Ultimate Guide: The Human Body (2000 TV Movie) User Reviews

Exceeds the excellent standard upheld by the series!

[trumanhw · 10/10 · 20 March 2010]

Unfortunately, all episodes of the ultimate guide (which might dissuade some for the thoughts associated between "ultimate" and monster truck rallies) are not listed on IMDb. This documentary series has captured my heart, and I believe the human body episode is the "best in". Featuring my favorite non-scientist commentator, he is eloquent, sincere, and impactive. In my hierarchy of best documentaries I've ever seen, I place Cosmos first, Moon Machines Second, and the entirety of Ultimate Guide a close and heartfelt 3.

Search out other episodes of The Ultimate Guide:

Birds of Prey Elephants Crocodiles Whales Elephants more.. but those are the best following the human body episode! ENJOY!

Rather choppy overview of the body.

[Innsmouth_Apprentice · 5/10 · 2 May 2015]

It's quite dishonest of them to call this an "ultimate guide". It's not even a list of the main bullet-points. The doc isn't nowhere near being seriously comprehensive. For example, neither the heart nor any internal organs aside from the brain are mentioned even in passing! Neurons aren't referred to by name - only as "brain cells". And so on.

That said, ultimately the doc does cover a fair bit of ground, and with a topic as important as the human body, that's enough to receive at least some commendation.

The creators sketch out brief outlines of select organs, and then delve into other areas of life to put those organs into context. For example, the inner ear's balancing faculty will be examined in terms of how it is affected in a zero-gravity environment. The hand will be considered from the POV of how it evolved over millions of years to perform different tasks.

What's cool is that although the graphics are simpler than most modern docs on the same topic, the creators use these visual aids a very smart way that makes it easier to grasp anatomical and physiological concepts, and to follow the explanations given.

The narrator doesn't put on a cheesy dramatic air. Good. The doc is no-nonsense and pleasant to watch throughout, but the conclusion did irk me with its shallow philosophy.

Overall, it's decent, but very superficial and incomplete. 5/10.