The Life of Mammals

2002

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1
  • 0

9.1| 0h30m| TV-G| en
Synopsis

David Attenborough presents a nature documentary series looking at why mammals are the most successful creatures on the planet.

Director

Producted By

BBC

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Reviews

SpunkySelfTwitter It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.
Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
TheLittleSongbird David Attenborough is nothing short of a national treasure. He may apparently dislike the term, but it is hard to not say that about such a great presenter who has contributed significantly to some of the best programmes (of the documentary genre and overall) the BBC has ever aired/produced.It is really hard picking favourites, let alone a definite favourite, among what Attenborough has done because he has done so many gems, it is the equivalent of trying to choose your favourite ice cream flavour or your favourite operatic role (for examples) and finding you can't pick. To me though, 'The Life of Mammals' is up there with his crowning achievements and one of the best documentaries ever viewed, and as has been said already there are a lot of great ones. It has everything that makes so much of his work so wonderful, hence some of the reiteration of my recent reviews for some of his work (being on a nature documentary binge in my spare time), and deserves everything great that has been said about it.First and foremost, 'The Life of Mammals' 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 with some of the shots being unique for a documentary series, making one forget that it is a series. The editing is always succinct and smooth and the scenery is pure magic, similarly really admired the wide-ranging diversity of the different landscapes rather than restricting it to just one habitat. The music score fits very well, never overly grandiose while never being inappropriate.Again, like so many Attenborough nature/wildlife documentaries, 'The Life of Mammals' fascinates, teaches, moves, entertains and transfixes. In terms of the facts there was a very good mix of the known ones and the unknown, some facts being familiar to us while going into detail about the different animals, how they evolved, their behaviours and how they adapt.Narration by Attenborough helps significantly. He clearly knows his stuff and knows what to say and how to say it. He delivers it with his usual richness, soft-spoken enthusiasm and sincerity, never talking down to the viewer and keeping them riveted and wanting to know more. The "behind the scenes/making of" scenes too gave some humanity to the series and allowed us to get to know those behind the camera as well as in front.The animals are big in personality and very diverse. The conflict has genuine tension and suspense, there is some fun and a lot of emotionally powerful moments done with a lot of tear-jerking pathos. Found myself really caring for what we're told. Like much of Attenborough/BBC's other work, each episode doesn't feel like an episodic stringing of scenes, but instead like the best nature documentaries each feels like their own story and journey, 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.In conclusion, truly wonderful and a crowning achievement. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Dylan-Potter The reason this is the best is because it covers the mammal world. Our world, and therefore it is fascinating. It starts with monotremes and marsupials, in an episode all about Australian animals and some others from the Americas. This is a great idea as it establishes mammals and gets the ones different to normal mammals covered and out of the way. Then is the insect eater episode. This episode isn't perfect, it's charm lies within the fact that they are covered in a way never before covered. It probably was the first hedgehog sex scene ever filmed, the first to show anteaters and armadillos eat food up close, possibly the best bit is the bat scene. Then are plant eaters, which never interested me, but they find it hard to bore me in this. The African elephant scene, the scene with the plant eater's method of escape and fighting, which excited me. After is the story of rodents. Here they aren't presented as annoying little rats, but complex, amazing creatures. But then comes the best 4 Attenborough episodes. The thrilling meat eater adventure. The story of the contradiction-filled omnivores, the aquatic action of Return to the Water (possibly that's biased by my love of being underwater) and the Attenborough peak-Life in the Trees, the story of mammals who enjoy the high-life. The penultimate episode focuses on monkeys, cute, fascinating and funny. But the finale is truly mind- blowing. This series is like Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan. Starts with powerful stuff, an enjoyable middle, the exciting peak near the finale, the modest penultimate song. And then Food For Thought, the Desolation Row of documentaries. Reveals suffering humans cause on others. Starts with no problem against humanity, and then suddenly reveals the powerful humanity that causes so much suffering. The haunting message is truly done in a powerful method. David Attenborough is at his peak in this mind-blowing series, very exciting, and done like no other documentary.
Jaromir Adamek Good series. I'm loving this series which will teach you something new. Especially this nice way with close shots and many details.The Life of Mammals look for me little older, than filmed in 2002, it look as something +- 1990 or similar quality. Because it, my vote for this beauty series isn't higher. The quality isn't so high, how it may be...In summary this is good education film about mammals, each its part is well separated.Comments are well and not too scientific, so this film may be good for all age groups especially the youngest ones.For me personally may be the film little more scientific. I'm see his main purpose to teach kids in elementary school. But its good for older too...
machngunjoe For me, who watches quite a bit of these kind of shows, Sir David Attenbourgh does no wrong. Always are his documentaries knowledgeable, entertaining, and certainly insightful. This particular Attenbourgh documentary on mammals was the most profound.Keeping in mind that we humans are apart of the mammalian family there are certainly interesting moments in this series.I don't won't to give anything away as every segment is fully entertaining.Those of you whom have seen other "Life of" series; then you know what to expect. However as the series moves toward Human Beings near the end in David Attenbourgh's food for thought, for which the last chapter is called, he poses a most profound question that can only sink in ones mind, perhaps only for a little while for some. But the so seemingly simplistic way in which explains why some species are the way they are, coupled with the seriousness...how things are the way they are today, which is posed in his final thought; makes the Life of Mammals one of the best documentary films I've ever seen.For those of you whom have never seen any nature shows at all, or are reduced to some lesser ones that play on TV today...well give this one a try.