Life (TV Mini Series) Creatures of the Deep (2009) User Reviews

Extremely Colorful

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 29 April 2010]

This is a very colorful episode, as you can imagine just by the title.

All creatures f the deep are invertebrates, meaning they have no spine. That's one of the first of many tidbits of information provided in this episode of "Life," which I viewed on the Discovery Channel HD Network. Oprah Winfrey narrated, but I am looking forward to getting the complete DVD set narrated by David Attenborough.

There are some amazing-looking creatures in the deep, and some that can withstand extremely hot temperatures. Most people think the ocean must be really cold, and it is in most spots but there are volcanoes beneath and to be around them.....well, it gets very hot. Yet, that's what some fish want, as we see.

We view things like "The Red Devil" (a large squid), along swarms of 100,000 jellyfish, starfish, spider crabs, cuddle fish, king crabs and some amazing footage of coral reefs and what is found among them, such as the Great Barrier.

This is another and highly-recommended episode in this fine series.

Animal invertebrate life in the Deep

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 7 January 2018]

Despite how much he apparently dislikes the term "national treasure", that term really does sum up David Attenborough to a tee. He is such a great presenter (in his 90s and still sounds, and looks on a side note, great) and whenever a new series of his is aired they are often among the best the BBC has done in years.

Am a great fan of a lot of Attenborough's work and BBC's nature documentaries with his involvement are among their best work in years. Have been watching the BBC less over time, but there are always exceptions, unexpected gems and expected treasures that come our way every now and again and their nature documentaries are the perfect examples of expected treasures. 'Life' is a crowning achievement for a documentary series and actually, like the best documentary shows, feels much more than that. As far as Attenborough's work goes too, 'Life' to me is one of his biggest achievements.

"Creatures of the Deep" is yet another wondrous episode, this time under the sea. It's utterly transfixing and very educational, with a good mix of the old and the new. It may explore the challenges of survival for animals, but for the viewer watching it's an awe-inspiring delight from start to finish.

First and foremost, "Creatures of the Deep" is exceptionally well-made. Hardly surprising, one comes to expect that from Attenborough's work. In fact saying that doesn't do the production values justice. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate (a great way of connecting even more with the animals), way and never looking static. In fact much of it is remarkably cinematic. The editing is always succinct and smooth and the scenery and various habitats are remarkably diverse and look speechlessly spectacular.

On a documentary level, "Creatures of the Deep" continually fascinates and illuminates, while there are some familiar facts here a lot of it was very much new. By the end of the series for me more was gotten out of it, and educated me much more than, anything taught when studying Geography and Science in secondary school.

Attenborough's narration helps quite significantly too, 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.

The wildlife and life-forms are both adorable and dangerous, the wide-ranging diversity in personality and ability of what was included was staggering and it was lovely to see a mix of the familiar and the not-so-familiar. How they adapt to their environments, why they behave the way they do, how nature works and how what the wildlife and life-forms do affects their environments were all touched upon and made their points subtly, not hammering it home too much (a potential danger with documentaries).

As incredible as the Red Devil and jellyfish sequences were, the Coral Reefs stole the show.

Not once does "Creatures of the Deep" feel like an episodic stringing of scenes like it easily could have been. Instead it feels like its own story and journey, with real, complex emotions and conflicts and animal characters developed in a way a human character would in a film but does it better than several. One really cares for what they're told and the wildlife.

Overall, wondrous. 10/10 Bethany Cox