Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors

Giant infomercial for China, how great they are, how great the archiaological dig is, the big building, etc. Lots of hyperbole. It's a little insufferable.

The main narrator/ researcher resembles and speaks like an animatronic character at Chuck E. Cheese. He sounds like a voiceover, but it looks like he speaks English, so it wouldn't have been necessary to translate the speech. It's very disturbing. Several methods are used to translate Chinese into English but it's inconsistent doesn't make sense. Some Chinese doesn't get translated at all.

I'm sure that China is very proud of the terracotta warriors, and rightfully so, but this whole production should have been a documentary instead of this ham-handed drama.

The bottom line for me is that this site was discovered during the cultural revolution when people lost their heads for talking about or paying homage to old things or old people. Who know how many of artifacts just disappeared because they showed China in some unfavorable light?

Hard pass.

50 years ago National Geographic did an article about the terracotta warriors. I was a teenager and swore some day I'd go there. I did, in 2015. This documentary brought back all the excitement and wonder of actually standing and looking down on those thousands of warriors. The place is truly magical and this documentary does an excellent job of illustrating that.

I cannot imagine the dedication it must take to spend most of your archeological career painstakingly reassembling these statues. The fact that they survived at all is astonishing, considering how delicate terracotta ultimately is.

Seeing pictures, and even this video, is just a tiny example of how incredible the place really is.

I have been aware of and fascinated by the terracotta army before, but this beautiful documentary gave me so much more context as to why and how this mazing archeological site originally manifested.

There are written records of related events, that are compared to the physical findings of the site. These dramatic events are depicted with wonderful acted scenes throughout the documentary. This style rarely works, but here I think they succeeded. It's visually of great quality and brings the story to life. It showcases unique cultural customs of the time and of that social status.

I'm looking forward to seeing more findings as the work on this huge site continues on. Only a small portion has been excavated! Very exciting.

This documentary is also a tribute to archeologists and many other people working on these sites for decades and bringing their findings to the public knowledge for joint understanding of our human history.

As an archaeologist and an educator who visited the terracotta warriors site, as well as the other places in this documentary, over 10 times in the last 13 years, I was really excited to watch this historical mystery puzzle slowly putting pieces together. James Tovell, the documentary director behind Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb, delves into the enigmatic world of the Terracotta Warriors in his latest project. Tovell, known for his work on shows like I Am Killer and Cradle to Grave, brings his expertise to unravel the mysteries surrounding these ancient artifacts.

Excellent job presenting the topic and highly informative documentary!

MYSTERIES OF THE TERRA COTTA WARRIORS is a first-rate documentary exploring one of the world's great archaeological finds. Created to guard the tomb of China's first emperor, the warriors are an artistic and cultural marvel. This film, however, goes far beyond the statues themselves, providing a riveting look into Chinese history, specifically the history of the Qin Dynasty.

Much of the history as it is told in this documentary has remained unproven, some would say apocryphal. Now, archaeologists are poised on the brink of proving that these stories and the historical figures they portray are very real indeed.

Careful archaeology and science are at the fore in MYSTERIES OF THE TERRA COTTA WARRIORS, yet the documentary never gets bogged down in scientific detail and remains accessible to a general audience. Dramatic reenactments of the past add interest without getting overly speculative and losing their educational value.

With excellent organization and pacing, the filmmakers have brought a bit of the history of what may be the world's oldest known civilization to life. This window into the China of two millennia ago can be considered nothing less than awe inspiring.

MYSTERIES OF THE TERRA COTTA WARRIORS truly is an outstanding documentary that will delight viewers of all ages. Recommendation: Strong watch.