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Description: The inspiration for Darwin's theory of evolution, the Galapagos Islands are a living laboratory, a geological conveyor belt that has given birth to and seen the death of many species of plants and animals. As the western islands rise up from the sea offering a chance of life, the eastern islands sink back beneath the waves guaranteeing only death. Between the two are the middle islands; fertile, lush land in its prime that contains an incredible diversity of life. Nowhere else on the Earth are the twin processes of creation and extinction of species so starkly apparent... see it all unfold before your eyes in this stunning series filmed entirely in high definition from the BBC and the National Geographic Channel.Amazon.com: While its title may be superfluous, Galapagos: The Islands That Changed the World is a beautifully filmed journey into "the islands of the tortoise." Located due west of Ecuador, the Galapagos islands are full of gorgeous scenery and exotic wildlife. And this 150-minute documentary shows it all, thanks to stunning cinematography shot from all viewpoints--the air, sea and, of course, land. The collection is both soothing and exhilarating as it allows viewers to peek in on mating albatrosses (which are monogamous), penguins fishing, and surprisingly graceful giant tortoises swimming in the ocean. The filmmakers also manage to capture a ferocious volcanic eruption that is amazing in its clarity. The problem with many documentaries lies in the narration. A documentary filmmaker hits the jackpot when he is able to get someone like Sigourney Weaver, whose crisp narration fits in beautifully with the sweeping footage in Planet Earth. While Tilda Swanton lends a relaxing quality to Galapagos, her voice at times is a bit too lulling to hold the viewer's interest. The writing also borders on melodramatic, with talk of the simmering sea and such. With visuals as stunning as this, hyperbole is unnecessary. Charles Darwin has described the Galapagos as a world within itself, and it is said that the islands were one of his inspirations for his book The Origin of Species. While the film doesn't clearly explain why the Galapagos are unlike any other place on earth, it does showcase a destination that is unlike what most of us know. --Jae-Ha Kim
Customer Reviews:
- Brilliantly conveys the magic of nature.: This film has some of the most beautiful and remarkable footage I've ever seen. Understandably, there are many comparisons to Planet Earth, since both productions do such a fantastic job of capturing the magic and wonder of the natural environment. Galapagos adds something particularly special, though, since it is able to concentrate on one specific region. In doing so, the film gives the audience a better sense of a fragile, interdependent, and remarkably beautiful ecosystem. There is plenty of content, although, after having watched all of it, I wished there had been more. I guess it's time to go visit the islands.
- Very good HD documentary: I showed this documentary to my mom who went to Galapagos before she got married... she really liked the HD images, she was very impressed with the underwater shots of the sea lions while playing below the waves. This BBC documentary is very good, I fully recommend it for any biologist or teacher who wants to share a little piece of the whole picture of nature, even this HD documentary is amazing, living those experiences in real life can not be compared; so this blu-ray title is for the rest of us, this how closer we could get before buying tickets, equipment etc... to visit Galapagos.
- great bluray documentary: this bluray was breath taking, clear and so real to the touch, the story was great and so was the narration.
- Amazing : "Galapagos", is every good as "Planet Earth", at times some of the visuals are even better. If you don't have a good 1080p TV Galapagos and Planet Earth are the reason to get one. Best video I have viewed in HI DEF. One word" AMAZING".
- Beautiful documentary on Blu-ray: Like Planet Earth, this is another beautiful documentary from BBC... Very impressive Blu-ray video transfer. The footage is unique and the narration is clear except for the story part about Charles Darwin. I have to agree with a previous reviewer that if they just stick to the nature without introducing any artifical actings, it will be perfect. In any way, it is a good buy.
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