Galapagos 3D

I love and respect ALL of the documentaries made by Sir David Attenborough and team but one main criticism of the version I saw on ABC TV in Australia is the constant redundant interjection of the woman narrator.

For example- 1-Shot of David standing in the forrest; Female narrator: "David is amongst the trees", 2-Shot of rope being thrown down cave opening; Female narrator : "A rope is being thrown down the cave opening"; 3-Shot of an iguana moving on the rocks; Female narrator says: "an iguana moves along the rocks".

4- shot of iguana yawning; Female narrator: " an iguana is yawning."

And on and on it went throughout the documentary.

Why?... Why?... Why was it necessary to have someone else describing what we can already see? Soooo annoying.

Just Sir David's narration is sufficient.

As said many times, David Attenborough is a national treasure. He may apparently dislike the term, but it is hard to not say that about such a great presenter who has contributed significantly to some of the best programmes (of the documentary genre and overall) the BBC (though as mentioned, this and the previous 3D offerings were Sky) has ever aired/produced.

It is really hard picking favourites, let alone a definite favourite, among what Attenborough has done because he has done so many gems, it is the equivalent of trying to choose your favourite ice cream flavour or your favourite operatic role (for examples) and finding you can't pick. While not quite as good as the wondrous 'Kingdom of Plants', 'Galapagos 3D' is still remarkable. It may not be one of Attenborough's best or most ground-breaking, but it has everything that makes his work as good as it is. The "making of" scenes have been more interesting in other projects of his before and since, here they didn't add or illuminate as much. However, that is pretty much the only thing that didn't quite work from my personal and very much subjective perspective.

'Galapagos 3D' looks amazing visually, then again it is an Attenborough documentary which always look never less than good. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate (a great way of connecting more with the Galapagos scenery and inhabitants). In fact much of it is remarkably cinematic. The editing is always succinct and smooth and the scenery is spectacular.

3D has had very variable execution when used. Sometimes it can enhance the experience and look great, at other times it distracts and is both overused and abused. Luckily, the 3D here in 'Galapagos 3D' is of the incredibly well made kind and enhances the experience, allowing one to see these amazing inhabitants and such up close. It is a long way from soulless either, helping one to actually care for something that is non-human.

The music score fits very well, never overly grandiose while never being inappropriate while also being a beautiful score in its own right.

Even if not ground-breaking in terms of information and subject (but very much so in the use of 3D), 'Galapagos 3D' is incredibly educational and always maintains interest. Still found myself learning a vast amount. In terms of the facts there was a very good mix of the known ones and the unknown.

Attenborough's contribution as always helps quite a bit. He clearly knows his stuff and knows what to say and how to say it. He delivers it with his usual richness, soft-spoken enthusiasm and sincerity, never talking down to the viewer and keeping them riveted and wanting to know more.

In conclusion, not one of Attenborough's best but still delivers, which says a lot about how good his work is and how good a presenter/narrator he is. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Watched in 3D and I may say this is one of the best presentation I've ever seen. Pity 3D is dying nowadays.

Three episodes explaining how Galapagos islands appeared millions years ago, volcanic origins, how the unique location, combination of winds and currents, contributes to wildlife thrives. Both marine and land.

Focuses on evolution theory, explaining how continental species evolved and changed during millions years. Extremely interesting and insightful topic. Charles Darwin's theory was inspired after visiting these tiny Pacific islands.

Combine the narrative from David Attenborough with stunning shots and you get great documentary, although it's a bit different from BBC usual style, I can't complain.

PS The other reviewer mentioned BBC, but this series was produced by Sky.

The Galapagos Islands and their animals are the stars of this documentary. David Attenborough's narrative gives an easily understandable explanation of how the islands came to be, their lifecycle, the animals that live there, how they got there and evolved, and what is so remarkable about it - their adaptation and evolution. Very interesting to watch, including for children 8 and up.

The shots are very well done, but not as grand and breathtaking as other big scale documentaries with a global scope, but that is largely due to the specialized topic of this mini series. Some of the token shots to just have the aging David Attenborough in the frame felt slightly contrived, but his narrative and delivery of explanations is certainly still up to the task! I watched this in 2D, as I don't like the visual look of 3D, so the "making of" was a bit of a waste, as it focuses a lot on 3D and the difficulties of bringing the big and heavy 3D cameras to hard to reach filming location. A slightly saddening note was also realizing in that last episode how much tourism has (inevitably?) already swamped the Galapagos, especially since the main episodes of the series portrayed an untouched original wilderness.