Perhaps the best nature photography I've seen. The theme here is to hop from place to place, from barren wastes to the oceans, from the plains of Africa to the ice of the Arctic and Antarctica. We are treated to the migrations of animals as they seek sustenance and the ability to mate and reproduce. We get to see elephants swimming from underwater footage. There are several predator versus prey scenes. The camera somehow manages to keep up with these intense moments. There is a scene where a great white shark shows its amazing power as it comes silently from the depths to nearly swallow a seal whole. Several views of birds of paradise as they go into their mating rituals. There's a sort of comic parade of baboons walking through water, trying to keep themselves as dry as possible. Suffice it to say, this series gained incredible respect from the critics. It deserved everything said about it. Great opening episode.
10 Reviews
Memorable Scenes Get This Series Off To A Great Start
ccthemovieman-125 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
My goodness, there are many memorable scenes from this opening episode of an 11-part BBC series of "Planet Earth." It makes me anxious to see the other 10 parts of this project.
This first part concentrates at the beginning more on life on the two poles, on the Arctic Region and the Antarctic. Anyone who has seen the amazing documentary, "March Of The Penguins," will be familiar with the opening segment here as it talks about those determined penguins.
Elsewhere, on the other end of the globe, we soon enjoy seeing a female polar bear emerge from hibernation with her two little Cubs, and the problems the three of them have adapting to their new (for the cubs) above-ground life in the spring.
We see migrations, such as the huge caribou one, complete with the ever-present predator, this time the wolf.
To me, the most stunning parts of this opening episode were several sights photographed not at the poles but in the forests and warm water areas. Three that come to mind are (1) the incredible Birds Of Paradise; (2) underwater shots of big elephants swimming; and (2) a Great White Shark, which looked the size of a house, exploding out of the water to devour seals.
This first part concentrates at the beginning more on life on the two poles, on the Arctic Region and the Antarctic. Anyone who has seen the amazing documentary, "March Of The Penguins," will be familiar with the opening segment here as it talks about those determined penguins.
Elsewhere, on the other end of the globe, we soon enjoy seeing a female polar bear emerge from hibernation with her two little Cubs, and the problems the three of them have adapting to their new (for the cubs) above-ground life in the spring.
We see migrations, such as the huge caribou one, complete with the ever-present predator, this time the wolf.
To me, the most stunning parts of this opening episode were several sights photographed not at the poles but in the forests and warm water areas. Three that come to mind are (1) the incredible Birds Of Paradise; (2) underwater shots of big elephants swimming; and (2) a Great White Shark, which looked the size of a house, exploding out of the water to devour seals.
The beginning of an awesome documentary series
bellino-angelo201420 October 2017
This is the pilot of the famous BBC documentary series ''Planet Earth'', and some scenes were also reused in the other episodes of the show!
Here we visit various habitats of our planet: from the poles to the New Guinea forests, from the Kalahari desert to the Okavango delta, and also visiting briefly the South African sea shores and the Siberian woodlands.
There are many memorable scenes of animals that try to survive, and I'll recall some of them:
1) A mother polar bear exits out of her den for the first time with her 6-week old cubs, and makes them discover their icy world. My favorite part of the episode 2) Some great white sharks catch (in slow motion) south African sea lions jumping out of water 3) An elephant herd in the Kalahari desert migrates towards the Okavango delta, and we see these elephants swimming underwater 4) Some birds of paradise try to attract and impress females, but unsuccessfully 5) Emperor penguins at the beginning try to survive the total darkness, and they all stay close for escape the cold. But in the end the sun returns and they all have newborn babies 6) In the Okavango delta part we see a comic bit of baboons trying to move in the flooded grasslands In the ten minute featurette we see the behind-the-scenes work of the camera crew in the Okavango delta trying to film a pack of wild dogs that try to kill a river antelope, and in the end they eat an already dead antelope!
I recommend it to all persons that love nature and animals, because it's full of stunning footage from our planet, and let me say it: IT COULDN'T HAVE STARTED BETTER!
Here we visit various habitats of our planet: from the poles to the New Guinea forests, from the Kalahari desert to the Okavango delta, and also visiting briefly the South African sea shores and the Siberian woodlands.
There are many memorable scenes of animals that try to survive, and I'll recall some of them:
1) A mother polar bear exits out of her den for the first time with her 6-week old cubs, and makes them discover their icy world. My favorite part of the episode 2) Some great white sharks catch (in slow motion) south African sea lions jumping out of water 3) An elephant herd in the Kalahari desert migrates towards the Okavango delta, and we see these elephants swimming underwater 4) Some birds of paradise try to attract and impress females, but unsuccessfully 5) Emperor penguins at the beginning try to survive the total darkness, and they all stay close for escape the cold. But in the end the sun returns and they all have newborn babies 6) In the Okavango delta part we see a comic bit of baboons trying to move in the flooded grasslands In the ten minute featurette we see the behind-the-scenes work of the camera crew in the Okavango delta trying to film a pack of wild dogs that try to kill a river antelope, and in the end they eat an already dead antelope!
I recommend it to all persons that love nature and animals, because it's full of stunning footage from our planet, and let me say it: IT COULDN'T HAVE STARTED BETTER!
"Time to call in the chopper squad."
classicsoncall20 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
This series has long been on my must watch list so I decided to pull the trigger by calling on my local library. I'll be reviewing each chapter individually starting here, and as a life long enthusiast of animals and nature, I expect the chapters to be every bit as compelling as this first one. The only thing I would offer in the way of critique would be to narrow the focus of each segment. The first installment, 'From Pole to Pole' managed to gloss over such quick entries as penguins at the North Pole, a rare Asian Amur leopard, a massive great white shark feeding on seals, and an underwater view of elephants swimming in the flooded Okavango Delta. All of these offerings were truly compelling, but their vast breadth seemed to lack cohesion, except for the over-arching theme of life on Planet Earth dependent on the sun and the way the Earth is positioned to be influenced by it. I would prefer a more focused approach to these chapters, and perhaps we'll have that in the ones to come next, as I'm not previewing them before hand. With all of that said, I did manage to gasp a couple of times, particularly when the great white heaved out of the water to catch an unlucky seal. One is easily mesmerized by the force of nature's fury, as well as the playfulness of newborn polar bear cubs emerging from their dens for the first time. I would have rated this first chapter a perfect score if it didn't seem like the film crew was rooting for the African hunting dogs in their pursuit of the impala.
From Pole to Pole
TheLittleSongbird11 November 2017
Absolutely adore 'Planet Earth', one of the best documentaries ever made and actually is more than that. Have remarked a few times that it and its recent follow up (every bit as good) did for nature and out planet as 'Walking with Dinosaurs' did with the dinosaurs. David Attenborough is wisely considered a national treasure for very good reason, no matter how much he himself dislikes the term.
"From Pole to Pole" is an incredible start and couldn't have been a more ideal way of setting up what was to follow. A lot of series/shows have a finding-its-feet feel at their starts, not so 'Planet Earth' with "From Pole to Pole" where stylistically and tonally everything is found from the outset. Throughout it's an awe-inspiring, utterly transfixing experience where one forgets they're watching a documentary and instead feeling like they're watching art. This may sound like extreme hyperbole, but to me and many others 'Planet Earth' is completely deserving of its praise and even deserving of more. To me as well, it is easily one of the best the BBC has done in years.
Where to start with the praises for "From Pole to Pole"? for starters looks amazing. 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 scenery and habitats are some of the most breath-taking personally seen anywhere, whether in visual media and real life and the rich colours positively leap out. The music is epic but has just as many quieter moments that speak just as much. The main theme is unforgettable.
Regarding the narrative aspects, "From Pole to Pole" can't be faulted there either. The narration has a great well-balanced mix of facts that will be familiar to the viewer and others that will induce the right amount of surprise. In short, it's just fascinating, informative and thoughtful. Everything is intriguing and illuminating, with as much for children to be inspired by as well as adults, and there is just enough freshness to avoid it from becoming stale. Attenborough delivers it beautifully, there's a soft-spoken enthusiasm and precision about his delivery and he never preaches.
The animals themselves are a wonderful mix of the adorable, like the penguins and the seals, and the dangerous, especially the White Shark. One actually finds they're rooting for them in exactly the same way they would a human character. What also stands out is "From Pole to Pole's" sense of awe and emotional impact, the birds, penguins and elephant scenes have been justifiably praised and are gorgeously shot but the standout is the White Shark and seal part, one of the most suspenseful and emotionally devastating scenes personally seen for anything on television (am being serious about this).
Nothing episodic or repetitive here in "From Pole to Pole" either. Despite covering a lot of animals and habitats, there is a real sense of the episode having its own individual story 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.
Overall, incredible start to one of the best programmes the BBC has ever produced. 10/10 Bethany Cox
"From Pole to Pole" is an incredible start and couldn't have been a more ideal way of setting up what was to follow. A lot of series/shows have a finding-its-feet feel at their starts, not so 'Planet Earth' with "From Pole to Pole" where stylistically and tonally everything is found from the outset. Throughout it's an awe-inspiring, utterly transfixing experience where one forgets they're watching a documentary and instead feeling like they're watching art. This may sound like extreme hyperbole, but to me and many others 'Planet Earth' is completely deserving of its praise and even deserving of more. To me as well, it is easily one of the best the BBC has done in years.
Where to start with the praises for "From Pole to Pole"? for starters looks amazing. 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 scenery and habitats are some of the most breath-taking personally seen anywhere, whether in visual media and real life and the rich colours positively leap out. The music is epic but has just as many quieter moments that speak just as much. The main theme is unforgettable.
Regarding the narrative aspects, "From Pole to Pole" can't be faulted there either. The narration has a great well-balanced mix of facts that will be familiar to the viewer and others that will induce the right amount of surprise. In short, it's just fascinating, informative and thoughtful. Everything is intriguing and illuminating, with as much for children to be inspired by as well as adults, and there is just enough freshness to avoid it from becoming stale. Attenborough delivers it beautifully, there's a soft-spoken enthusiasm and precision about his delivery and he never preaches.
The animals themselves are a wonderful mix of the adorable, like the penguins and the seals, and the dangerous, especially the White Shark. One actually finds they're rooting for them in exactly the same way they would a human character. What also stands out is "From Pole to Pole's" sense of awe and emotional impact, the birds, penguins and elephant scenes have been justifiably praised and are gorgeously shot but the standout is the White Shark and seal part, one of the most suspenseful and emotionally devastating scenes personally seen for anything on television (am being serious about this).
Nothing episodic or repetitive here in "From Pole to Pole" either. Despite covering a lot of animals and habitats, there is a real sense of the episode having its own individual story 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.
Overall, incredible start to one of the best programmes the BBC has ever produced. 10/10 Bethany Cox
From Pole to Pole (#1.1)
ComedyFan201012 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
A beautiful beginning of a beautiful documentary. In the first episode we are going around the planet and see all the unique places with its inhabitants. The shots of the landscapes take one's breath away. And there are wonderful scenes with the animals. The adorable bear cubs getting out for the first time and especially the amazing birds doing their mating dances. Of course the world is brutal and we get to see some sad things as well. It felt cold just to see the penguins in the huddle. There is a lot of hunting as it has to be done for animals to survive. And it was especially sad to watch the little elephant who lost his mother go in the wrong direction.
Penguins and Bears and Leopards, Oh My!
aherdofbeautifulwildponies21 February 2023
The first episode in the series, 'From Pole to Pole' provides a clear idea of what is to follow: breathtaking views of the planet, touching insights into the lives of animals as mothers nurture their young, gripping scenes of hunt, thrilling escapes, majestic courting, and the cycle of seasons that determines it all. Having seen Planet Earth II (2016) relatively recently, I cannot help but compare the two. While the later documentary is more technically advanced, it is tinged with regret, showing the devastating effect humankind has had on the planet over the last decades. Planet Earth is a more hopeful work, in comparison - which is all the more troubling, since just nine years passed between the making of the two documentaries. How much ill have we accomplished in that short period of time.
'From Pole to Pole' is a wonderful introduction that can also be treated as a stand-alone story. As per the title, the episode takes us from Antarctica to the Arctic - and then back, through tundra, taiga, rainforests and deserts. We see the rarest cat on Earth (the Amur leopard), follow a herd of elephants, pick sides as a wolf runs after a calf. It is an amazing spectacle, delivered to the screen with great love and effort. And, of course, David Attenborough could read the telephone book and I would listen; thankfully, he has much more engaging material here.
'From Pole to Pole' is a wonderful introduction that can also be treated as a stand-alone story. As per the title, the episode takes us from Antarctica to the Arctic - and then back, through tundra, taiga, rainforests and deserts. We see the rarest cat on Earth (the Amur leopard), follow a herd of elephants, pick sides as a wolf runs after a calf. It is an amazing spectacle, delivered to the screen with great love and effort. And, of course, David Attenborough could read the telephone book and I would listen; thankfully, he has much more engaging material here.
The best show I've ever watched.
arishsankar10 May 2019
Actually preferred it to Our Planet. The time lapse photography was awesome and the whole film was beautifully done. Love the narrators comments too, It's one of those films you watch and say, "How did they film that?" Spectacular. A must see
Thanks God because I watched this after I had watched Planet Earth II
dakuchonekobing29 August 2020
I don't know if the reason why in my opinion this 1st episode is far better than "Islands" of Planet Earth 2016 or the later it is the less the animals numbers are but this is the truth. This "From Pole to Pole" episode proves that the quality of the serie is fair to the rate from Imdb. I love this episode, I love the animals, especially the music, I have one thing to say about the music: Awesome. The music is so good that I can see a dust and a very ordinary bug is still so beautiful!
Focuses on Killing and Little Else!
WYAdams3 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This program CLAIMS to be a documentary on wildlife, nothing could be further from the truth! 80% to 90% of the program is nothing but hunting scenes that focus in on the killing. Each scene shows about a minute of the animal which teaches you nothing about its life or habits. If it is a prey animal, the hunter shows up within a minute or so, then hunting and killing begin. If it is a predator, it begins hunting and killing within the first minute of the scene.
I suppose they do this to attract the bloodthirsty, violence loving younger generation we have generated, but the show is worthless as a documentary on animal life! After seeing this episode, I stopped watching the series, so I don't know if the carnage continues, but my gut feeling is that it does.
Do yourself a favor and watch the National Geographic documentaries on wildlife, unless you love watching killing, then this is the show for you.
I only wis hi could give it a rating of -10.
I suppose they do this to attract the bloodthirsty, violence loving younger generation we have generated, but the show is worthless as a documentary on animal life! After seeing this episode, I stopped watching the series, so I don't know if the carnage continues, but my gut feeling is that it does.
Do yourself a favor and watch the National Geographic documentaries on wildlife, unless you love watching killing, then this is the show for you.
I only wis hi could give it a rating of -10.
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