Planet Earth

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Stunning high-def series spotlights world wonders.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this flat-out gorgeous high-definition nature series uses cutting-edge film equipment to capture never-before-seen animal behavior from around the world. Viewers' respect for nature and wildlife will grow with every scene -- with the impulse to protect the world's delicate balance likely to follow. Some scenes show animals hunting and killing their prey (often up close), which might frighten young viewers. But for families with kids old enough to understand basic animal behavior, the series will entertain and educate in a whole new way.

  • Kids will learn tons of interesting facts about animals and habitats across the globe; the series is incredibly educational.
  • Planet Earth opens viewers' eyes to the wilds of nature and touches on the plight of endangered species and the importance of preserving the planet's resources.
  • The animals featured here can't really be considered role models.
  • Animals hunt, kill, and eat their prey, sometimes in bloody ways.

What's the story?

Elephants, lions, great white sharks, Emperor penguins, polar bears, dolphins, and many more star in PLANET EARTH -- which helps explain why it took 71 camera people five years to capture the footage used in the 11 episodes. Filmed entirely in high definition and with cutting-edge filmmaking techniques that allow unique, close-up views of animal behavior, the show reaches to the remotest corners of the earth and leads viewers through the planet's harshest deserts, richest jungles, and darkest caves.


Is it any good?

 

Never before have the world's many wonders been quite as accessible as they are in the stunning nature series Planet Earth. In the filming process, many shots and events were captured on camera for the first time; viewers will marvel at a glimpse of the rare snow leopard (one of only 40 surviving in the wild) hunting in the Himalayas, the blue bird of paradise strutting his stuff to woo a mate, and grizzly bears bringing their newborns out into the light.

Planet Earth also uses flawless time-lapse photography to show climate and seasonal changes -- like a sandstorm in the Sahara Desert or the transformation of parched desert land in Africa into a lush feeding ground for species of all shapes and sizes. Satellite photos of Earth and high-speed cameras that preserve animals' motion round out this truly unprecedented package. Narrated by actress/conservationist Sigourney Weaver, Planet Earth will educate and inspire the whole family. Just take care to explain the basics of animal behavior to young viewers, because some scenes of creatures hunting and killing prey could upset them.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about what sets this show apart from other nature series. Does the high-definition footage make that big a difference? Why? Did you learn anything new from this series?

  • What's more exciting -- the way the show looks, or the animal behavior it presents?

  • What does it mean for a species to be endangered? What factors contribute to endangerment?

  • Compile ideas about recycling, saving energy, and other ways to help the environment. What effect do small changes like riding a bus instead of driving or taking a shorter shower have? How can people be encouraged to make little changes that matter?


This review was written by Emily Ashby
Teen, 15 years old
April 9, 2008
 
PE
Ossum!!!!!!!!!

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Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
A must-see!
Planet Earth took 4 years to make and it's worth the wait. The only bad content is some scenes of animals being eaten/killed; however the violence is acceptable in the nature context. I say that this show is great and the high definition is so amazing... You have to watch the whole show on BBC or Discovery at least once! The BBC version is better IMHO but the Discovery version is okay too. Anyone over 5 should watch Planet Earth.

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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 
AWSOME THE BEST SERIES IN A LONG TIME!!!
SO GOOD! It is so interesting! It has really good grafics and it tought me a TUN of stuff about nature! WATCH IT!!!!!!!!!!

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Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
What a great show
I love this show. The camerawork is stunning, the narration is good, and the animals, oh the animals. Snow leopards and pandas and pirahnas. Age wise 5+ may be a little too low. While it doesn't bother me, some of the violence may scare younger kids, which is OK. (Kids need to experience new and sometimes unsettling things at that age). I see no problem with 5+, but some might. Again, great show.

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Teen, 14 years old
April 9, 2008
 
It's Okay.
I like Planet Earth. It is quite neat and educational. I don't like that it stole the Emmy award from "Meerkat Manor" in '07, that angered me. I really think it's great but it can't measure up to Meerkat Manor.

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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 
powerful
great for animal lovers! i think 5+ is good, maybe younger. Just as long as your child understands that animals eat animals, and there is nothing wrong with that. (SPOILER ALERT!!!)- On one episode there was a polar bear and he could'nt stay alive because global warming, and it kind of showed how much it affects life. (SPOILER ALERT OVER). It makes you more aware of tihngs like global warming.

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Parent of 15 year old
April 9, 2008
 
Magnificent, Stunning, Amazing for All!
Stunning... Planet Earth goes where no show has gone before. It captures beautiful images and animals that no one has before captured on film. There is no sex or language. The violence is breif and mild, predators hunt their prey and are briefly shown eating it. Some mild blood is shown briefly. This series shows on Discovery Channel on cable. Also, you can capture the entire series on DVD, with four discs of the series and one bonus disc of special features. Highly reccommended!

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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
 

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Parent of 9 year old
July 20, 2010
 
AWESOME
LOVE IT! A little scary for younger kids (animal hunting/death).

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Teen, 14 years old
November 17, 2009
 
Perfect for Tweens
This movie was amazing for older children. The only problem was the hard powerful message that follows think back watchers to the polar bear scene or the Amur leopard scene. The polar bear basically dug it's own grave.

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This review was written by Emily Ashby
This review was written by Emily Ashby
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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