Animal: il meraviglioso regno animale

The episodes that focus on less species are the ones that thrive, rather than trying to pack several animals in a single episode. I always enjoy watching animals, but this documentary is better suited to a first time watcher of nature topics; I didn't hear much that hasn't already been told by better writers and shown with better camerawork. It's an interesting twist to switch the narrator with each episode, but ultimately provides nothing except a little excitement if you know the actor (which, as someone who doesn't keep up with actors, I only knew one). Every episode slips in a mention of how destructive humans are, and yet there is still an encouraging scene of a lady feeding urban foxes in the UK.

Netflix is slowly improving its nature documentary capabilities, and this is one of the best shows it's made so far. But this is a genre where they still need a lot of work, and Night on Earth is the only one so far that really competes with the old pros (BBC, NatGeo, etc).

The footage is great, but the editing could use some work. All of the somber moments are glossed over too much, either by cutting away way before a kill (so early that you are still unsure whether or not the hunter was successful) or by not giving the audience enough time and/or visual cues to allow the seriousness to settle in.

The information is good, but there is nothing presented here that hasn't already been shown in numerous other and more popular documentaries.

The voice acting is very hit and miss. Jones and Cranston do well in their episodes. Mackie isn't terrible, but his attempt at sounding mysterious comes off very dry. Wilson is horrendous to the point where the whole episode would have been better on mute.

*EDIT*: After watching season 2, I've bumped my rating up 1 star because the film and shot quality has vastly improved even from the previous year's season. In particular, some of the raptor episode's scenes were so stunning and unique that they made my jaw hit the floor. Serkis is the only voice actor this season to put some real enthusiasm into his narration, but none of the 4 narrators are bad.

This is a great production despite not having Mr Attenborough narrating. I don't know how they do it. It's beautiful to watch. It's also very informative. I see animals I've never seen before and doing things I've never seen before.

Nature is amazing. No more words are needed. This series is absolutely incredible. Rashida jones, are you kidding me? What an amazing narrator. So professional, so interesting, she has a perfect voice. Hope to see more things from her. The video footage is.. simply stunning. So many artistic angles and compositions, I felt the cinematographer's love to nature and wildlife, they not only filmed just to document and get the shot, I felt like I was THERE. The colors, the sharpness, the amazing scenes, I couldn't lift my jaw off the floor. The music was incredibly thrilling, keeping you in the moment with the predator's behavior and actions as Rashida describes the scenes with her sharp, professional, intense narrating. What an amazing masterpiece. I've watched everything from Nat Geo to everything BBC has to offer, I've had my fair share of encounters with wildlife in nature but still, this series kept amazing me over and over again. It literally hypnotized me. Thank you so much for creating and capturing the beauty of nature.

This show is a little jumpy, and I personally would have preferred a slower pace. At the same time though, it offers images that are unlike anything I have ever seen before.