Walking With Cavemen (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)I hate to criticize the Discovery Channel, but what programming executive ape decided they needed to dumb-down and Americanize this excellent documentary? The original BBC version, which is what you get here,is vastly superior to the Discovery Channel broadcast of June 15th, 2003. The different vignettes are longer, better narrated (by a British narrator, not Alec Baldwin) and have a real cinematic kind of feeling almost totally missing from the rushed along, tightly edited version we saw on tv. In fact, after viewing this DVD, the Discovery broadcast seems like a mere infomercial for this longer, better version. If you liked what you saw on Discovery, I highly recommend this DVD. It's like watching WWC again for the first time.

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WALKING WITH CAVEMEN - DVD Movie

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The Complete Walking with... Collection (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Complete Walking with... Collection", is a compilation of "Walking with Dinosaurs", "Allosaurus - A Walking with Dinosaurs Special", and "Walking with Prehistoric Beasts". All the discs in this fold-out cardboard case are exactly the same as the original individual DVD releases.
No one has gone into much detail about the DVD itself, so I'll do so here..."Walking with Dinosaurs"
Walking with Dinosaurs Program Description:
The Journey begins 220 million years ago with a trip back in time to the reign of the dinosaurs!
Using the latest scientific findings, Walking with Dinosaurs examines the 155-million-year history of these great creatures, from the aggressive Coelophysis, the first animal to hunt in a pack, to Tyrannosaurus Rex, the most terrifying carnivore on the planet. Feel the ground tremble as dueling Triceratops (that's a mistake, they're actually called Torosaurus in the program) lock horns, and soar with Ornithocheirus, who could travel over 300 miles on a single flap of his powerful wings.
Program Titles:
1. NEW BLOOD
2. TIME OF THE TITANS
3. CRUEL SEA
4. GIANT OF THE SKIES
5. SPIRITS OF THE ICE FOREST
6. DEATH OF A DYNASTY
Extras:
- 29 minutes of behind-the-scenes picture-in-picture footage
- 50 minute "making of" documentary
- Promotional trailersThis is an excellent program, and definitely my personal favorite of the three. Everything is incredibly realistic, to the CGI models, animatronics, locations, and even the story-lines. I must have watched it at least 10 times by now. (and I'm only talking about this DVD collection; I must have watched this series 50 times on our VHS recording)
The features are very good, and filled with plenty of jokes with the dinosaurs not doing what they're supposed to and the like. It's really neat to see them on location filming nothing or creating the animatronics and what-not. All the other features are excellent too."Allosaurus - A Walking with Dinosaurs Special"
Allosaurus - A Walking with Dinosaurs Special and Big Al Uncovered Program Descriptions:
In 1991, the most complete allosaurus skeleton ever found was discovered in Wyoming and fondly nicknamed "Big Al". Through careful excavation and restoration, scientists have pieced together a detailed biography of this one dinosaur. Using the same computer graphics and animatronics techniques that amazed viewers all over the world in "Walking with Dinosaurs", this program vividly recreates the 15 years from Al's birth to his untimely demise.
In Big Al Uncovered, Al haunts modern-day museums and dig sites as scientists explain how they picked up clues and traced the evidence of one dinosaur's life story.
Extras:
- Picture-in-picture sequence with over 40 storyboards
- Photo gallery
- CD-ROM sampler of screensavers, video clips, wallpaper and moreJust as good as "Walking with Dinosaurs" and very interesting to see more of Allosaurus from the second program from "Dinosaurs".
Big Al Uncovered was also very interesting and, again quite amusing. The rest of the features were also very good. "Walking with Prehistoric Beasts"
Walking with Prehistoric Beasts Program Description:
When the dinosaurs disappeared from the Earth, they did not leave an empty planet behind them. A succession of extraordinary creatures came and went over the following millennia. The award-winning team behind "Walking with Dinosaurs" and "Allosaurus" invites you to take a trip to this amazing new world. Here, flightless birds as tall as a man kill with a single snap of their powerful beaks, early ancestors of man struggle for power and territory as they try to defend themselves from the famous saber-toothed tiger. And even the saber-tooth cannot take on the Glyptodon - the massive two-ton armadillo that is the most heavily armored mammal ever.
It's an extraordinary trip through history and evolution that begins with the end of the dinosaurs and ends with the rise of even more mysterious creatures... the first humans.
Program Titles:
1. NEW DAWN
2. WHALE KILLER
3. LAND OF GIANTS
4. NEXT OF KIN
5. SABRE TOOTH
6. MAMMOTH JOURNEY
Extras:
- Two 50 minute behind-the-scenes featurettes
- Interviews with the creators
- Fact files
- Photo gallery
- StoryboardsI felt, although this was almost as good as the first two, it was a little off its mark. Some camera shots could not really be filmed realistically, (like a Basilosaurus engulfing the camera with its mouth, effectively eating the cameraman) which took a little away from the realism, but this didn't happen very often. And, I personally could have lived without the slow-motion scenes. I also thought they focused a little too much on the hunting aspect, but again they didn't overdo it. Still a great program, and really neat to see some prehistoric mammals which are often overlooked.
The features are also quite good, and the interviews with the creators were very interesting.The video transfer for all three are perfect as well as the sound, and all the features are very interesting and pretty funny too.
All in all, this collection is top-notch and quality entertainment, highly recommended!

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Finally all three programs from the Emmy Award- winning Walking With...series -- Walking with Dinosaurs, Allosaurus: A Walking with Dinosaurs Specialand Walking with Prehistoric Beasts-- are available for the first time as a collector's set on DVD and VHS. The epic begins with a journey back 65 million years ago to a virtual lost world which has been recreated with spectacular digital effects and animatronics. The series continues as we follow the life and death struggles of 'Big Al,' the most complete allosaurus skeleton ever found. And finally, we explore our planet after the reign of the dinosaur and the succession of extraordinary creatures that came and went over the following millennia. The end of the dinosaur was only the beginning!

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Discovery Essential Dinosaur Pack (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)
Finally, after waiting years for several shows to come out on DVD from Discovery Channel. Yes, we get these shows all on two DVDs! Including the very popular Dinosaur Planet. Here is a list is a shows that are one the two DVDs.
- Valley of the T-Rex
- When Dinosaurs Roamed America
- Utah's Dino Graveyard
- Dinosaur Planet (includes all 4 episodes!!!)
- The Mystery Dinosaur
- Dinosaurs: Return To Life
- T-Rex: New Science, New Beast
Trust me, this is a must have for anyone who loves dinosaurs and loves to learn about them and be entertained. Buy this set! It's worth the cost, which is pretty good. It's eight hours of pure entertainment!


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Now for the first time, all of Discovery's very best dinosaur programs in one two-disc set! From the complete Emmy Awardr-winning Dinosaur Planet to the groundbreaking discoveries of Valley of the T. Rex to the intriguing possibilities of Dinosaurs: Return to Life? and much, much more, the whole family will enjoy this thrilling collection!

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Arctic Exposure With Nigel Marven (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a five year old who has been obsessed with arctic animals for well over six months now. This is the longest obsession of her short life. We've gotten just about every non-fiction, age appropriate book on arctic animals that is available (which, granted, isn't that many), as well as a few for adults that we've gone through too. For instance, we read "Arctic Fox: Life at the Top of the World," a 232 page book, piece by piece, night after night, for her bedtime stories. Naturally, we've also gotten arctic themed movies and/or story-telling documentaries like "Arctic Tale, "Knut & Friends," and (this one I didn't like) "The Great Polar Bear Adventure." When I saw "Arctic Exposure," I thought we'd give it a try, and I have to say that it's probably my favorite book or movie about the arctic of all the ones we own.
For one, you get to see just about every arctic animal, and not just the always glamorous polar bear. You see arctic foxes, lemmings (!), walruses, harbor seals, beluga whales, arctic wolves, musk oxen, ptarmigans, arctic terns, snowy owls, you name it. You can also see them in both their winter and summer coats when applicable (some don't change). And as much as I like nature documentaries, sometimes I could do without all the slow-motion shots of one animal (a polar bear, let's say) killing another (a ringed seal). "Arctic Exposure" shows a few animals eating others, but it's certainly not the focal point, and the movie doesn't linger over this. Because of the lack of violence, I found "Arctic Exposure" to definitely be kid-friendly, while at the same time, it was interesting to me as an adult.
Also, I found Nigel Marven to be very warm (especially considering his surroundings!) and charming. He seemed like he was just so happy to be in the arctic seeing all these animals and explaining how life works there. His friendly narration was excellent.
Overall, if you or your child is interested in the arctic, this was a great DVD, and I highly recommend it.

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Intrepid zoologist, Nigel Marven, spends nine months exploring wildlife and the surrounding area in the Canadian Arctic. His expedition takes him from the icy wasteland of the far north, across near-endless tundra to the vast boreal forest in the south.

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National Geographic: Bizarre Dinosaurs (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)National Geographic is finally on board!
For some years now the BBC has dominated the dinosaur documentary market with Walking With Dinosaurs and all of it's spin offs. The Discovery Channel was right on their heels with another line of CGI dinosaurs filling our eyes and ears with all manner of beasts. Happy Happy Joy Joy!
After the hugely disapointing Super Croc it was as if Nat.Geo. was just not well funded enough to present a presold public with new images to go with their ongoing prehistoric research. They did a very good job on fossil mammals some years ago. And now, finally, they have shown us that dinosaurs are in production! In fact, there are probably more differant kinds of dinosaurs in this one hour than in any other dino DVD yet released.
The digital dinosaurs themselves are not quite as life-like as the BBC creatures. They look less leathery, more shiney or slick somehow. Younger viewers probably will not be bothered by this. Theorhetical adults,like myself always want at least Jurrasic Park quality from the start. Honestly, this imagery isn't quite that good. But it will do just fine.
The subject matter, Bizarre Dinosaurs is a visual feast. Anytime I get to see "live" dinosaurs I am happy. But because of the productions over view of the weird and extravagant dinosaur species,almost all of these creatures have never been shown before.
So a fun time is to be had by all.
I almost forgot!!!! The DVD includes an additional 50 minute feature! The Prehistoric Predators series last year included a spectacular episode spotlighting The Terror Birds. As big or bigger than a man,these flightless monsters got as close to replacing the dinosaurs as birds could ever get.
The graphics are fantastic,and the info is amazing. A real treat on an already delightfull DVD.
Concider the title, Bizarre Dinosaurs for a bit.
Is it just me, or aren't all dinosaurs bizarre? I mean, the whole race of animals was half bird and half reptile with more than enough weirdness to go arround. They ranged from the size of crows to the size of rail road cars or buses. The only thing close to them in the human imagination is midevile dragon. If they were alive today they would be the most dangerous, violent, ravenous,gigantic, and dominant creatures in any place they could live. Had it not been for a global catastrophy they would STILL be the most successful animals this planet has ever seen.
What part of that is not bizzare?
'nuff said, John Fischner

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While dinosaurs may have been some of the mightiest creatures ever to have walked the earth, they also could have been among the most bizarre.With extreme, exaggerated body parts, some predators were loaded with outlandish or disproportionately sized appendages.Join world-renowned paleontologists and travel the globe to unearth some of the lesser-known but most surprising members of the dinosaur family: Mamenchisaurus, whose neck alone was longer than the rest of its body; Chasmosaurus, adorned with a fashionable crown of frilly spikes to attract the eyes of potential suitors; Spinosaurus, with massive extensions from its vertebrae that could have supported a sail or a hump; and Parasaurolophus, whose tube-like head crest may look odd to us, but was a mating magnet back in the day.Why did these animals ever adopt such strange appendages?What was their purpose—and why did these evolutionary changes die out?

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Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure (National Geographic) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Dinosaurs are everyone's favorite fossils. All kids seem to know about them in one way or another. There's "Jurassic Park" and other movies. There's Barney. All major natural history museums have exhibits. Dinosaurs are many states' "official fossil" and on and on. Well, why not? Even though they constitute only a small portion of the total Mesozoic fauna, they're generally large and spectacular and grab the imagination like no other fossil group. The Mesozoic Era was a glorious time for the reptiles and not just the Dinosaurs. The Mesozoic oceans had an assemblage of large marine reptiles that were just as remarkable in their habitats as the Dinosaurs were on land. Giant marine turtles, Ichthyosaurs, Plesiosaurs of great variety and ferocious Mosasaurs, in addition to some pretty gigantic sharks and other fish, roamed the Mesozoic seaways. "Sea Monsters: A prehistoric Adventure" is a film put together to depict the marine fauna of this time span.
"Sea Monsters" weaves multiple lines of information together. First, there's the group of paleontologists who are collecting and curateing the fossils. Second are the nature and animated recreations of the fossils themselves. Third is a little story that the fossils supposedly reveal regarding some small short-necked plesiosaurs referred to as dollies (a mother and two siblings) who venture out into the mean Cretaceous sea about 82 million years ago. Finally, the movie gives an interesting and spectacular viewing of the geologic history of the seaway, both in map and perspective views. Would the average viewer (especially kids) comprehend and appreciate the complexly interwoven story? Probably not. However, they well might enjoy many facets of the film especially some spectacular animated versions of the Mesozoic marine creatures. A person well versed in natural history might view the film in an entirely different way and find it to be very interesting and well done. The DVD could be repeatedly viewed, especially by children. As their knowledge grew, probably their understanding and appreciation would also grow. Same for adults. The film has good educational potential. Personally, my favorite portion of the film would be the animations. It was delightful to view creatures that I've read about in spectacular live versions.
I should probably issue a disclosure at this point. I served as a scientific consultant to this film and I'm listed in the closing credits. I received no remuneration or expenses and have no financial tie-ins with the filming company or The National Geographic Society, and none was expected. My interest was in the fossils and the story they were telling and I'm delighted with the final results. I viewed the film at the Rueben Fleet IMAX Theater with Director Sean Phillips and others and greatly enjoyed the evening. The DVD could not possibly be as spectacular as my viewing, but I have full confidence that the DVD version will show well on a wide-screen TV.
Gary Peterson

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For nearly 200 million years while dinosaurs roamed the Earth, the seas teemed with some of the most awe-inspiring ocean creatures of all time. Sea Monsters, a National Geographic Giant Screen film, is an entertaining journey into prehistoric oceans. Inter-cutting between the animated story and the reenactments of fossil discoveries combine the appeal of "Indiana Jones" with the CGI that brings these prehistoric monsters to life. Perfect for the whole family.

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Animal Armageddon: Target - Earth (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Over all, the film is pretty good. But keep in mind that many of Peter Ward`s theories are controversial to say the least. So take
them with a grain of salt.
Like so many "documentaries" about the prehistoric world, you have to use the term "documentary" a bit loosely since there are really
so few hard facts to go on. Much of it is best guess and or speculative. And this one is no different.
But keeping that in mind, the ideas are thought provoking and worth consideration even if they are far from proven.


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Using cutting edge research, the latest scientific theories and incredible CGI to bring prehistoric animals back to life, Animal Armageddon — a new mini-series — transports viewers to the center of the most horrific disasters ever to rock our planet. From a cosmic gamma ray burst bombarding the atmosphere, triggering the very first mass extinction, to an asteroid the size of Mount Everest slamming into the Yucatan, killing off the dinosaurs, these terrible natural events caused unparalleled devastation. Throughout the 600-million-year history of animal existence, some 99.9 percent of all animal life that has ever lived is now extinct. Animal Armageddon sheds light on the evolution and extinction of these amazing creatures. From giant predatory sea monsters like the straight-shelled nautiloid, to vicious dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurs rex, to giant mammals like the mastodon, Animal Armageddon outlines the impact nature's wrath had on these animals and the life forms that followed.

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National Geographic: Sea Monsters - A Prehistoric Adventure (In 3-D) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)I first saw this movie in IMAX 3D and was truly impressed with a really good storyline and amazing 3D effects. When I saw this movie was released on Blu-Ray in 3D I was hesitant thinking the 3D at home would be a joke. I was proven otherwise. Even on the comfort of my couch the 3D is amazing. You still get all the feelings of the screen coming to life as well as objects projected so close you feel could be hit by them.

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Fun for the whole family — now brought to life through captivating 3-D! Journey 80 million years back in time to an age when mighty dinosaurs dominated the land — and an equally astonishing assortment of ferocious creatures swam, hunted, and fought for survival beneath the vast, mysterious prehistoric seas. Stunning, photo-realistic imagery re-creates the perilous underwater realm of two young, dolphin-sized marine reptiles called Dolichorhynchops, or Dollies, and follows their incredible journey through waters ruled by some of the most awesome predators ever to prowl the Earth\'s oceans. Interweaving ground-breaking fossil finds from around the globe with cutting-edge computer-generated re-creations, National Geographic\'s powerful storytelling immerses you in the life-or-death drama of an age when monsters ruled the seas! With original music by Peter Gabriel and The Footnote, and narrated by Liev Schreiber. Seen originally in IMAX® and other specialty theaters. Includes four pairs of 3-D glasses.

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