Product Details

• Format: Box set, Color, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled
• Language: English (Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: Unknown
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: October 2, 2007
• Run Time: 392 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (438 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001957A4E
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,095 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #35 in Movies & TV > DVD > Special Interests

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, Part 1

Extraordinary footage and eloquent narration by David Attenborough highlight these two segments of the BBC's remarkable wildlife series, The Blue Planet: Seas of Life. "Ocean World" begins with astonishing views of a gigantic blue whale--the elusive Holy Grail of undersea photography--and the marvels continue to demonstrate the power, diversity, and profound ecological influence of Earth's oceans. From the surface feedings of dolphins to the pitch- black environs of deep-sea predators rarely glimpsed by humans, the oceans are seen as living entities teeming with nutrients and rejuvenating currents essential to all life on earth. This marvelous portrait of the food chain--from plankton to sharks to killer whales--continues in "Frozen Seas," examining whales, walruses, penguins, and other creatures under the extreme conditions of the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. The Blue Planet: Seas of Life is one of the finest wildlife programs you're ever likely to see. --Jeff Shannon


The Blue Planet: Seas Of Life, Part Three

The BBC's landmark series on marine wildlife continues with this pair of uncommonly beautiful episodes. "Seasonal Seas" focuses on the explosion of life that accompanies every annual blooming of plankton, numbering in the countless billions and captured here with brilliant microphotography. The plankton provide a seasonal feast for a stunning variety of creatures, including the gigantic basking shark, sea otters, immense swarms of jellyfish, bat rays, and dancing Australian squid. In massive kelp forests, we witness such delightful sights as white-sided dolphin playing a game of "pass the seaweed." In "Coral Seas" miles-long reefs of living coral are explored, from deep within (requiring brief computer animation) to the surrounding environs, where you'll see white-tipped sharks in a feeding frenzy while beautiful harlequin shrimp wrestle with a starfish. Stunningly photographed and supplemented by an informative DVD bonus interview with producer Alastair Fothergill, these episodes represent a filmmaking legacy that will reward viewers for many years to come. --Jeff Shannon


The Blue Planet - Seas Of Life, Part 4 - Tidal Seas Coasts

Oceanic marvels abound in these two episodes of The Blue Planet, and we're given a front-row seat thanks to the series' peerless camerawork and sound effects, and George Fenton's glorious orchestral score. "Tidal Seas" explores the myriad life forms that thrive when lunar gravity pulls the oceans offshore. These include surfing snails, diving osprey, breeding stingray, and bottlenose dolphin digging for razorfish in the shallow tidal flats. In a delightful time-lapse sequence, sand bubbler crabs clean an entire beach for food, leaving millions of filtered sand balls in their paths. "Coasts" is easily the most brutal episode, but no less mesmerizing. Here we witness the battles of elephant seals, the tenacity of Galapagos iguanas, and the mating rituals of the walrus. Surely the most unexpected, and horrifying, sequence is that of the orca, earning its "killer whale" nickname by capturing, killing, and tail-tossing a seal pup--a performance so mysteriously primal that even the most seasoned marine biologist will be utterly amazed. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Before creating the monumental Planet Earth, producer Alastair Fothergill and his team from the BBC put together one of the most breathtaking explorations of the world's oceans ever assembled, The Blue Planet: Seas of Life. The winner of two Emmy(R) Awards, The Blue Planet: Seas of Life is the definitive exploration of the marine world, chronicling the mysteries the deep in ways never before imagined. It is now being re-released in an all-new special edition, with an added 5th disc of bonus programming not included in the original DVD release. See it again, like never before!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

144 of 148 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss this one! February 27, 2003

By Cosmos

Format:DVD

There isn't a moment in these four DVD's that won't have you gazing in wonder and admiration at the effort and amazing footage captured in this series. Of all the DVD's I own, and that is no small number I assure you, this entire set never sits long enough to get more than a days worth of dust on it. I often watch an episode as I linger in bed waiting for sleep to overtake me. Equally as often, I have to switch it off so I can get sleep--it is that unendingly fascinating. No matter how many times I've watched it, the presentation and simply astounding events they have captured in this series always manage to keep my attention. To even try and relate what the hours of footage reveal would only do it an injustice. I won't even try and I'm sure others could describe it better than I. Let me say this, if you have never seen Blue Planet then you have been sorely missing out. It most certainly contains footage of the marine world that cannot be seen anywhere else. Not merely a few minutes here and there but nearly every minute of the series is unique and nearly unbelievable to behold.

Yes, I realize that it sounds like I'm waxing over this set in glowing terms--and I am, but for good reason. Don't rent these, don't borrow them from a friend and certainly don't just wait around trying to decide if this set is for you. Just click the order button right now and make this set your own. After you do, I think you'll agree it is among the best documentaries ever created, and simultaneously, one of the best DVD investments you've made.

141 of 148 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievably Beautiful. January 6, 2004

By S. Wilson

Format:DVD

There are many reasons to own this wonderful series on DVD, but one reason stands out: The Killer Whale/Seal Pup segment of the "Coasts" DVD. The Amazon.com main reviewer mentioned this scene in his review - and with good reason. It is THE most amazing piece of wildlife footage EVER captured on film - even surpassing the National Geographic special with the Great White Sharks breaching.

If you need more reasons than that, the "Ocean World" DVD contains unbelievable footage of Sir David in a skiff right above a Blue Whale (the largest creature ever to have lived) along with a stirring segment about an orca pod pursuing a gray whale and her calf.

All of my friends - who are decidely NOT nature buffs like me -were left speechless after seeing some of the segments in this set (particularly the aforementioned ones).

The Life of Mammals DVD set by Attenborough is also terrific.

63 of 66 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome and Beautiful November 16, 2008

By Peregrine

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I first saw Blue Planet on the Discovery channel... years ago and I absolutely fell in love with it. It is one of the most beautifully filmed documentaries and I think only Planet Earth (ironically) surpasses it in that beauty. I have also always loved David Attenborough, who has a way of really bringing the majesty of whatever you are watching into your home. This series is educational and beautiful to the point of tears. This is a must for any DVD library and I would highly recommend Planet Earth as well.

71 of 78 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Blue Planet October 18, 2008

By Kim R. Schmidt

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This product, similar to the Planet Earth series, provides ten one-hour long episodes of well-done photography and information about the sea life on earth. I've also enjoyed the special features of how BBC filmed these episodes and the planning behind each one. I love to travel and this series has taken me to different parts of the world to see its beauty and uniqueness. It's a relaxing end-of-the-day activity at my house!

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Blu-Ray is "Upconverted from Standard Definition" April 4, 2013

By Andre Dursin TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Blu-ray

George Fenton's terrific score anchors this spectacular BBC documentary from the same creative team that would later produce "Planet Earth," including host David Attenborough and producer Alastair Fothergill. BBC's 1080p transfer of their acclaimed 2001 "Blue Planet" mini-series still offers breathtaking footage of life under and just above the surface, from dolphins and killer whales to seal pups and baby turtles - the latter groups fighting to stay away from predators.

However, because the BBC's Blu-Ray presentation has been mastered from a standard-definition source (and is clearly stated as such on the back cover, albeit in tiny print), the upscaled presentation varies greatly from certain sequences that nearly look HD in quality (the film based portions), to others that are clearly derived off video elements and display jaggies and other issues (i.e. much of the underwater footage). Either way, none of the transfer is actually presented in high-def -- so consumers will have to determine for themselves whether this upscale is enough of an upgrade over the prior DVD release to justify the purchase (I don't have the DVD to compare it with). Five bonus programs, interviews with Fothergill and other crew members, 80 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage and DTS MA 5.1 soundtracks round out the release.

ADDITIONAL NOTES - There seems to be a misconception that BLUE PLANET was entirely filmed on 16mm film stock. I refer readers to this 2002 in-depth article on the production of BLUE PLANET and its HD mastering, which includes interviews with the producers and presents evidence to the contrary:

[......]

It clearly states "the source material varied from a wide range of film and video formats," says that "a significant percentage of the original material was shot on video," and goes onto state "having so much video footage interspersed with the film footage was a change that presented a particular challenge in providing a seamless transfer to HD."

So not all of it was shot on film stock. Underwater portions, which I mentioned were derived from a video source, is also confirmed in this article: "however, for many of the underwater sequences it was important to give a sense of speed, so video running at 50i was more appropriate. Shooting video underwater is also easier because the cameras are smaller, and you can spend more time filming before you have to change rolls". There are jaggies and other problems all throughout this transfer IN those moments that are derived not from 16mm but video sources -- clearly upconversion artifacts.

Perhaps it was too daunting a task for them to track down every last bit of footage and remaster it for HD. The author of the article even asks the BBC rep why the whole production "wasn't shot in HD to begin with," which implies that not every scrap of footage was either shot on film or an HD-based video format. Keep in mind this production was filmed in the late '90s when it was not cost-prohibitive for crews to all be carrying HD cameras around (which is also stated in the article).

Either way, the fact is that this transfer -- all of it, including the film based portions -- is a standard-def upconvert, and is confirmed as such on the packaging itself. Read more ›