Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom Blu-ray Movie

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Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom Blu-ray Movie United States

PBS | 2013 | 53 min | Not rated | Dec 17, 2013

Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom (Blu-ray Movie)

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Buy Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom on Blu-ray Movie

Movie rating

7.1
 / 10

Blu-ray rating

Users3.5 of 53.5
Reviewer4.0 of 54.0
Overall3.5 of 53.5

Overview

Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom (2013)

Documentary100%
Nature75%
Family36%
Other24%
Biography15%

Specifications

  • Video

    Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
    Video resolution: 1080i
    Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
    Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1

  • Audio

    English: Dolby Digital 5.1

  • Subtitles

    English SDH

  • Discs

    25GB Blu-ray Disc
    Single disc (1 BD)

  • Playback

    Region A (B, C untested)

Review

Rating summary

Movie4.0 of 54.0
Video4.0 of 54.0
Audio4.0 of 54.0
Extras0.0 of 50.0
Overall4.0 of 54.0

Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom Blu-ray Movie Review

Love, Animal Style.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 21, 2013

It seems appropriate for the “Nature” series to devote an entire episode to the business of creature copulation, because the subject always seems to creep into every show anyway. Assembling an assortment of clips from various global documentary excursions, “Love in the Animal Kingdom” seeks to summarize various acts of seduction from a few of the world’s most interesting animals, showcasing the long, tiring battles some males are faced with when trying to attract a little attention from the opposite sex.


“Love in the Animal Kingdom” (narrated by Chris Morgan) assembles an impressive collection of subjects, with polar bears, mountain gorillas, lesser flamingos, ring-tailed lemurs, topis, demoiselle damselflies, and, your favorite and mine, blue-footed boobies, studied intently as they prepare for the big reproductive show. The access is startling, with multiple cameras closely monitoring subtle courtship behavior, while a few extravagant dances of allure are identified, some more comedic than others. There’s violence too, with wolves enduring a 30-minute union of genital contact to insure a successful transfer of fluid, making life difficult for any male attempting to sneak attack pack females.

It’s not a jocular documentary, though there are lighter moments to help ease discomfort when watching animals have sex. Perhaps the most vivid chapter is devoted to the mountain gorillas, who have the benefit of human-like faces, making the pleasurable particulars of the mating game easy to spot due to clarity of reaction.


Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality  4.0 of 5

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation follows a pattern set by previous "Nature" releases, with a clean, crisp HD look to the show that allows for a deep inspection of screen activity. Since this is more of a collection of clips, quality ranges from subject to subject, but there isn't anything displayed here that's disruptive, with only mild banding exposing the limitations of the disc. Colors are strong and accurate, preserving the natural hues of the stars, while locations also register vividly, especially during sunset glory shots. Textures are maintained to satisfaction, offering a pleasing read of feather and fur, while blacks are supportive, capturing distances.


Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality  4.0 of 5

The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound mix is basic, sticking with the front stage for most of the heavy lifting, only reaching out in a circular manner to articulate environments and scoring. Narration is crisp and centered, never losing intensity as it faces music demands and assorted atmospherics. Low-end is barely engaged.


Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras  n/a of 5

There is no supplementary information on this disc.


Nature: Love in the Animal Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation  4.0 of 5

The program's lasting message is one of devotion, though asides with creatures retaining a "wandering eye" are handed equal screen time, underlining the varied nature of the mating game. Moving from vast arctic snowfields to the bottom of the sea, "Love in the Animal Kingdom" provides a compelling overview of tactic and emotion, making the show a little more than a greatest hits package of private moments. And if you're like me, you'll never be able to watch a wolf without giggling ever again.


Other editions

Nature: Other Seasons