Frozen Planet II

Each time I watch one of the BBC wildlife series, especially those narrated by Sir David Attenborough, I'm always blown away by the level of detail and camera angles the production of team achieve.

The latest series have just upped the game, an early sequence with Killer Whales is simply outstanding. Later footage of a bear attack and calves trying to survive, creates more tension and emotion than most Hollywood movies.

Its so important that various at risk species are documented and the general public are educated and informed about the world's wildlife. The BBC seem to have some of the best wildlife photography I've ever seen. Outstanding...!

There is no question the photography here is excellent and the dedication to the making of this documentary to be admired but for my wife and myself there were two aspects of this that just grated and really spoiled it.

Firstly, in the 1st and 4th episodes filmed in the Antarctic and showing the teamwork involved in "wave washing" penguins and seals that were seeking refuge on iceflows, Sir David repeatedly and consistently referred to the animals as "killer whales".

They are NOT killer whales. That is an unfortunate nickname that went out of use so many years ago that this is the first time I've heard anybody refer to them as such in at least a decade if not longer. They are Orca.

Killer whales would be fine as an alternative if for one fact: they are NOT members of the whale family fore crying out loud and it is just wrong to refer to them that way.

Orcas are members of the oceanic dolphin family. Yes, the name is arrived from the latin for "whale" but that was an error in naming them dating back to the 19th century. It's unfortunate, but it was forgivable back then for thinking they are whales. We know better now and should correct the mistake by not referring to them as whales as an English name for them.

I read recently that the nickname originally given to them was not even "killer whales"; it was "whale killers" because Orca has been observed to kill whales. Somehow the name got reversed and it stuck.

"Orca" is the correct and widely accepted name so use it.

Unfathomable that Sir David has agreed to use the term "killer whale" in his narration because he was must surely know it is wrong. In fact, by coincidence I happened to see another Attenborough documentary this week in which he actually did refer to them several times as "Orca". So why "killer whale" here which only serves to perpetuate the error that these are whales?

Second mistake came in the fourth episode and was more of a misleading statement. In the section on the Antarctic interior he was talking about the active volcanos in the interior mountain ranges. He then showed video of Mt. Erebus and the Erebus lava lake in the crater and used it as an example. Erebus is NOT on the mainland of Antarctica but on an offshore Island near the mainland but in the Ross Sea. Again, the information was just wrong. Why suggest that Erebus is an interior volcano when it isn't?

Problem is that when one catches out narration having two errors like the above, you start to wonder what else they have got wrong. What other factual errors were there that we didn't catch?

I'd love to have given this series a 10 for the visuals alone but two points docked for the two script errors that I caught.

The BBC can be criticised for many things in recent times, but when it comes to documentaries, the corporation is still a cut above.

Like many series that have gone before, Frozen Planet II is an astonishing watch, the visuals are like nothing else, expertly produced, this magical, awe inspiring series is first rate, moving, memorable,

Sir David Attenborough never fails to impress, the voice of many an award winning series, and of course he nails it once again.

It's a Great mix, the jaw dropping magic of mother nature, contrasted with the misery and mayhem that man's greed has inflicted on our North and South Poles.

Credit to all involved in the production of it, first class in every department.

10/10.

This should be viewed by every person alive, esp in every type of school.

Cinematography is gorgeous at times, always lovely with good narration & updated facts by Sir David. New behaviors are filmed as wildlife that evolved for millennia in freezing ice worlds face steadily warming oceans & NO ice at all.

Anyone who believes mammals do not share human emotions have never seen harp seal pup relaxing with smile next to mother seal, then cry & show clear facial distress whenever she leaves, especially after the 12th day. The harp pup's look of utter abandonment after her last kiss of farewell, watching mother seal swim far away is as emotively clear as any human toddler's face, ncluding forlorn cries of loneliness. There's also young polar bears ice skating for fun, & playing with each other for days, being social & not living completely alone.

Absent ice or fast melting ice is devastating entire ecosystems causing snow wildlife to barely exist. Artic foxes, small & shy, are being bullied & over run by southern larger fox cousins who steal their food. Grizzly bears are eating artic wolves food/ newborn musks. Mother artic fox cannot provide for her young pups because artic birds refuse to breed @ usual sites. Polar bears are steadily drowning in ice free seas by hundreds yearly for past 20 years. Starving mother polar bears are leaving their cub(s) after 6 months instead of usual 18 - 24 months required for any polar bear cub to learn survival skills & mature into young adulthood.

This program focuses on how ICE on both polar regions are critical to planet's entire health & stable weather for humans. Heartbreaking are albatross, loyal mates for life spanning 50+ yrs, with largest wingspan in world, their 1 chick dying in nest bc of sudden violent killer storms, freezing winds over 125 mph with no parents to protect chicks. Same for emperor penguin chicks.

For those ppl still in denial, or complain "I don't need reminder ppl ruin nature" are missing the point. The series is highlighting that there's No TIME left to waste or wait for "another" to remedy this global issue.

This series was filmed in 2020, released in 2022 & reminds us that things have only gotten worse bc humanity as whole keeps wasting & consuming, focuses on short term greed, destroying only home we got, regardless of wealth One must witness these adverse changes bc most ppl feel insulated due to centralized A/C & heating.

These precious ICE ecosystems MUST exist for humanity to maintain its status quo / quality of life incl growing food.

Humans are top predators & control every part of this planet. It's our choice to cherish by change or apathetically discard by doing nil, dooming everyone.

This series is not only the frozen but It's still have a great meaning of the life and death. Even a how she should survive and how she could find another life it's difficult to let any other subject but PTC natural history is another level so wonderful life wonderful life so she should watch is legendary people who are great effort for camera for another level of enough quotes the high mountain.

Everybody say documentary film is very important for a human for for an artificial in the world lived but this could be real things we are find out and that's this she is so wonderful that so this is wonderful.