Queens

Am amazing series will worth watching. Can't stress enough how well produced this is. Many thanks for giving us this unique look into the animal kingdom. This is visually stunning. Still in awe how they were able to capture such intimate moments. The narration is one of the best I've heard. Basset's soothing voice leads you through this captivating journey. I hardly ever write reviews but I felt compelled to give credit where it is due. Haven't been able to stop watching. It's always nice to watch a documentary that teaches you so many new things about these remarkable creatures. I see many awards in the horizon.

Visually stunning at times and some very cool animals/interactions captured but far too much anthropomorphic language and not enough science of behaviors. Angela Bassett does a great job with the delivery of the dramatic lines and I can't fault her for iffy writing. The music is at times too much "girl boss" and sometimes takes away from the show. Really impressed with the video they managed to capture and what little science was in the show was fascinating but it heavily leaned on big dramatic phrases to explain normal animal behavior that is not "ruthless" or "hungry for power", it's simple animals surviving based on their instincts and needs.

The "Queens" documentary left me profoundly disappointed. Despite its visually stunning presentation, the experience was marred by a soundtrack that clashed horribly with the breathtaking visuals. Instead of enhancing the storytelling, the intrusive vocals turned the documentary into a misguided musical experiment gone awry.

The lack of harmony between the audio and visual elements left me questioning whether I was watching a serious documentary or a failed attempt at a Broadway adaptation.

But the disappointment didn't end there. The narrative felt superficially constructed, tailored to a specific audience rather than genuinely exploring its subject matter. Rather than delving into the complexities of queendom, the documentary presented a shallow portrayal that lacked depth and substance. It reduced the concept of being a queen to a mere caricature, devoid of the genuine struggles and triumphs that define the title.

In many cultures, being a queen is about earning respect and authority through merit and leadership. However, in this documentary, it felt like the essence of queendom was lost amidst contrived drama.

The narrative resembled a poorly written love-drama story, with animals awkwardly cast as the protagonists in a human-influenced drama. The overall result was a forced and artificial narrative that lacked authenticity and gravitas.

Rather than shedding light on the true essence of queendom, the "Queens" felt like a misguided attempt at entertainment with little meaningful insight to offer. In fact, the documentary may have been more enjoyable if watched without the sound altogether. It's a shame that such visually stunning cinematography was overshadowed by nonsensical soundtrack that failed to complement it.

Some seriously amazing cinematography and insanely brutal moments captured. They don't hold back on how cruel nature is and how animals can be to one another.

But the music ruins the show. That's not an exaggeration. Who is their target demographic here? It's as if they were trying to appeal to the urban TikTok generation, but it doesn't work at all. Whoever supervised the music should be fired. It's that bad, and for that reason alone I cannot recommend this show.

The story-telling of a few episodes also seemed forced, particularly the insect episode. Try an episode to see if you like it, the Lions and Elephant episodes are good. But you'll probably hate the music and it ruins the whole vibe.

MY RATING:

5: AVERAGE- Not bad, not good. Overall, it is probably forgettable. A few aspects kept me engaged enough to finish, but my attention likely drifted throughout. I wouldn't necessarily dissuade people from watching it, but also cannot recommend it. Wish I had watched something else instead.

Beautiful cinematography, interesting subjects, but good God it was hard to stick with it as every 25 seconds there's another forcibly inserted pop song that tries to amplify the scene, but instead it just takes away from the entire experience. Each episode feels like it has 30 different clips of pop music. If you're used to the quality of a BBC type documentary with well chosen atmospheric music that enhances the scenes, this will feel like fingernails on a chalkboard. I liked the tenor and pacing of Angela Basset's voice, and again - the camera work is top notch. I hope the team behind this production keeps at it - but next time don't try to make it a music video, please.