Frozen Planet- a World Beyond Imagination (DVD)

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Every so often there comes a movie or TV show that must be seen in HD in order to fully appreciated the scope and magnitude of the medium. One of those presentations is Frozen Planet.

Frozen Planet was created by the same individuals who made Planet Earth and The Blue Planet. These documentaries focus on the magnitude and beauty of the Earth and its animal inhabitants. Frozen Planet emphasis our Arctic and Antarctic regions. Those areas which are quickly changing and melting into something different.

This series acts as a historical record of the animals and ecology of the coldest places on the planet. These areas are home to many animals who live in an area that is so inhospitable to human life, we can only go there for short times, and certain times of the year. The waters of the Arctic are so cold that even in insulated wet suits, humans can only go in for an hour at a time, to prevent permanent damage from occurring to them.

The series itself is intense. Even on a non – HD screen it is something to behold. The sweeping landscapes with mountains of ice and stone towering over a polar bear looking for a mate. The most minute of creatures living around volcanic fissures in the deepest of oceans, where an entire ecosystem thrives off of a small crack in the Earth’s crust.

This series is epic and scope and also in the attention to detail brought to it. I enjoy the behind the scenes footage included with each episode. It is easy to forget how difficult it must be to get these stunning shots. Be it of killer whales popping up to get a look at the surface or the view from underneath a constantly shifting glacier.

The series if broken up into seven parts. One is the introduction episode, then come the four seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These are followed by The Last Frontier which focuses on human activity in the regions. The final part On Thin Ice, involves global warming and what this means to the Frozen regions. It also includes commentary on what this melting has already done and will continue to do to the inhabitants of the region. This episode can be difficult to watch because it is sad and distressing, but it is information that everyone should know. Yes, global warming is a hotly debated issue, but this issue should be discussed especially in a documentary about the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

In general the kids liked the documentary. I would suggest pre-screening them without the kids first. There can be some scenes which our sensitive viewers might not appreciate. But with proper education and knowledge of what is going to happen next these are easily explained. It is great to watch their eyes go wide, jaw dropping at the sight of an underwater ice cavern.

My son LOVED this series, and talks about it often. He couldn’t wait until daddy came home to tell him all about the movie he watched! (A little at a time, of course.)

The first DVD we let my 4 year old watch (after we did) all the way through- we explained to him that polar bears would fight, but would be OK. There is also a scene where a seal is taken by killer whales- but you just see that the seal is taken off the ice- you don’t see anything with blood. You will need to watch each DVD fully first to decide what you want to show the kids. But in my opinion, most of it is fine, and it’s a great way to show your children the wonders of the world. You can expand on this with trips to the library, learning about the animals and regions you watch on the movie, and even science experiments- how about forming your own ice crystals?

I would suggest this to anyone, any parent, any grandparent- any person. Have fun with these, learn a little, and enjoy the scenery.