What a waste of my time!!!

As Good As It Gets

A different way of telling a story

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Trying to watch this TV show was like trying to watch a bad Christian rock video. There were tons of lingering shots of Brian Cox staring off into the distance looking at some "majestic" scenery, a lot of silhouettes of him posing as the sun or stars rise above him, multiple shots of him contemplating the universe or absorbing in some "fantastic" sight--all of this accompanied by horrible, drowning music. Half the time I was left wondering if it was actually a science show or not because of how little information was actually given. If you can stomach watching what I have just described, or know very little about the solar system or basic physics, then this show is for you; otherwise, stay clear or prepare to be both bewildered and angered by the fact that the BBC has produced such a mind-boggling awful show.

I had high hopes for this series as it's been quite a while since I've seen a series with astronomy as its focus. Unfortunately I'm finding it tough going. I'm sure Brian Cox is a highly qualified scientist with a bunch of letters after his name, but he is definitely no David Attenborough. He does, however seem to think he is.Every second shot is of Cox in a new location, which probably cost the BBC a small fortune. All this in aid of presenting a documentary about .... the solar system.I found this distracting, excessive and indulgent. It makes Cox seem to be on a world tour financed by BBC. His style of speaking and delivery jar with the subject matter being presented.Ultimately I wish that the BBC had spent more on some nice CGI and the services of someone like Patrick Stewart, or any other actor with a good voice for narration to present this off camera rather than visiting deserts, waterfalls and the arctic circle.Having said that, the CGI used is very pretty. The science, while fairly basic, is explained well, though would have taken half the time had we not been looking at location shots instead of diagrams.

Brian Cox is the kind of man who can incite excitement in adults, change career paths of the young, and generally engage and include people of all levels of intelligence. His rock star credentials have clearly allowed him to transcend stereotypical geekiness, and purvey complex matters in simplistic formats. Maybe he is a genius? A man who clearly has a highly active brain in both the areas of arts and science. It is just such a guy that the country needs as it seeks to transform itself from a Nation of number crunching Accountants to a re-establishing Nation of scientists, engineers and innovators. He is clearly a reminder of what we once were and what this great Nation once spawned, and more importantly he has answered some of the biggest questions that have shadowed mankind since the creation of time.

Our family loves this series, and it offers something for all ages. Professor Brian Cox is remarkably youthful in his presentations and appearance, and his fresh approach is accessible and exciting to watch. Brian has a wonderful way of bringing together modern and classic topics of astronomy to produce a truly breathtaking experience. In Episode 1, Empire of the Sun, Brian discusses the elements of the Solar Wind, its vast expanse, and the how our magnetic field protects us from these high energy particles. Then there's a tremendous visual and narrative the clearly explains the Northern Lights. And Brian is constantly traveling the globe to experience first hand these wonders. When Brian is viewing a full solar eclipse, he presents the event in the context of the everyone around him witnessing this remarkable event. When the sky goes dark, I could actually see what it was like for these folks, and minutes later, when the sun begins to reappear, you can really feel the emotional outburst of the crowd. Each episode is dramatically and skillfully crafted for an unbelievable experience. Not since the days of Carl Sagan and Cosmos have we enjoyed these wonders.