Prehistoric
Magna Home Entertainment
R4 DVD (2 DVD Set)
There
are lots of dinosaur documentaries on the market, but Prehistoric takes a
unique tack which communicates far better than most. Rather than focusing on
given animals or time periods, each episode is focused on a specific American
city and traces its unique geography, animal and plant life back through
history and prehistory. New York; Chicago; Washington DC; Denver; Dallas and
Los Angeles are all covered and offer superb backdrops to these amazing
explorations. Cities vanish under the sea, mountains explode from the ground,
buildings collapse as new landscapes take their place, this
is a series with extravagant special effects. But don’t be fooled, the special
effects and flamboyant commentary style are matched with very solid science.
As
each city is explored we come to appreciate the creatures and lives in their
backyard. From thousands to millions of years ago we explore the landscapes
where these cities once stood even going back to period when the world’s
continents were united. A wide range of experts explore the story of each city
examining geology, fossils, reptile, bird and insect life as well as, of
course, dinosaurs. Using the resources of each city, landmarks, geological
sites, fossil and dinosaur finds, Prehistoric ties in
the story of the prehistory of each city with its role in the modern world.
The
reconstruction of these creatures is superb and the use of American cities as
the focus for each episode is highly inventive. It gives a highly personal feel
to the study; it gives it a sense of “place”. When you see how each location
goes through cycles of being on a mountain top, under water, cleaned by a
glacier and filled with all manner of life it somehow relates more personally
when you can see the city in its modern context. At times it may seem strange
to see the large buildings of Denver, for example, under the ocean, yet its gives
a powerful sense of what is being described. How much easier is it to
appreciate how deep the ocean is when you see the buildings of Denver
underneath them.
The
series explores lots of significant subjects from meteors hits to ancient
dinosaurs and reptiles, geological changes to debates about human migrations
and dinosaur extinctions. This is well presented series, which offers an
excellent balance of informative content with entertainment. It is innovative,
creative and will certainly keep your interest.
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