Life in the Undergrowth
Life in the Undergrowth
TV-PG | 23 November 2005 (USA)

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SEASON & EPISODES
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  • Reviews
    FeistyUpper

    If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

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    CommentsXp

    Best movie ever!

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    Jonah Abbott

    There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

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    Philippa

    All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

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    Sherrill777

    Each episode is equally amazing! This mini-series if packed with spectacular images of insects (and arachnids, worms and other tiny animals). The camera gets such detailed, close-up views of these creatures that it feels fascinating rather than gross or creepy. The enthusiasm of the narrator (the ever excellent Attenborough) helps grant the viewer an appreciation of this minuscule world that you might not otherwise have. If you like animal documentaries like 'Planet Earth', I think you'd find this a great addition to the typical set of mammals and reptiles. It's unusual in focus, but brilliantly done. Lovely and educational.

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    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, 'Life in the Undergrowth' 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. Also for a documentary exploring insects/invertebrates 'Life in the Undergrowth' is very much ground-breaking. 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, 'Life in the Undergrowth' looks amazing. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate (a great way of connecting even more with the invertebrates), 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, 'Life in the Undergrowth' 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 invertebrates. Insects give me the heebie jeebies on the most part, but still found myself learning a lot about them, how they behaved and adapted and why on top of having misconceptions about them explored and cleared up. Despite still not being a fan, found myself appreciating them more.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 insects are wide in range and big in personality. 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 saw me seeing a misunderstood group in a whole new light. 10/10 Bethany Cox

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    David T

    Attenborough's commentary seems a little unnecessary at times, however, I cannot praise the fine camera work enough, just so beautifully done and so wonderful in capturing the luscious colours of The Undergrowth. Each segment is wonderful yet I yearned for more. If you love colour and form this will amaze you. The sound track, too is very fine, gorgeous. I had no real idea that the plant and insect kingdoms were so interlocked, the scientists that. I assume, provided the technical data must be congratulated. Had my lessons in Biology been this interesting I might've paid more attention. If you get the jitters looking at bugs, then this probably will upset!

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    gologo112

    I am not much into this kind of stuff: worms, snails,spiders etc. but "Life in the undergrowth" has really enchanted me! A superb, captivating and informative storytelling,breathtaking scenes of a world beyond our natural perceptions and the genius of Attenborough: this is what the 5 episodes are about. It is astonishing how the new technologies can reveal the everyday life of creatures that we usually think of being too primitive to deserve our attention and interest. However, the actors in this series have roles in the complex interplay called life as important as ours or maybe even more. The solutions they found regarding their survival, reproduction and adaptation are really amazing, though in many senses completely different to what we are accustomed to in the macro-world.

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