Hidden Kingdoms

I cannot believe this is called a "documentary." I was way too distracted by the over dramatization, fake shots, and special effects to be able to enjoy any part of this series. Some cool shots, but this is more of a "look at my special effects skills" rather than being informative, or enjoyable. I did not like it at all.

I am giving this 2 stars, but that is for the behind the scenes which was more of a "documentary" than the show itself.

I found these series PURE art. Intertwined with the latest technology and awe-inspiring narrative, I felt succumbed into the world of these hidden kingdoms which, thanks to these brilliant minds behind these series, do not feel so remote to us humans, anymore. To be honest, I felt connected to the lives of these tiny creatures. It all seems so familiar. The struggle for survival, the daily challenges, the escape from predators, the chase for food, the planning for the future, the thirst for new experiences and independence. The only thing missing is love but that may well be another familiar feeling to us humans too.. I would watch them over and over again, the thrills, the visuals, the stories they all fill my imagination with joy.

I can't believe anyone would give this a bad review. It's amazing graphics and so fun to watch. Which I did watch it like three times in a row. I recommend this to anyone who is an animal lover. A lot of fun and a new perspective and filming style. Very expensive to shoot. I believe at the end there is a section where they explain the amount of money and work put in to filming this little treasure. Would recommend 100%.

It shows the African sengi, one of the cutest things I've ever seen. You can watch the dung beetle rolling around his giant turd balls. You actually experienced the life from the little animals point of view. Watch as the giant predator swoops in and the run for their lives to find cover.

Excellent premises and subject, ruined by trying too hard to make it exciting with obviously fake shots, a never-ending and highly irritating invasive (and LOUD) background music, such as is employed in American children movies or housewife shows.

It would have been much more exciting treated as a serious cutting-edge documentary rather than a weak Walt Disney spin-off. It does contain extraordinary camera work to be fair, which makes the treatment of it very frustrating.

It's probably worth a 7 but I refuse to encourage the Beeb to carry on this Discovery Channel primary school vein :

so, 6.

This BBC nature doc series tries to look at the small world from ground level rather than human level. The camera is brought down to the ground and looking up at the bigger animals. A lot of pictures are composites of the small and the big. There is definitely a lot of post-production. It's fascinating to see how difficult it is to film the small and how much setup it requires. I assumed that they used miniature equipment to catch these small creatures. In reality, they're putting the regular cameras as close to the ground as possible. They're putting them in holes or elevating the ground. They're manufacturing a lot of these pictures. While I love the point of view, it does look like something scripted and created.

Non of that takes away from the natural wonder of these creatures. The most surprising is the howl of the mouse. It might not be a roar but it might as well be. It is the most fun, the most shocking, and the most wonderous of this series. It's amazing how nature can sometimes shock me with something so small. It's an interesting and new way to see these tiny creatures.