Attack!
(Animals mini-series)
Picture:
C+ Sound: B- Extras: D Episodes: B
There is
more of a proliferation of nature programming than ever, so much so that there
has even been the exploitation of this market with bad shows, cheap shows, and show
that are nothing but about watch people getting mauled when the animals are not
mauling each other. Attack! would seem like the kind of exploitation show the Fox
Network might be behind, i.e. that “when animals attack!” type of show.
Instead,
this two DVD set offers four hours of informative, well shot and well written
shows are broken down into Maneaters
(Sharks/Crocodiles) and continued on Maneaters/Mankillers
(Lions/Africa’s Giants). So what
distinguishes these shows from the thousands of others already produced and
still being produced? They are very
direct and to the point, as the camera is even braver to shoot the animals
closely and not in a subjective way to be reactionary, which is not easy. In the “Fox Network” breed of such shows,
nature itself is something to be feared and all animals are evil, more or
less. These shows actually like, not
just respect the power of, their subject, which is why they are so good. Though not the totally kid-safe kind of
nature show from the past, they do not dwell on the violence.
The full
frame, color, videotaped images are good for NTSC images and have some form
that High Definition footage of similar subjects lack. It is this work that makes it a pleasure to
watch, even distracting from the picture source limits. Sure, there were times I wish this were film
or HD footage, but it is enjoyable. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has nice Pro Logic surrounds throughout, though the Lions show had less of them. That is a plus for the voice overs, as there
is no host, and the natural location sounds that enhance the visuals. There are no extras.
This
solid set is from Southern Star Video and Imavision, but is available through
the Goldhil Company, and can be ordered from them directly at www.goldhil.com with many other fine history
and science programs. The four shows are
nearly an hour each, running about 200 minutes in all, and are always
interesting. If you like this kind of
programming, you will want this set.
- Nicholas Sheffo
