Ein Planet vor unserer Zeit

The production and animation quality is top notch. The stories told are moving, funny, surprising, informative. Felt like I traveled back in time. The extra features -- 5 or 6 short videos -- which show "the science behind the stories" is also worth a look.

There is a LOT to say about Prehistoric Planet, a dream come true for avid enthusiasts of prehistoric life such as myself, with a beautifully bombastic score, absolutely incredible special effects, and of course, narration from Sir David Attenborough himself, what is there not to love?

This is one of the very few pieces of media where I was absolutely wowed, the cgi is absolutely masterful as I was sometimes left wondering what is actually real or not. This series truly shows that close scientific backing and communication does indeed pay off as you can truly believe that you are in fact watching real animals, moreso when they are put in very unique situations that modern animals experience but haven't really been done with prehistoric animals before such as the Velociraptors hunting pterosaurs on the cliff, which evokes the iconic Snow Leopard hunt from Planet Earth, and the Triceratops herd venturing into caves to lick minerals much like Elephants do today. I much appreciate this series showcasing and even giving the spotlight to relatively unkown and obscure organisms.

Now here are the negatives. Some animals and locales are not named or elaborated upon, which may make context for some of the sequences confusing to viewers who aren't well-versed with Cretaceous lore. Some sequences feel a bit rushed and shoe-horned in which I think is especially prevelant in the Freshwater episode. The worlds also sometimes feel empty, as there is a noticeable lack of ambient creatures in some sequences. Finally a little nitpick of mine was not showing what otherwise would have been fantastic sequences such as the T.rex bringing down a Triceratops.

Overall, I'm confident in saying that Prehistoric Planet is one of the most impressive and groundbreaking pieces of dinosaur media ever, and I hope this series helps to spark new interest in creating fresh portrayls of the magnificent animals that came before us.

Is there anything better than settling in with a cup of tea and a nature show narrated by David Attenborough?!??? YES. Yes there is.

A DINOSAUR nature show narrated by David Attenborough.

'Nuf said.

I am basing this little review off the first episode alone; it looks amazing. All of the animals behave in believable ways, and it's cool to see many creatures that we never have before. Although not explicitly spelled out for any slow audience members, it's clear alot of research and (very well educated) guesswork went into the series. There is a section to explain the science of some of the claims presented in the show, for anyone who has a hard time believing what their seeing as well. 9/10 CGI is choppy every once in a while when ocean creatures breach the water surface.

I am a forever fan of dinosaurs and actually paid for a majority of my college degree by doing paleoart for the geology department at my university. As a Paleoartist, I can truthfully say that this is one of the most beautiful and awe inspiring shows I have seen in a while. Everything from the movements to the colorations, to the perfect placement of filaments on the dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals is incredible !! I am blown away by the attention to detail.

Now for a little critique. Part of a Paleoartist job is to make educated guesses about what prehistoric life may have looked like. So, I understand firsthand what it means to get a little creative and loose with some of the interpretation of the fossil evidence. That being said I do feel that some of the interpretations seem to take creative license a little too far.

With paleoart, you do the best you can with the info you have .. then 10 years later they uncover more data and prove your art needs updating. I mean, look at the appearance of a spinosaurus even from 2005- now. So I guess In conclusion, I love love love this show. Is it 100% correct ?? Probably not, but it's beautiful to behold. This is a Paleoartist's dream come true.