Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

The Green Planet 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Damn plants, you scary.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 14, 2022

At this point, BBC should just have an auto-pay subscription service for their ongoing series of globe-hopping nature documentaries. The Green Planet continues the network's near-endless winning streak of quality titles, most of which feature drop-dead gorgeous 2K/4K footage of stunning locations around Earth with hosting duties performed by living legend David Attenborough, now 96 years old and still going strong in a career that began the same year my parents were born. This time around, we'll learn exclusively about plant species around the world and how they have to fare against unhospitable climates, deforestation, each other and, of course, those selfish vegetarians.

During five 50-minute episodes including "Tropical Worlds", "Water Worlds", "Seasonal Worlds", "Desert Worlds", and "Human Worlds", The Green Planet's mostly self-explanatory outings carry a torch for BBC's established formula of creative camerawork and investigation that reveals new, fascinating details about both common and rare occurrences in places most of us will never see up close in real life. Although said formula remains mostly unchanged -- from each episode's unassuming, comfortable pace to a closing reminder that our actions make a difference -- The Green Planet adds a few new visual tricks to the game, going a bit heaver on time-lapse photography (which somewhat frustratingly doesn't say how much time has passed) while making good use of drone footage and cutting edge Triffid cameras to switch up our perspective occasionally. All the while, Attenborough either appears on-screen* or narrates the action, and his still-steady presence remains a highlight as the man truly is out there living his best life.

Most of studio's earlier documentaries have been accessible, animal-heavy productions like the Planet Earth series that kids and adults can enjoy in equal measure, so anyone worried that this five-episode series is as boring as watching grass grow needn't worry. Its focus on plants' relationships with one another, their immediate ecosystems, and even the struggle to survive in urban environments makes for surprisingly engaging viewing... but just in case, we're also treated to plenty of cute critters and gross insects just for good measure. Then of course there's the other expected highlights: boasting a great deal of native 4K footage that looks unsurprisingly fantastic on this combo pack's 4K and Blu-ray discs -- and like several previous releases, no stand-alone versions are offered. I'm told that a portion of this footage -- most of it during the final episode, "Human Worlds" -- was filmed in 2K but nonetheless looks great too. Other highlights of this set include outstanding Dolby Atmos audio and bonus footage, both detailed below.

* - Only the included Blu-rays, which is where this review's screenshots are sourced from, actually show Attenborough on-screen during slightly longer cuts of all five episodes that also end with incorporated "On Location" clips which have been compiled into one longer featurette on the 4K discs. Why the 4K discs' shorter episodes are cut differently to hide Attenborough's on-screen presence (as they are in several international releases, apparently) is a total mystery to me, but I'm a glass-half-full kind of guy: at least we get two different versions to choose from here.

The Green Planet 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: This review's screenshots are sourced from the included Blu-ray discs.

Enough can't be said about The Green Planet's frequently jaw-dropping 2160p, HDR10-enhanced transfers... but you probably knew that already. Those familiar with the BBC's regular output of nature documentaries, from DVD and Blu-ray to beyond, are well aware of the studio's boundary pushing visual presentations and this one's no different. Pause-worthy moments abound, from rich and detailed close-ups of plants and animals to vast landscapes around the globe that crackle with fine detail and textural delights. Particularly impressive is the earth-toned footage in "Desert Worlds", where individual grains of sand and prickly cactus needles are rendered in crisp detail that stands as an unexpected but worthy visual highlight. Colors are, of course, superb thanks to the built-in benefits of HDR, which greatly enhances color depth and saturation intensity against dark backgrounds. While as a whole The Green Planet may not exceed the dizzying heights of more thematically diverse BBC productions such as Blue Planet II and Seven Worlds, One Planet, this is still outstanding work that leads the charge for 4K's position as a definitive home video format.

In comparison, the Blu-rays' 1080p transfers are impressive in their own right, even in only high definition and without the tangible boost of HDR enhancement. Fine detail, textures, colors, shadow detail, black levels: all are exemplary within format boundaries, with only cursory -- and almost expected -- compression issues arriving in extremely small amounts, including light posterization as well as banding on some of the more subtle gradients and slow fades to black. Absolutely nothing to be concerned about, though: unless you have no real plans to upgrade to 4K anytime soon, The Green Planet's current price point isn't all that excessive even if you'll never use two of the four discs.

The Green Planet 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Green Planet impresses sonically as well, with the default Dolby Atmos audio mix serving up yet another powerful and truly enveloping presentation; as usual, it automatically folds down to a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix if your receiver and speakers don't support the format. Any way you slice it, though, this is top-tier work although it's clear that BBC has once again sweetened many scenes for dramatic effect -- nothing even close to overblown or even slightly over the top, but still worth mentioning. Attenborough's narration comes through clearly whether he's on-screen or narrating, taking center stage without having to fight for attention with foreground sonic details such as animal noises and the rustling of leaves. As expected, background details are perhaps even more noticeable at times -- or, at the very least, The Green Planet aims for more of a centered "bubble" of immersion -- with ample highlights that include weather-related events, occasional music cues, insect chirps, rushing water, and other natural ambience, all of which can be heard via discrete channel placement, panning effects, or of course the Atmos-exclusive height channels, whose distinct presence is perhaps most noticeably felt during those scenes featuring ground-level Triffid camera footage.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the episodes and bonus features.

The Green Planet 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This four-disc set ships in a hinged keepcase with attractive cover artwork and a matching slipcover; no inserts are included, and episode names are printed on the discs. A lone bonus feature can be found on the second 4K disc.

• On Location (41:21) - This featurette has been stitched together from bonus behind-the-scenes footage that appears at the end of all five longer Blu-ray episodes. Filmed by the crew over a three-year period on several continents, it's frequently narrated by David Attenborough and, in addition to of course more location footage, we also hear from members of the creative team. Highlights include a visit with the developer of Triffid cameras, sailing across choppy waters, playing around with time-lapse photography, dealing with seasickness, building a makeshift Brazilian wetland, dealing with unpredictable seasonal weather, discovering different relationships between people and plants, carefully traveling through protected ecosystems, and more.

The Green Planet 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

BBC's The Green Planet is yet another ambitious and even daringly different type of documentary, one that follows the studio's well-seasoned formula while adding a few new A/V tricks and refreshingly switching up the subject matter. There's only so many rushing waterfalls, colorful fish, and lion chases you can see before things get a little repetitive, so its careful fixation on the small details of plant life -- their relationships with each other, their surroundings, and of course us -- stands as unusually interesting new territory that also made The Green Planet a particular passion project for its host, living legend David Attenborough. Presented as a 4K/Blu-ray combo pack (which includes a few unexpected differences between the episodes on each format), this is yet another top-tier effort in the A/V department even if its bonus features are a little lighter than normal. Highly Recommended.