Common Sense Media Review
By Joly Herman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Spielberg-produced CGI-heavy nature docu is brutal.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Life on Our Planet
What's the Story?
In LIFE ON OUR PLANET, planet Earth is formed and goes through stages of struggle. Land masses are created out of spewing lava, the air clouds and clears, and water settles to form oceans. Billions of years ago, out of the oceans came the first signs of life, and since then, life has been vying for global dominance. Dynasties of "bloodlines" have risen and fallen. Which will succeed in surviving the longest? Where do humans fit into the global picture?
Is It Any Good?
Jurassic Park meets David Attenborough in this sweeping, CGI-riddled attempt at a history of Earth's evolution. Earth is a battlefield in Life on Our Planet (executive produced by Steven Spielberg), and the big losers are those who are interested in watching a nature documentary, rather than the CGI dramas that unfold here.
Is it cheating to marry computer-generated images with those of the natural world and package it as history? How can the viewer know what is actual and what is made up? The magic of movies like Jurassic Park lies in the fiction that feels like reality. This series tries to make reality into fiction, blurring lines of documentary integrity. Sensitive viewers can skip this one -- there are more glorious nature documentaries out there. Parents might want to point out that there are fictional representations of nature, as well as opinions about the principles of the natural world, at play in this show.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how curiosity motivates someone to watch a show like Life on Our Planet. If a show features something that interests you, are you curious to learn more?
How does teamwork among animals in this show illustrate evolutionary advances? What types of creatures are left to fend for themselves?
Perseverance can help creatures survive, whereas giving up can lead to demise. What have you achieved thanks to perseverance?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 25, 2023
- Cast : Morgan Freeman , Kefas Brand
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Educational
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs , Ocean Creatures , Wild Animals ) , History , STEM
- Character Strengths : Curiosity , Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : December 8, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate