Our Universe (2022– ) User Reviews

Beautiful, mesmerizing and a tad frustrating.

[friendlyPrime · 8/10 · 24 November 2022]

Morgan Freeman narrates this incredibly beautiful story about our past, present and future. Life on earth and its connection with the cosmos and cosmological events.

It's truly one of the most beautiful shows I've seen in a while. However, the show falls a bit short when it comes to the narration. Not the voice of Freeman, but the content itself. The over usage of dramatic pauses disrupts the flow and keeps us guessing of what he'll say next. It's especially frustrating when the answer is obvious. Which it often is. Making me think they assume their audience is either stupid or very young.

But it's definitely worth a watch just for the CGI and shots of nature. So allow me end this review with an "Our Universe narration" flavored ending:

As I wrap up this review.. I do so.. with a typographical symbol that states that the sentence.. is finished........... a period.

Love everything about it but...

[erincarter256 · 8/10 · 24 November 2022]

Whoever did the sound mixing didn't do it justice. Morgan's narrative was too far back in the mix, I was struggling to hear him over the SFX and music. It turned into a difficult watch because of that.

Aside from that, the footage and graphics are beautiful to watch. I enjoyed the link of everything happening in the universe has an effect on life in every way.

It was really great to get you think about the bigger picture to life in earth. I hope to see more of these types of documentaries on Netflix, so refreshing after all the true crime ones that seem to be of endless supply in their library.

A Fun, Relaxing Way To Get Ready For Bed.

[R1charD_TugNutz · 7/10 · 2 December 2022]

I mean that in a good way. The episodes keep you entertained while you lay in bed. It's a great, relaxing way to chill out. Morgan Freeman killed it. I wish they went in to more detail here and there but it was still pretty good.

I remember documentaries narrated by Sir David Attenborough and these are a great ode to them. I also reminds me of The Cosmos as well. The wildlife shots are really good and the space stuff is even better. They do a great job showing how chaotic the universe is and explaining how it helps life on earth. It also goes in to the history of the universe and I found it really fascinating.

I'm happy I watched it.

Perfection

[djxtreme78 · 10/10 · 24 November 2022]

As soon as I read that Morgan freeman was narrating it with his magical smooth story telling voice I was pulled in by gravity . This documentary series was the absolute best explanation to the mechanics of the universe and energy I have ever had the pleasure of watching it be explained in a visual easy to understand story telling manner . It really made you feel the journey and apart of something greater than but apart of everything around us , within us and what is too come . Netflix and the BBC made an absolute gold standard documentary here and it was a real treat to have Morgan freeman take me along for the ride .

Insightful, beautiful, science backed truth

[sensesfail_51 · 10/10 · 24 November 2022]

Amongst the monotony of the average day of a human being we often forget about what is REALLY going on in our world or how it formed. This documentary lays all that out in a format the average person can understand.

With the aid of Morgan Freeman's calming voice they show what goes on in a wild animals daily life then to a flash sideways to things in earth and space that directly explain how they are connected. The film crew really went out if their way and did a great job bringing this images to are tv. I recommend watching at night on a big screen. The picture is amazing. It is one of the best documentaries to date. Highly recommend.

Overall very good with some facts missing or misrepresented

[gotgolfster · 6/10 · 31 December 2022]

I was enjoying it but then the Elemental episode started. The discussion on creation of different elements was seriously misrepresented implying that simple fusion created all the elements. The role of Supernovas in element creation was not even discussed when it plays a fundamental role in complex element creation. The fact that elements are being recycled into Supernova to create heavier atoms is crucial in understanding element creation. This is far too important a topic to be disregarded when exploring the topic of element creation.

I had to come back and correct the discussion of Mars. The geology of Mars resulted in a planet too low in mass to retain a molten core. When the molten core of Mars cooled it resulted in Mars losing its magnetic field which then meant there was no protection from solar winds and the solar winds then stripped Mars of its atmosphere and water. The show seemed to leave this as some mystery but it is not a mystery.

I am not sure why I need to include more characters in a succinct discussion of a critical topic can be described in fewer words.

A masterpiece has it all..

[saurabh60292 · 10/10 · 23 November 2022]

6 episodes of pure brilliance in everything you can imagine, I've never felt so rejuvenated after watching something like this.

Morgan Freeman is the voice of the Universe.

The connection from the Big Bang to stardust to life on planet Earth has never been portrayed like this.

Full marks for concept, narration and editing.

The best part is that the film arouses curiosity and emotions at the same time, which makes it quite different.

It's certainly one of the best things I've ever seen. This is surely a treat not to be missed , especially in these times of epidemics and lack of quality content.

Visual Feast, Content Starved As Usual

[charles-limcw · 6/10 · 1 January 2023]

Typical Netflix so-called documentaries - visually very pleasing but empty of any insightful narrative content. All you hear is empty-can noises emanating from a familiar voice mixed with elevator muzak spouting really cringy patronising trites with no more depth than middle school science.

If Netflix would only get real professional documentary writers to work with their visual teams we'd get a really great proper documentary.

One can only wish.

In the meantime, just enjoy the visual feast and ignore the muzak and empty words.

You can find much much better researched and written documentaries on any topic on YouTube well worth the compromise on visual quality.

Should be required viewing for all our schools

[Skorpyos · 9/10 · 29 November 2022]

This documentary on our universe and the inexorable relationship the cosmos has on everything on Earth is brilliantly explained by the great Morgan Freeman. While learning how the universe was created, we see how the chemical composition of the cosmos affects every living thing on Earth, and how it all makes sense.

This brilliant scientific documentary should be compulsory for all our schools so that the new generations can learn about the universe and how it was created. Not by some imaginary sky daddy that blinked and created things like a genie, but via billions of years of chemical galactic molecules combining and reacting. A reaction that continues to happen now.

Is this a nature or cosmology documentary?

[ozanomurlu-2 · 6/10 · 9 December 2022]

Even though it is awesome to watch a documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman, I could not finish it due to pretentious and hollow script.

Was this a nature documentary? Was this a documentary about cosmology? Or better yet was this a documentary that ties those amazing topics together with a strong and clever writing? Those was my initial hopes about this but sadly the answer is that it is neither of those.

It was baffling to watch how narration switches back and forth between nature and cosmology without a solid reason or connection to it.

Frustrating to see that this is such a wasted potential. I think I will watch Cosmos again and again instead of wasting my time with this mess.

masterpiece!

[ghazitunisiano · 9/10 · 24 November 2022]

I couldn't stop watching, this documentary made me think and see life as if im the universe it self , it opend gates of philosophical ideas in my mind , the visual effects are insane specially when u dive into the core of the sun and see the nuclear fusion of atoms and the release of energy which will take a crazy trip towards my cells as im writing this review now how ever.. creating a story link between the outer space.. planets .. stars and wild animals in a romantic and harsh way in the same time is insanely beautiful the one that touched me most is bears and moon, so romantic so poetic my deep love for everyone worked on this masterpiece.

I love David Attenborough

[farshidkarimi · 7/10 · 24 November 2022]

I wanted to give this series a "1" because of incomprehensible mumbling of Morgan Freeman. But the amazing cinematography and the computer-generated footages and images took hold and I gave it a "7". I have watched hundreds and hundreds of documentaries, mostly wild life. The concept this series carries is new: connection of wildlife and nature to the stars. I knew that we are made of stardust, nothing new to me but this contained in a documentary series is really interesting. My only gripe is the unintelligible voice and narration of Freeman. I think they should have given him a drunkenness test because I think he was drunk when he was narrating this series. There are some good narrators out there, why him? David Attenborough would raise the ranking of this series even to 9. I am sure it is the gripe of many viewers too.

Beautiful visuals do not make up for lack of information

[nichtssagend · 3/10 · 28 November 2022]

This documentary is like elevator music compared to a quality BBC documentary. The visuals bubble along hypnotisingly while Morgan Freeman rambles on in the background.

The visuals are great and I imagine it's nicely mesmerizing playing on one of those overhead TVs at the dentist, but there is not much to be learned from this documentary - the very few facts that are explored and presented are pretty basic; I was expecting more from a 2022 documentary, but maybe it is aimed at a different market.

The documentary presents the connections of life on Earth to the much bigger picture in a seemingly deliberately enigmatic way rather than explaining hard facts.

Lastly, I love Morgan Freeman as an actor, and his voice, but either age is getting to him or the sound mixing is poor, because he was not easy to understand.

Cosmology presented understandably

[bobbowie-53043 · 10/10 · 24 November 2022]

Our Universe is a refreshingly presented, beautiful production.

Gorgeous cinematography and sound help the viewer digest concepts. Computer graphics are well-developed and bridge concepts not generally or commonly known or accepted by present dogma.

The script presents currently accepted, scientifically-based research. Points are repeated as needed, to develop the story of our universe. This is refreshing, given dogmatic teaching of fables, for instance, about the earth being created some six thousand years ago.

Music is widely varied and beautifully matched to images, sounds and story narrative. All compositions touch and enhance the viewer's emotional learning perfectly.

Morgan Freeman, as documentary narrator, is not God (Bruce Almighty and Story of God), but rather a storyteller. At least, I don't think he is. He masterfully uses his voice as invitation to the listener, the viewer, to sit with him and be with him, in his story. The best have listeners lean in as they whisper.

Great, natural and scientific facts and a few popular Theories.

[frankpaulbacon · 9/10 · 30 November 2022]

Great, natural and scientific facts and a few popular theories. I Definitely say it is right there and perhaps better than Cosmos and totally agree that this is one great documentary. Very well done. I would have given one more star if the creators included an announced that stated that some of it is based on theory. You and I know that in this day and age we will have some viewers swear it is all true because they are unaware of what is postulated theory about some areas of how the earth and the rest of our solar system came into existing in the current state with life here on earth. Still though amazingly well done! One of the best!

A truly spectacular visual and audio experience.

[Fergus20 · 7/10 · 25 February 2023]

The actual show is good, nothing special, an enjoyable watch. It offers a different experience in comparison to more traditional works by BBC Studios.

But... with OLED Dolby Vision display technology partnered with a full Dolby ATMOS surround sound system (7.1.4) it can and will move you to tears. It's an Art work not a documentary. Fantastic. The CGI and the stories come to life in a spectacular fashion impossible on a phone,tablet or standard TV.

I think the best way to describe this series is that it's the best tech demo there has ever been. I wouldn't be watching it if I didn't have OLED and surround sound.

Incredibly Amazing Documentary

[privacy-policy-sucks · 10/10 · 23 November 2022]

An astaunding amalgamation of biology, chemistry and physics showcasing the formation and evolution of our universe and solar system alike.

A perfect blend of cutting-edge CGI and world class natural history cinematography makes this documentary series the Cosmos of our times.

To me, there is no doubt that Morgan Freeman's distinguished narration coupled with an intelligent and well researched script will make this series a timeless classic in science education for generations to come.

Accessible to everyone, no matter your scientific literacy. Trust me, you will be left with a profound sense of awe.

Simply, amazing.

Inspiring and yet.......

[kkmetz · 7/10 · 3 March 2023]

The photography was beautifully done and the CGI images were impressive. In contrast to what another reviewer said that the music was like elevator music I found it to be creative and a welcome addition to the narrative and the filming. Morgan Freeman's voice of course is always wonderful to listen to and I think he did a superb job. As another reviewer said however the dialogue was a little slow. I know they were trying to time it along with various pictures and images but it seemed halting and could've been more on the mark. The most impressive part of the documentary to me was the stories and scenes of the animals. Particularly the chimpanzees, the elephants, and the penguins. I wondered how in the world they got photographs and filming of these animals in their natural habitat. I assume they were the actual animals and not part of the CGI images. I found it interesting that they gave particular animals names therefore anthropomorphizing them. I assume they did that in order to increase our interest and caring for The animals. In each episode they tried to show how life is interconnected to the cosmos and that sometimes seemed to be repetitive. The overall message and tone of the documentary was very pleasing and satisfying. I am glad I saw it but I think it had a few flaws but some other nature documentaries avoided.

Ignore the haters, the show is absolutely bonkers brilliant!

[johnnybravoctk · 10/10 · 27 December 2022]

Of all the shows I've watched this year, the hate from some reviewers on this one is bewildering me the most. The show is like an animal Attenborough episode and a Neil Degrasse Tyson Astronomy Cosmos serial came together and had a baby. Literally my two favortie types of science shows combined into one. Which is kind of perfect as with the animal shows I tend to not get enough science and with the Astronomy shows, the science is many times too complex to be enteraining or at at least exciting to watch after 15 minutes. I LOVE how they connect the animals to the Cosmos personally, and for some odd reason, I see that some hate it. I'll never understand so many humans, especially online. Lol Lastly, the CG animation graphics of the Cosmos are UNREAL, the best I've ever seen and it's not really even close. If you are into CG art, you should watch it just for that reason alone.

Beautiful, awe-inspiring take on the nature of life

[joelle-jeremie · 10/10 · 30 November 2022]

I just loved this. The traditional way to present nature docs and science docs as totally separate entities that doeal with totally different subjects has been turned on its head and combined in a way that allows the viewer to understand their relationship to each other and to one's self. It was fantastically done. From the cinematography to the storytelling, i thought it was flawless. The way I experienced this was profound, spiritual, even. Morgan Freeman is my favorite narrator of all time and it almost feels as though God himself is explaining our origins. Wonderfully done... Congratulations to the whole team on this beautiful achievement.

Not what I was looking for

[lalobaydi · 5/10 · 3 December 2022]

Morgan Freeman's narration, the cinematography and the music are all absolutely wonderful.

What isn't wonderful is the script and story. Like so many other nature documentaries, it focuses on survival and therefore, finding food and death. That may be reality but if I wanted to be reminded of our struggle for survival I may as well turn on the news.

I'd really love for this to have focused on teaching me something new and exciting - how nature has adapted, to "zoom in" on the biology, how it is unique within each species and how it all works at the biological level.

Nature documentaries have become stuck on this one story - the difficulty of survival and it's boring. There are so many other stories about life and survival that might inspire, connect, and ignite wonder in us. This one didn't do it for me.

"We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself."

[vitasoyattack · 9/10 · 4 December 2022]

A phenomenal series of stories narrated by Morgan freeman, connecting the stories of life on Earth with the rhythm of the cosmos.

Dramatic visuals and score add to the majesty of the themes being conveyed. From how simple everyday cellular processes we take for granted are made possible by light birthed in our Sun's core thousands of years ago, to how the the same gravity that formed planets holds us together.

Living on our tiny planet against the infinite expanse, it is easy to feel small. But through this incredible series, Our Universe reminds us that we are big, and that the cosmos are in us.

Morgan Freeman Takes Us on an Epic Journey Through Our Universe and Animal Life on Earth - A Must-Watch!

[widooerlemans-72728 · 10/10 · 4 December 2022]

Morgan Freeman's magnificent narration adds an extra layer of enchantment to the must-watch television show Our Universe. This captivating show gives viewers a comprehensive insight into the fascinating phenomena that make up our world. It's playfulness, easy-to-understand language and stunning visuals make it an unforgettable journey of exploration.

The show takes us on a journey across the universe, introducing us to some of the most extraordinary features of the cosmos. From the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies, Our Universe offers a comprehensive look at the development of the universe. It also takes us through the history of life on Earth, from the first single-celled organisms to the complex animal life we see today.

Morgan Freeman's captivating narration adds an aura of wonder to this incredible journey. His soothing and reassuring voice allows viewers to feel comfortable and safe as they explore the mysteries of the universe. With its beautiful visuals and engaging narration, Our Universe is a must-watch show for anyone looking to explore the depths of our universe.

Profound.

[W011y4m5 · 8/10 · 5 December 2022]

"Our Universe" is a refreshingly unique nature documentary because it admirably endeavours to ambitiously lense the Darwinian events depicted throughout the wild, untouched lands of earth through the perspective of the wider galaxy, contextualising life (& our existence) itself in order to draw parallels between the terrestrial & extraterrestrial, showing how despite our planet being the only known one to harbour (our current perception of) life, there is a pattern of continual death & rebirth playing out in the cosmos, yet the cycle of destruction & creation simply takes different forms than we're usually accustomed to. Hence, it's not your typical approach & does occasionally become too ponderous for its own good (a few episodes loosely linking one storyline with the other, which tends to feel rather forced & pretentious) but regardless of my grievances, I've thoroughly enjoyed watching this show & it gives the audience plenty to think about - questioning our place in the world, contemplating philosophical concepts which have yet to be answered by science etc. Portraying how insignificant we are - in the grand scheme of things - which arguably makes our time that much more precious, as it is so ridiculously fleeting.

Plus, the camera work is exceptional & the CGI animations are commendably impressive. Visually, it's stunning & that additionally has to be acknowledged.

Only disagree with final point gravity that's why I deducted 1 point of rating

[muhammadadilaneesadil · 9/10 · 3 December 2022]

If you are fond of a real Sci-Fi & adventure movie/documentary then this choice is great. It provides the info about the major livings of animals on earth starting with leopard, chimpanzee, polar bear, turtle, elephant, penguin & in the last from which I disagree on a scientific point i.e. Gravity. It describes the complete inheritance & livings of above mentioned animals in a very specific manner by relationship of their ancestors towards our earth from its beginning till today. Every clip & scene depicts the depth of our natural environment which we lost almost a hundred years ago after industrialization and global connectivity as a global village.