Bottom line: Each episode of Nature's Most Amazing Events depicts an immense natural event that happens over a vast area of the world and with profound effects. The unparalleled images shot using high-definition cameras and cutting-edge filming techniques create a masterpiece of nature that will fascinate the whole family. Children may be disturbed by some images of predators hunting, catching, and eating their prey.
MPAA Rating: NAGenre: Nature documentary
Guide age recommendation: 4 years+ (if the viewer can stomach watching animals eat other animals)
Runtime: Approx. 300 minutes
Studio: BBC Worldwide
Nature's Most Amazing Events - Overview
Nature's Most Amazing Events utilizes the cinematography of Planet Earth to tell the stories of amazing natural events that span thousands of miles and affect countless wildlife communities around the world. Shot using high-definition cameras and using innovative techniques, the amazing footage conveys the immense majesty of interdependent natural phenomena that, almost unnoticed by most human beings, create vast chain reactions which bring order and balance to the world's ecosystems.
- The Great Melt: Seasonal changes in the Arctic open opportunities for many species of wildlife, but the polar bear faces great peril if the seasonal melts continue to expand.
- The Great Salmon Run: Grizzly bears and other animals in British Columbia rely on the yearly habits of salmon for their survival.
- The Great Migration: The annual rains of the Serengeti draw in the greatest concentration of large animals on earth. The gathering is a test of survival and strength.
- The Great Tide: Each year, billions of sardines flood South Africa's east coast, creating a feeding frenzy.
- The Great Flood: The annual flood of Botswana's Okavango Delta draws thousands of parched animals who make the sometimes dangerous trek to the oasis.
- The Great Feast: The annual plankton bloom of Alaska's coastal waters is a grand event for whales, sea lions, and other sea life who come to feast.
The Great Salmon Run
Photo © BBC WorldwideNature's Most Amazing Events - Guide Review
The fascinating stories of Planet Earth just keep getting better.
The Nature's Most Amazing Events series is one of the most cohesive nature series I've seen, and the events depicted are not just amazing -- they're miraculous. If kids can handle the predator/prey footage (some animals are actually shown eating other animals, including some blood and gore), I can't imagine a more educational viewing experience for them.
Not only will kids learn about many different animals in their natural habitats, but they will also learn about seasonal changes, life cycles, and cause and effect, among other things. The series highlights the astounding chain reactions and interdependencies that keep the circle of life going in these ecosystems around the world.
Almost as amazing as the events themselves is the image quality and up-close and personal filming techniques. If at all possible, you have to watch this series in HD. The series is great, even if you don't have a big screen to watch it on, but seeing the series in high-def is a viewing experience unlike any other.
For parents wondering if the series is too much for young kids -- the answer, of course, depends on the kid, but there are some unsettling instances of animals hunting and eating other animals. A polar bear, for example, eats a seal, and viewers can see the flesh tearing as the polar bear gnaws away. We did let our own kids -- ages 4 and 6 -- watch the series. Aside from a couple of "Eeeeew gross!" exclamations, as well as a couple of worried and sad moments for some animals (like the young elephant taken down and feasted upon by a pack of lions), they handled it well and thoroughly enjoyed watching right up until their attention spans reached the limit.
Nature's Most Amazing Events - Special Features
- Nature's Most Amazing Events Diaries: Behind-the-scenes of each episode
If you're going to watch Nature's Most Amazing Events, don't skip over the behind-the-scenes "diaries." Our family's favorite BTS feature shows camera man Jeff swimming with the Grizzly bears as he films footage for "The Great Salmon Run." He gets so close to those bears, that you can almost see every detail of their paws as they splash in the water and try to play with the camera. It is unbelievable.
