BBC | 2009 | 353 mins | Not rated
A while back, I had the pleasure of watching the colossal Planet Earth: The Complete Collection. Its sets like those that make the life of a DVD reviewer sometimes feel like a special little place in the world. Planet Earth remains one of the most beautiful and astounding things I have ever seen and is one of the best documentary series available today. Further, it proved that the men and women working with the BBC Natural History Unit are some of the most talented filmmakers working today. In South Pacific, dubbed Wild Pacific for its US release, they not only capture some of the most stunning imagery you’ll ever see, they explain the life, both animal and human, that lives in and off the Pacific ocean, in a way that is equal parts fascinating and educational.
Written, directed and produced by Huw Cordey, Mark Brownlow, Chiara Bellati, and Jonathan Clay, with narration by award-winning English actor Benedict Cumberbatch, the series begins with “Ocean of Islands,” which examines numerous islands in the South Pacific. It soon becomes clear that while these strips of land may look like virtually untouched pieces of paradise, the reality is a much different story. While the weather can be beautiful, it can also be brutal; waves taller than most buildings–this segment features some incredible slow motion photography of a professional surfer riding a huge wave–massive tropical storms and in the far south, blizzards.
“Castaways” looks at the unique isolation on the various islands and the astonishing will to survive of the species there. It is amazing how large schools of fish swim in sequence to avoid capture by a much larger predator. The segment makes it clear that the animal life that has made it here has done so against long odds. Since each of the islands can be thousands of miles apart, it’s hard to know just how the crested iguanas, saltwater crocodiles and giant eels among others, got there in the first place. The species were likely forced to travel through violent weather events, such as cyclones and tsunamis. This segment also focuses on the journey of the Polynesian people who have made some of these islands home. Their journey was no easier, yet they found the food and shelter they needed to survive.
“Endless Blue” focuses on the Pacific’s underwater natives — sea turtles, whales, tiger sharks, dolphins, and countless other species; as well as the trials and tribulations each one faces in such a difficult ecosystem. Tiger sharks come a long way to feed off the fledgling albatross chicks and sperm whales come in search of food and mates. Interestingly, the filmmakers use one of the events that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick to illustrate the dangers of the seemingly endless Pacific. The Nantucket whaleship Essex, sunk in 1820 after it was rammed by a large sperm whale 2,000 miles (3,700 km) from the western coast of South America. The survivors were forced to float in small boats for several weeks before being rescued.
“Ocean of Volcanoes” takes a look at how the islands came to exist. We get to witness a little bit of everything here as we get to see underwater volcanoes erupting; rivers of lava exploding below the waves; roads and houses buried by molten rivers of rock. From these violent beginnings emerge coral reefs of unparalleled richness and beauty, supporting large groups of grey reef sharks and giant manta rays. We are also introduced to some very strange creatures, from the vampire bug that thrives in tropical snow, to the megapode, a bird that uses volcanic springs to incubate their eggs. The amazing photography is simply unforgettable.
“Strange Islands” delves into the unpredictable nature and deadly realities of life in the Pacific. While life has been sustained on these islands, this segment explores the various species that have thrived and later disappeared. We are taken to a tiny island off the coast of New Zealand, where some unlikely animals, such as the burrowing bat survived; and where evidence tells us that no matter how idyllic, life on a South Pacific island may never be very far from complete disaster.
As if to put an exclamation point on the documentary, “Fragile Paradise” outs the spotlight on what may be the islands greatest threat other than weather, mankind. Fishing fleets, illegal culling, and disregard for international law has brought many species to the brink of extinction and this closing segment exposes the ugly truth about those issues. However, Cordey and Clay take a look at recent efforts by environment and conservation groups to make sure that the Pacific remains a place where species and human life have a fighting chance to survive.
The photography here is second to none; whether lingering on a beach to catch a glimpse of an endangered creature or plunging beneath the waves to demonstrate the split-second upheavals that affect the entire ocean, the filmmakers have made every moment positively breathtaking. Documentary film fans need to put Wild Pacific right next to every other title the BBC Natural History Unit has released.
Wild Pacific is presented in an enhanced 16:9 aspect ratio. Shot with state of the art high definition cameras, this standard DVD looks as good as it possible can. The clarity is amazing and the blue of the ocean pops off of a television screen. The colors of the colors of the various species are remarkably vivid and bright. I spotted no digital anomalies.
The soundtrack is presented in a solid stereo 2.0 as far as I could tell. The narration of Benedict Cumberbatch is crystal clear and the various sounds of the animals as they interact with their environment come across impressive. There are English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired.
Wild Pacific includes six, ten-minute behind-the-scenes featurettes — one at the end of each episode. Not only are they informative and engaging, they offer almost an hour of additional content. While this package isn’t brimming with special features, what’s here is well worth watching.
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