is inexplicably presented in 1080i), but it does give the BBC transfer a worthwhile edge over its Discovery Channel cousin.
After a bit of volume leveling, it's quite clear that little separates the BBC's 2046 kbps DTS-HD High Resolution 5.1 surround track from its DTS-HD HR 5.1 Discovery Channel counterpart. Well, other than the warm blanket that is David Attenborough's narration. From a technical standpoint though, Attenborough's tireless voice is as clean and clear as Winfrey's, and just as commanding a presence in the series' soundscape. His impassioned delivery caps a wholly serviceable, albeit largely front-heavy experience that does a decent job bolstering the rushing waterfalls, roaring beasts, and surging storms that frequent Life. As is the case with most documentary series, Attenborough's steady stream of factoids kindly lord over the natural sounds of the subjects at hand, tasking the rear speakers with restrained ambience and the LFE channel with measured support. It's all reasonably effective, mind you -- immersive even -- but hardly anything worth getting excited about. It is worth mentioning that the Discovery Channel release of the series offers an intriguing alternate mix, sans narration; a classy, no-frills option I would have loved to see replicated on the BBC edition. At least in theory. In practice, the DC version's intriguing narration-free track was little more than a bland Dolby Digital stereo bore. Perhaps its absence here is a blessing in disguise. Ultimately, documentary enthusiasts will applaud the DTS-HD High Resolution results, even though the BBC release doesn't flex the Master Audio muscle many had hoped it would.
The BBC release of Life clocks in at approximately 499 minutes, a full fifteen minutes longer than the Discovery Channel release. However, it appears that the DC edition still includes the extra footage -- in the form of Winfrey-narrated Deleted Scenes -- meaning the Discovery Channel version's 42-minute "Making of Life" special is the lone casualty in Life's supplemental wars. Thankfully, the BBC edition serves up the same informative, unexpectedly personable "Life on Location" featurettes (Discs 1-4, HD, 109 minutes) that grace its US doppelgänger. Just don't look for a Special Features menu. The mini-docs are attached to the episodes themselves, and begin playing automatically after each one. Together, the featurettes introduce the brave Natural History Unit photographers and scientists who brought Life to, erm... life, reveal the challenges that were faced along the way, and delve into the manner in which each obstacle was overcome. The only other bonus to be found is a set of basic calibration tools designed for casual videophiles.
The response has been overwhelming and nearly unanimous: Lifers prefer the original BBC version of the series to its US counterpart. Winfrey's efforts and delivery aren't without some merit, but Attenborough's experience and expertise shine through, granting the BBC edition a serious edge. It only helps that it also offers a gorgeous 1080p video transfer. Sure, it doesn't exactly render the Discovery Channel's 1080i presentation moot -- far from it -- but it does boast a few notable improvements, all of which add value to the overall package and manage to enhance the NHU's jaw-dropping photography. And since its DTS-HD High Resolution audio track and supplemental package are largely the same, Life fans would do well to shuffle past the Discovery Channel release and add the BBC edition to their carts.
BBC
2011
2008
2009
The Original UK Series
2011
The Complete Series
2006
2006
2009
2008
2016
2010
2007
2001
2009
BBC
2011
2013
2017
IMAX
2009
Disneynature
2009
2018
2007