Have been a massive fan of David Attenborough for most of my young adult life and see any new project of his without fail. Amazing images, information that entertains, teaches, moves and shocks, cute and menacing animals, complex mix of emotions and unforgettable sequences are abound in everything he does, and it is hard to not listen to his distinctive voice for hours. When it comes to presenting and narrating nature documentaries, he is incomparable.
'A Perfect Planet' is another treasure from Attenborough, who may dislike being called a national treasure but wholly deserves being considered one. It may not be one of his most ground-breaking or most unique (not in the way 'Blue Planet' and 'Planet Earth' are), but to me that is not important. What is much more important to me is that at least most of the components are at least strongly executed. Very nearly everything in 'A Perfect Planet' is superbly executed.
Like everything Attenborough has done, all five productions making up 'A Perfect Planet' ("Volcano", "The Sun", "Weather", "Oceans" and "Humans") look fantastic. With some absolutely stunning photography, that at its best is cinematic-worthy, a standout being the long shot of the hyena among the wildebeest in "Volcano". Also cannot say anything bad whatsoever about the scenery, which is a wonder in all habitats even the barren landscapes of the Gobi in "Weather". They are breath-taking in their beauty while also suitably cruel (the underwater in "Oceans" is both a beautiful and unforgiving place), reminding one that the different environments pose daily challenges for its inhabitants.
Did like too that the music is beautifully scored and tonally varied (whether majestic, playful or melacholic, without being too melodramatic. Throughout the narration educates, thought-provokes and entertains, with the odd surprise like the twice its body length line in "The Sun". The statistics revealed in "Oceans" are quite devastating to hear. Cannot praise Attenborough himself enough. He delivers the information so sincerely and enthusiastically, without talking down, and he is easily in the top 10 of voices that one can listen to for hours tirelessly.
Neither can any fault be had with the animals, such an amazing job is done making one care for them. Prey and predator and regardless of size, in a way that one cares about a well written human character without over-humanising. There is plenty of footage not ever seen before, including a rare chance to see the last Bactrian camels in "Weather" and the arctic wolves and musk oxen sequence in "The Sun". There are images that left me asking "how was this even caught on camera, like the hyena among the wildebeest and anything with the arctic wolves. All while also bringing something fresh to the more familiar animals, like flamingos, a pod of dolphins and iguanas.
The storytelling is a mix of funny (the smitten cuttlefish in "Oceans"), adorable (the eider ducks in "Oceans"), hair-raisingly tense (the arctic wolves and musk oxen and also the storks in "Volcano) and heart-wrenching (the search for moisture in "Weather"). There are so many truly beautiful moments from start to finish in all five episodes, yet 'A Perfect Planet' also doesn't skirt over the more brutal side of nature. Evident when showing the predators in an uncompromising way (have seldom seen storks this creepy) and how the environments and animals are being affected by climate change.
Speaking of that, as this aspect has attracted heavy criticism for its heavy emphasis, to me the subject of climate change and what is said is a very important and relevant thing to address and talk about. Especially when hearing of its consequences on the habitats and animals and how they are being affected. It is a big issue, always has been and judging from the devastating statistics shown in "Oceans" and needs to be reiterated if people are still not getting it. It is admittedly laid on a bit too thickly in the still great and fascinating but at times over-serious "Humans" (my only complaint of the series), but actually the subject is covered well. Before rounding off, to me showing the work that goes behind the scenes was appreciated, which made me appreciate and admire their valiant work and what they have to go through to make all this possible.
Rounding off, absolutely wonderful. 9/10.
