Life (original UK version) [Blu-ray]

I'll start the review with the bad. First, it's not entirely in 1080p. It's 720p or 1080i. So while it'd HD, it's not entirely Blu-ray. The image quality is still fantastic, although I think Planet Earth was slightly better in spots. Overall though, you probably won't notice on anything other than the biggest of home TVs/projectors. Second, this series is a bit repetitious in that the first episode is a preview of all the upcoming episode. That made it a bit of filler for me. Finally, there's not as much breadth or depth as there are in the other Attenborough BBC series. For example, Planet Earth had more breadth, while Life of Mammals/Plants/Birds etc. each had more individual depth.

So why the five stars? Well, that's quite simply because what's in here is literally awesome. The footage is brilliant, the animals and plants are compelling, the science is fascinating, and Sir David Attenborough is the best there is at nature narration (sorry Oprah!). If all you've seen is the Discovery version of this show, with Oprah narrating, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the difference a pro like Attenborough can make. But regardless of the version, it's Life that's the real show. From cheetahs, to plants, to frogs, to killer whales, the plants and animals in this series do not disappoint in their ways of surviving and reproducing. Richard Dawkins wrote a recent book on evolution called "The Greatest Show on Earth". This series should be labelled the same! Nature, in all its glory, is just endlessly fascinating and amazing to watch.

Overall, this series is a perfect introduction into the world of nature documentaries. Other BBC/Attenborough series might offer more depth, breadth, and even (for some) slightly better resolution, but this DVD series still delivers a ton of fresh content that provides hours of really, really fascinating viewing. Highly recommended!

Here is the breakdown in the differences between the UK and US versions of LIFE:

1) Narrator: UK version, by David Attenborough, while US version, by Oprah Winfrey. I personally prefer David Attenborough's skilled narration. He is perfect at describing various scenes without his voice becoming the primary focus. This round goes to UK version.
2) Video: UK version, completely 1080p except "Plants", while US version, completely 1080i. This round goes to UK version, hands down.
3) Functionality: US version is far superior in selecting episodes than UK version
4) Packaging: Covers for US version are more busy, but in the end, it depends on your own personal taste.

For me, 1080p and the very comforting voice of David Attenborough made my purchase of the UK version a very easy decision. Since I watch each episode completely each time around, I do not mind the less superior functionality of the UK version. The front cover is no issue to me.

Contents: From the BBC Earth series, Planet Earth in 2006 brought us the world as we've never seen before. Now we get closer with Life. As stated on the package, four years in the making, filmed over 3000 days, across every continent and in every habitat, with breathtaking new high definition filming techniques developed since Planet Earth, Life presents 130 incredible stories from the frontiers of the natural world, housed in 4 BD-50 discs. The topics included (1) Challenges of Life, (2) Reptiles and Amphibians, (3) Mammals, (4) Fish, (5) Birds, (6) Insects, (7) Hunters and Hunted, (8) Creatures of the Deep, (9) Plants, and (10) Primates. It was truly a totally enjoyable and learning experience. Like a good book, one can watch it continuously to the end. The new feature in this set is the Life on location at the end of each episode. It gave me a deeper appreciation of how these remarkable videos were taken.

Video: It was filmed in 1080p and 1.78:1. If you think Planet Earth was outstanding, wait until you watch Life. The video was truly spectacular with razor-sharp images. The blacks were inky black. The colour was vibrant and natural. I particularly enjoyed the slow-motion camera shots, where details of every hair on the animal or drops from splashes of the ocean waves could be seen. Avatar may give us crisp images and vibrant colour (CGI images), but Life here presents us with the perfectly natural images: real animals in their natural habitat. Some frames were so wonderful that they looked like a piece of art. (5++/5).

Audio: The DTS HD audio here is also equally awesome. The natural sound of the animals was very well recorded and produced, very realistic indeed. The sound of buzzing of flies was so realistic that I put my hand up trying to brush them off. The background music by George Fenton was also very well done, appropriate to the scenes. The background music never intrudes into the video. (5/5)

This Life set is a truly remarkable experience. One will lose the impact if you watch this on standard DVD or on the Discovery Channel. This blu ray set is the only way to appreciate how fantastic video and audio will give one a truly ultimate rewarding experience. In my home theatre with a 12 foot wide screen and anamorphic lens, one can see every minute detail in the pictures, and the sound was very enveloping from my 9 speakers. I will give this Life set (blu ray) my highest recommendation. You won't regret it.

The Movie itself:
No one is even close to BBC's Natural History Team's dedication, cinematography and expertise when it comes to Nature & Wildlife filming. The team that gave us The Blue Planet (2001) & Planet Earth (2006) return to us with perhaps their most daunting adventure. If you thought they couldn't top Planet Earth's filming & beautiful orchestras, well they did exactly that. Approximately 3,000 hours of shooting with specialized slow motion cameras specifically designed for the task, transform on the screen to some of the most magical footage I have ever witnessed on my television.
The Video:
1080p video is simply spectacular. There is only one word to describe it. Some of the close up shots of little insects and coral reefs are so vividly coloured that it made me wonder, is this really true? Or BBC's Cg team has done some marvellous work and they are marketing it as a Nature Documentary. There are some shots under the water, which suffer a little and appear to be soft. But that's understandable given that chasing "The Heat Run" of Killer Whales was considered impossible before this video.
The Audio:
If I didn't like one thing about Planet Earth, it was the lack of HD Audio. Well BBC certainly went on to fix that in this series. DTSHD-MA audio is as filling as the video. The channels are very perfectly balanced and LFE/Subwoofer kicks in precisely when it needs to add the extra punch. Narration is fully dedicated to centre channel with David Attenborough's soothing voice giving it the final touch.
Final Words:
A lot has been said about the two different versions of this documentary available in US & Canada. The discovery channel version is narrated by Oprah Winfrey while the original BBC version (this one) is narrated by David Attenborough. Sir Attenborough is a living legend in his own right, so why replace him? I could think of only one reason, all the references to weight, temperature, measurement are in Metric system, which the vast majority of Americans don't understand. Either way, it seems like a poor marketing decision. Do yourself a favour and pick up this version narrated by David Attenborough; you will watch it time and again for years to come. HD TV sets and Blu-Ray were made for this type of content. Must Have, Highly Recommended.