This is a wonderfully enjoyable way to spend 80 minutes. A film with very limited narration, focusing instead on the drama and violence of life in the world's largest, most turbulent and least understood habitat. I am an enthusiastic viewer of natural history films, amd this is a very different and very rewarding change from the usual. There is one major problem with this piece, and that is the sound - it is inconsistent in volume, and occasionally distracting, but the score itself is well-written and beautifully performed, and I absolutely do not agree that it detracts from the film in any fundamental way. Other than the sound issue, this is a superb release.
The camerawork is exemplary - the visuals are vivid and beautiful, and with subject matter this captivating, this DVD contains some of the most stunning images ever captured of the ocean and it's animal and plant life. The editing of the film is superb too - the impression is that you are a silent, passive observer in a strange and dangerous world - the action unfolds without any hint of human interaction, and this creates a real sense of immersion. Some of the footage here is simply breath-taking, and I mean that literally - including a pack of sharks in a feeding frenzy on the ocean floor, and a seal being flung a hundred feet into the air by a killer whale - this is powerful, dramatic stuff.
There is almost no narration at all, and this makes a great change - there is a tremendous range of documentary material available, some of it brilliantly informative and educational, but this film speaks for itself, and more narration would simply lessen the experience. Previous reviewers stated that some of the footage from "The Blue Planet" has simply been recycled here without narration - that is true, and it is stunning footage, all the better without mandatory education over the top of it! "The Blue Planet" is a superb documentary - much more informative, and more complete in scope, but the aim of this DVD is clearly very different, and I believe that it is successful and worthwhile.
This is a powerful, moving journey through the oceans of the world - visually stunning, dramatic - it will leave a great impression on you, and if ever you needed an environmental wake-up call, then this is it. At this price, I recommend it to anyone with an interest in the natural world.