Customer Reviews

Animals Are Beautiful People [VHS]

5 star:		(95)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This documentary is covers the wildlife of Southern Africa. The animals are introduced in a very entertaining way, with a story about each that kids can really relate to eg the duck who pretends to be injured to distract the hyena away from her babies, the daddy ostrich protecting his eggs, the chimps who cartwheel down the hill, the fish who swallows her young to keep them safe. Along the way there is footage of other animals who are just interesting to look at. The photography is often stunning and the classical music score fits it well. The pace is quite quick, which is good as it holds a child's attention.

I bought this DVD for my five year old son because I remember seeing and loving the movie as a child. I wasn't sure how the movie would have aged, but it still looks pretty good. Now that I'm older I can spot flaws that I missed as a child - scenes that have clearly been set up by the filmmakers or edited together from different pieces of footage. This doesn't detract from its appeal as a family movie.

If you're a wildlife purist who is after a serious documentary, this isn't for you. But if you want an entertaining introduction to African wildlife, it's perfect. The reviewer who complains about the way that clouds are personalised is missing the point - this is a film that speaks to a child's imagination. My son loves it, although some of it is over his head and I can tell he'll get more out of it when he's a couple of years older. Nevertheless, I'm happy to have weaned him off Nick Jnr for a while!

we saw this video many years ago, and loved it so much that we have been looking for it ever since. It is the best and funniest animal video, we have ever seen, and we have seen lots of them. We would highly recommend this for families to watch.

This is a great animal video, I have passed it around to my teachers at school and friends are standing in line, the narrator is the same talented guy that did " The Gods Must be Crazy", you will see some scenes from the movie you will remember, a real aborigene trying to fake out an ostrich. The animals all have a grand time getting drunk one day out of the year on fermented fruit, the elephants are knee walking, the giraffe can't hold his neck up and the monkeys are made of silly putty. The baby pelicans that have to do a death march is the low of the movie, nature is as cruel as beautiful, and you see it all here, two thumbs up.

I first saw this documentary about 12 years ago and I could not believe how downright funny it is. Most of us wouldn't connect the words "funny" and "nature documentary" together, but this video shows a side of animals that you most likely won't see on the Discovery Channel. And you haven't seen funny until you've seen a drunken elephant trying to keep from falling over, or the spectre of a baboon with a nasty hangover the day after eating mass quantities of fermented fruit. All I can say is, you gotta see this to believe it. It's great family fare and a must for nature lovers.

I recommend this film for anyone's edification and amusement. It's funny how when I came across the tape in Blockbuster I recognized it from seeing part of it on ABC some fifteen years earlier. It uses the same theme that Aesop, C.S. Lewis, and Beatrix Potter used - that various kinds of animals have various personalities, ones that we see in various people.

This music makes excellent use of celebrated musical pieces, such as "Trepak" and "Waltz of the Flowers" from Tchaikowsky's *Nutcracker Suite*, "Clair De Lune" and "Sunrise" from Grieg's *Peer Gynt Suite*.

With understated humor and wit this video explores the plant and animal life of the various South African deserts. The patience of the photographers in capturing the idiosyncracies of these unusual desert creatures rewards the viewer with a palette of very interesting and captivating vignettes, which make the animals seem to come to life as "beautiful people." A highlight was watching the elephants, warthogs, monkeys and other animals stagger around after "imbibing" on the rotting marilla fruit. If you enjoy seeing nature explored with an inquisitive mind and a smile you will find this video worthwhile viewing.

Beautiful Movie
"Beautiful People" is an action packed wild life adventure story of animal life in Southern Africa. This is a fantastic and captivating story where all the actors are all natural, with the exception being a Bushman who is in any case so close to nature that he is part of it.

Among some of my unforgettable moments include the honey barger and the bird. These two work as a team; the bird finding the beehive and the honey barger takes the honey, eats his share and leaves the bird its fair share. One also sees a fish that keeps its young in its mouth for protection and occasionally lets out to play. It was amusing to see all sorts of animals getting drunk after eating the potent amarula fruit. It was also a joy to see how the animals and birds celebrate the coming of the rainy season.

I have been to all the countries in Southern Africa where this film was taken namely Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The rough beauty of the Namib Desert is unique and has to be seen. The natural beauty of the landscape in Zimbabwe and Botswana are breathtaking.

The movie was exceptionally well made with stunning photography, excellent music and good and fun actors which are well worth watching for the family. Those who like animals and nature will love this movie.

If you are looking for something that is somewhat a faurst of real life..but leaves out the horror, killing, and 'colorful' language...then this would be a HIGH recommendation for all of your family! You will laugh from start to finish..that much is a promise...and check out the other films also by this same company and producer.."Gods must be crazy" and "Gods must be crazy II"...all are worth the money spent to add them to your collection.

I first saw this movie when I was a young child, and it captivated me completely. It is beautiful, cute, funny and just plain astounding. You will see things that you will hardly believe anaimals are capable of, and you'll never look at them in the same way again. I have loved this film all my life, and could watch it over and over. You will too.

This is a warm, funny, touching and highly informative journey into the world of African wildlife. The music sequences make it all the more enjoyable.
I had seen this film when I was a kid, in a theatre in Bombay (now Mumbai) just before it was banned - as everything South African was in the seventies to protest against the apartheid prevailing then in that country. I have always loved nature and animals and this film remained etched in my memory, especially the images of the lost warthog baby and the baboons getting drunk on the juice of the marula fruit. I purchased the dvd as soon as it became available in 2003, so that I could renew my acquaintance with the creatures of the Namib Desert and enjoy their company as often as I liked.
Though I must admit that certain sections, like the one where the weaver-bird condominium catches fire, do appear man-induced, I prefer to give the director Jamie Uys the benefit of the doubt and believe that he just got incredibly lucky and found himself in the right place at the right time on more than one occasion while filming the documentary.
This one's a must-have for all nature and animal lovers.