Monster Bug Wars!

Anyone with a fond spot for animal doco's may take issue with this series. While the CGI is excellent quality and well constructed, the show builds stories around filmed animal encounters that make it feel more like your watching a UFC/Boxing computer game with imaginary statistic cards on each animal included. While the camera work is excellent, the humanised fight commentary severely damages the shows credibility. To improve this area, animal specialists (we assume) are shown between the fight rounds to explain each creature's habits and ability. Even as it stand I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys the world's micro cosmos, except for one thing - the sound effects are appalling. They are so fake, so contrived, so unlike any sound which may emanate from an insect that I found the show more enjoyable muted. In fact the only time I un-muted was when the (again, I assume) scientists were describing an animal's traits. A spider/grasshopper/stick insect do not sound like pig's been slaughtered, it was just wrong! Without the nerve shattering sound effects, obviously contrived (and failing) to add atmosphere, I would have scored this about 6 or 7 - similar to David Attenborough's Micro Monsters.

I have always been very interested in the macro and microcosmos of our world and the footage taken to make the series possible was great. Sharp and impressive shots that the audio overlay destroyed. They kept overlaying everything with these horrible animalnoises that no insect would ever make and it kept feeling me embarrassed for the work that the guys put into making this.

The Music used here also reminded me of other movies or series when music is abused in order to create tension or make the audience feel something that it wouldn't usually when seeing this. Neither music nor audio effects should have been used in this fashion.

If it wasn't for the visually stunning footage i wouldn't have watched this at all.

Monster Bug Wars combines live footage with CG to show in depth a world that is around us from eyes we never imagined seeing through. It shows magnificence in the brutality required of the world's smallest creatures to survive everything that can and will try to crush them. Dog's may eat dogs, but not like this! This one of a kind show is expected to explode, spreading awe and inspiration across the globe. Expected to air in 2011, this is not to be missed. So put away your microscopes (just kidding (well yeah do if you have one)), and prepare yourself for full HD Monster Bug Wars brutality!

Coming soon to Discovery Science.