Once upon a time, the word "awesome" applied to things like the Grand Canyon at sunset, or the speed of a cheetah chasing it's prey; then, mid-eighties, teenagers adopted the word as slang and today anything from a Big Mac to Dancing With The Stars is awesome; even a Snickers Bar can be "awesome." That said--this film is Genuinely Awesome in the original sense--it's a breathtaking visit to a group of islands inhabited by wonderful creatures who have learned to survive in the most primitive of circumstances--watching a blue-footed booby land on point will take your breath away; even more dazzling is the sight of black iguanas voluntarily diving into the sea, diving deep to nibble seaweed; the tortoises are there of course, a sort of Greek Chorus of survival, but barely, as man now invades their former territory with invasive plants and animals. Highly intelligent narration by Tilda Swinton is magnetic, as she tells not only the stories of the animals, but how Charles Darwin found his groove by studying what he thought were mockingbirds. This is just amazing! The photography--well, those people behind the camera are awesome, too. Really.
2 Reviews
The evolution of islands
TheLittleSongbird25 July 2022
The Galapagos and the animals that inhabit them are truly fascinating and it is wholly understandable as to why they are very commonly covered in documentaries. Also saw 2006's 'Galapagos' as someone who loves documentaries ever since watching classics such as 'Planet Earth' and 'Blue Planet' and who likes Tilda Swinton a lot as an actress. Oh and the premise for the series, with a mix of nature, environmental and humanity, sounded very interesting.
Was very impressed by the first episode "Born on Fire". Was very impressed also by "Islands that Changed the World". Even though not ground-breaking, a lot was learnt, there are once again some memorable imagery and there is even a touch of Charles Darwin in the mix (appropriate seeing as this instalment is about evolution and he was a pioneering figure in it). Did "Islands that Changed the World" blow me away? Not quite, but despite a couple of flaws there is a lot to love.
Am going to get the flaws out of the way first. My main issue is the music. It is over loud and used too much, also not fitting that well with the tone of the series where it was trying to sound more cinematic than needed.
Some of the narration is a bit too cookie cutter and cheesy, especially when it tries to be poetic.
Everything else is spot on. Was always stunned throughout by the scenery, which was a mix of beautiful, atmospheric and uncompromising. The photography is out of this world, such vibrant colours that pop out and it's so clear and fluid. Such as the sight of seeing flightless cormorants hunting underwater. Really loved the wonderfully varied animals, whether prey or predator and big or small. The aforementioned part with the cormorants stands out, but the episode also contains another memorable use of giant tortoises, this time charmingly courting on a volcano rim.
While the narration writing doesn't always work, Tilda Swinton's delivery was not an issue. It is very soothing and understated, personally didn't think it one note at all. Most of the narration is very informative and thought provoking, even if there was not much that was new the execution didn't feel too been there, done that. The Darwin inclusion was not laid on too thick and the Bishop of Panama story was new to me.
Overall, very good. 8/10.
Was very impressed by the first episode "Born on Fire". Was very impressed also by "Islands that Changed the World". Even though not ground-breaking, a lot was learnt, there are once again some memorable imagery and there is even a touch of Charles Darwin in the mix (appropriate seeing as this instalment is about evolution and he was a pioneering figure in it). Did "Islands that Changed the World" blow me away? Not quite, but despite a couple of flaws there is a lot to love.
Am going to get the flaws out of the way first. My main issue is the music. It is over loud and used too much, also not fitting that well with the tone of the series where it was trying to sound more cinematic than needed.
Some of the narration is a bit too cookie cutter and cheesy, especially when it tries to be poetic.
Everything else is spot on. Was always stunned throughout by the scenery, which was a mix of beautiful, atmospheric and uncompromising. The photography is out of this world, such vibrant colours that pop out and it's so clear and fluid. Such as the sight of seeing flightless cormorants hunting underwater. Really loved the wonderfully varied animals, whether prey or predator and big or small. The aforementioned part with the cormorants stands out, but the episode also contains another memorable use of giant tortoises, this time charmingly courting on a volcano rim.
While the narration writing doesn't always work, Tilda Swinton's delivery was not an issue. It is very soothing and understated, personally didn't think it one note at all. Most of the narration is very informative and thought provoking, even if there was not much that was new the execution didn't feel too been there, done that. The Darwin inclusion was not laid on too thick and the Bishop of Panama story was new to me.
Overall, very good. 8/10.
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