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.
19 Reviews
Criminally underrated
tibovl19 November 2021
Why is no one talking about this? Why does Animal only have 230 review scores on IMDB (at the time of writing)? One thing I can say for sure, it has nothing to do with the quality of this series.
Animal is a four part documentary series with each episode looking at a new type of animal. There's a mix of scenarios you've seen before and new things. And while the contents of the episodes lag behind the all time greats like Planet Earth and Our Planet, the visuals most certainly do not.
In fact, I'd argue that this is one of the most visually impressive nature docus you will have ever seen. Especially if you have a 4k screen to enjoy its full potential (even though it still looks great on something as small as a phone screen).
The narration is excellent. They really didn't cheap out with names like Bryan Cranston (Walter White from Breaking Bad) and Pedro Pascal (known for Game of Thrones, Narcos and The Mandalorian). But seemingly these great narrators are not enough to bring this show into the limelight, I guess only Attenborough's name can do that.
In conclusion, this is one of the best nature documentaries in recent years, and potentially the best this year. I recommend watching this, hands down.
Animal is a four part documentary series with each episode looking at a new type of animal. There's a mix of scenarios you've seen before and new things. And while the contents of the episodes lag behind the all time greats like Planet Earth and Our Planet, the visuals most certainly do not.
In fact, I'd argue that this is one of the most visually impressive nature docus you will have ever seen. Especially if you have a 4k screen to enjoy its full potential (even though it still looks great on something as small as a phone screen).
The narration is excellent. They really didn't cheap out with names like Bryan Cranston (Walter White from Breaking Bad) and Pedro Pascal (known for Game of Thrones, Narcos and The Mandalorian). But seemingly these great narrators are not enough to bring this show into the limelight, I guess only Attenborough's name can do that.
In conclusion, this is one of the best nature documentaries in recent years, and potentially the best this year. I recommend watching this, hands down.
Visually stunning
alex_wimmer24 November 2021
Beautiful and interesting
blondelobster1714 November 2021
I'm a big lover of animals so this was right up my alley. Some animal docu series can be a little snoozy. This is not the case here. Interesting, keeps your attention with topical info. The footage is stunning too. Narrated by A list actors.
Some of the topics covered: Animals in their natural habitat, feeding habits, mating, pack behavior, effects of climate change on the species, plus how they evolved in the first place.
Nice job!
Some of the topics covered: Animals in their natural habitat, feeding habits, mating, pack behavior, effects of climate change on the species, plus how they evolved in the first place.
Nice job!
From a wildlife photographer's perspective.
Ben-Mood15 November 2021
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.
Incredible photography and perfect narration
poolede18 November 2021
This is as good as it gets with just amazing photography. How the videographers and sound people got this level of detail and intimacy is almost unbelievable. The hunting scenes leave nothing out so be prepared. I watched "Big Cats". The writers tell the stories perfectly and Rashida Jones's narration is wonderful.
Amazing footage
Erik_Stone19 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The actual film quality, was some of the best I've ever seen. They must have used some very expensive camera guys.
There is a shot where a baby lion is looking at its Dad, just before the Dad lion reprimands the cub, which was one of the best two shots, edited together, that I've seen in these nature shows.
They use different narrators for different episodes. They all have the usual preachy, political, climate scaremongering at the end of each show, which does ruin it quite a bit. If the narration script wasn't so bad, it would be a 10 star series.
There is a shot where a baby lion is looking at its Dad, just before the Dad lion reprimands the cub, which was one of the best two shots, edited together, that I've seen in these nature shows.
They use different narrators for different episodes. They all have the usual preachy, political, climate scaremongering at the end of each show, which does ruin it quite a bit. If the narration script wasn't so bad, it would be a 10 star series.
One of the best Netflix documentaries so far
JakeBrinkman16 December 2021
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.
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.
Ani-mazing!
edmo6627 March 2022
Though the animals portrayed in this docu-series are wonderful, the cinematography is absolutely amazing! So many once-in-a-million type shots! We were left wondering aloud many times about how such footage was obtained. I had no problem with the narrators, they fit in well and the info was well placed.
This isn't one of those "Humans Bad, Animals Good" series though they touch on climate change and human effects on animal life a few times it's not preachy.
This isn't one of those "Humans Bad, Animals Good" series though they touch on climate change and human effects on animal life a few times it's not preachy.
Rather bland
birdghosting11 January 2024
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.
One of the best animal documentary series I've seen
pabisem1 October 2022
Absolutely stunning footage strung together with familiar voices narrating wonderful facts about the animals that we've grown to love has made for an amazing watch with this series. A total bingeworthy series that can be watched either with the whole family, just be ready for some questions you may have not been totally ready for yet, or alone as a grown adult. I found myself watching one after the other simply craving more and more content. I can say with complete certainty that I have always marveled at the animals in the series, but after watching the whole of seasons one and two, I have a respect for them that will never go away. I believe the way the series was produced had a lot to do with that! Great work! Hoping for another season.
Good if you know nothing about animals
johntwatterson24 March 2022
Good if you know nothing about animals. If you know nothing about animals, but want to expand your awareness... This is probably right up your alley. I would have given it less than five stars, but anything that raises awareness of wildlife has to have some value in human society. The show is perfect for children 10 years of age or so who want to learn about animals, and are unaware of much of the wild world. Or for those adults who are products of society, believing that we share the world with animals out of the goodness of our hearts. I say that last sentence, because human beings are really the only animal on earth that does not contribute to any ecosystem whatsoever. Having said that; back to the show, it is full of misinformation, and half truths about the different species and families of animals in which it covers. An example of this is when the narrator states that the Jaguar unlike most other cats is a very good swimmer. The fact is, more accurately, that all cats are good swimmers. But very few are largey aquatic like the jaguar, tiger, or the fishing cat. Such dialogue is used throughout the series, such as what you would find in a grammar school science book on animals. But perhaps the most damaging aspect of the series is the fact that it assigns human attributes to the various families of animals that it represents. Words and phrases like "savage, ruthless, cunning, surprisingly caring, lovingly attended". Animals are instinctual, they don't feel human emotions. They don't do what they do to be kind or nice, they don't do it to be mean or spiteful. They are animals they act like animals. And their emotions wouldn't be human to begin with. They would be feline emotions, canid emotions, Equine emotions accipitor emotions etc. But perhaps the thing that left the most bitter taste in my mouth, was when they speak about animals encroaching on humans. When the fact is...it's quite the other way around. But being a show created by humans, for humans, it's not socially popular for us to think of the planet as being inhabited by animals,and being encroached by humans, as much as it is popular for it to be a planet inhabited by humans, encroached by animals. In summary if you think that the lion is King of the jungle? This may be a show for you. If you know that the lion is not king of the jungle... You already know too much about animals and this show has no value to you.
Unbelievable how underrated this show is
NS-movie-reviews1 August 2022
The amount of amazing, high quality footage that is within this series is absolutely astounding. This docuseries is incredible in every sense of the word. Nearly every episode is amazing and awe-inspiring. I wish more people knew about this series on Netflix because it deserves a lot more recognition.
Not a boring animal show
meganmccoy-4504725 March 2022
Increadible footage made unwatchable by a souless narrator
shmlaevan5 February 2022
The narrator sounds like he is on his death bed. He sounds depressed and dead inside with no personality. I can't bare the sound of his voice. I am a huge fan of nature documentaries and the footage in this is some of the best, but the narrator completely ruins it. I don't understand what Netflix was going for with this one. David Attenborough is 95 and is way more alive than this guy.
Nothing new.
Tarquan15 January 2022
Average
coles_notes7 June 2022
I'm always down for a good nature documentary, I'll always support putting professionals with ultra high def cameras in the wild for a few years. The recently released 4 episode Animal is quite beautiful (honestly its almost concerning how they achieved some of the close up shots they did), but the voice overs are hit and miss. Each episode focuses on a specific animal / type of animal throughout the world and is narrated by a different celebrity. Rashida Jones, Bryan Cranston, Rebel Wilson, and Pedro Pascal all voice over Big Cats, Dogs, Marsupials, and Octopuses, respectively. Some episodes (marsupials) have a ton more species to cover, and others are just kinda sad at points. Each episodes ends on a climate change note reminding us we're all terrible, but hopefully for season 2 we can get more celebrities to help voice these important issues through Netflix.
Unethical Filmmaking
ismihan-nazli-suzer25 May 2023
Took 5 points off from my rating for the obvious reason.
People are amazed by the narration, photography quality and the footage content. Why do you think it's that great? Better question is why have we become this ignorant?
I am disgusted and utterly disturbed by the frequency of the unethical filmmaking practice they put on a show. 80% of the hunt footages are set up by baiting prey animals. Some are acquired by zoos while some are found on the way or wherever. That is manipulating the wildlife in the most unethical way possible.
Most of the prey animals in the episodes were filmed long before they were killed. I guess these filmmakers are also psychic as they always know that one particular animal-to-die from distance in a vast terrain. It gets even more ridiculous that some of these prey animals are not even local to the area.
Think before you claim you like/love something.
People are amazed by the narration, photography quality and the footage content. Why do you think it's that great? Better question is why have we become this ignorant?
I am disgusted and utterly disturbed by the frequency of the unethical filmmaking practice they put on a show. 80% of the hunt footages are set up by baiting prey animals. Some are acquired by zoos while some are found on the way or wherever. That is manipulating the wildlife in the most unethical way possible.
Most of the prey animals in the episodes were filmed long before they were killed. I guess these filmmakers are also psychic as they always know that one particular animal-to-die from distance in a vast terrain. It gets even more ridiculous that some of these prey animals are not even local to the area.
Think before you claim you like/love something.
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