Life on Our Planet

Life on Our Planet offers an incredibly wide-ranging and information-dense look at the evolution of Earth from the first single-celled organisms to the present day in eight compelling episodes. Initially, I was a little concerned that the series would dilute the same information I'd seen and heard in earlier projects on prehistoric and contemporary flora and fauna, but the creators offered a wealth of new insights into the various stages of our planet's evolution. Since much of the series focuses on very distant time periods, the facts depicted must be taken with the understanding that they are conjectures or hypotheses - for example, the courtship and mating patterns of giant centipedes or T-Rexes. The first episode had a rather leisurely pace, but the other episodes were more lively - I really enjoyed the action-oriented scenes (the underwater and land hunting). I also had to get used to the transitions between CGI and real contemporary footage at first, and noticed that feathered or furry animals looked more artificial than those with scales or smooth skin, but it was still a job well done. I also appreciated the detailed depiction of the asteroid impact that was behind one of the massive species extinctions on Earth. Morgan Freeman's charismatic narration was the icing on the cake. (30/10/2023)