Customer Reviews

Expedition: Africa

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Expedition stops every few minutes so that the team can share there feelings/complaints/ fears. After awhile it gets very tiring (perhaps like a real expedition) - but like the Blair Witch Project you find yourself cheering for something to (please) come out of the darkness. The hiking had to be arduous and dangerous - but all of the second guessing and bickering makes for miserable viewing. You wonder if the director scripted some of the drama - or simply encouraged the team to talk about it every five minutes. However, for the excellent footage of the African scenery the dvd set is worth three stars.

Retracing the steps of H.M. Stanley in his historic 1871 expedition to find Doctor David Livingstone is a notion so rich in possibilities that it's only fair to be amazed at how badly the execution was botched. But botched it was and it starts with the cast of explorers:

The Good: This is Benedict Allen, writer, filmmaker, and "survivalist." Dependable, affable, steady, Allen is the sort of man that once kept the sun from setting on the British Empire.

The Bad: Well, not bad, really, just inexperienced. Kevin Sites is a journalist and the type of hopelessly middle-class American who wants to hug everyone in sight. He sees his task on the expedition as (paraphrasing) "...bringing together different people and cultures..." Sites takes upon himself the duties of union steward to the expedition's African porters. They seem amused by this.

The Ugly: The expedition's incompetent navigator, Pascuale Scatturo is physically repulsive, intellectually retarded, and personally reprehensible. And he will not, not for one moment, shut his mouth. The producers, one can only guess in an attempt at cleverness, failed to name a leader for the expedition, instead throwing together four people who met only the day before they set out from Zanzibar. Not surprisingly, the loud-mouthed Pascuale, much to the others' horror, takes on the lead role for himself. "I've lead hundreds of expeditions..." he boasts to the camera, oblivious to the fact that such a feat would have required him to lead 2 1/2 expeditions every year since he was two. I found myself waiting for the punch line, the denouement, the moment when the lion leaps out of the bush and devours Pascuale; but no such luck is to be had.

The Wild Life Expert: Mireya Mayor. If you're going to go to the bother of having a woman on a strenuous journey in the wilds it at least helps to have one that looks like a Miami Dolphins cheerleader (her previous occupation). Ms. Mayor comes off as cute, sweet, and inept, but this is due only to poor editing. The viewer should see much more of Mayor describing the animal kingdom and its habitat - it is, after all, Africa. But no, we are instead subjected to endless footage of the explorers trudging, trudging some more, then squabbling, then squabbling endlessly.

As for historical accuracy: One or another of the intrepid voyagers is continually, and plaintively, repeating that they have 900+ miles to cover in only 30 days, before the rainy season sets in. Wait a minute, that's 30 miles per day... with a baggage train... in that terrain? What did I miss? What I missed, probably while getting popcorn, was a single shot, about half way through the film, of the tail end of a Subaru Outback and the briefest of voice-overs admitting that the expedition had opted to take motor transport around the nowadays more populated portions of Stanley's route. The same Outback makes a final appearance at journey's end, Ujiji, on the east shore of Lake Tanganyika, where our heroes hug each other and any bemused African within reach, climb in, and drive into the sunset.

I really thought this would be a great true life adventure program/show, instead it was a long, 30 day hiking trip with the participants doing not much but arguing the whole darn time. It was like a bad reality T.V. show in my opinion and I was ready to see somebody get voted out! There was little about the guides mentioned too and it seemed they were just after thoughts when all said and done during the whole expedition. There was not much in the way of history mentoned along the trip either as I would expect and would have liked. I found it odd too that boats and donkeys were always just available when they were needed in the middle of knowhere. It was a real bad idea adding the part each time the four explorers jumped into a Subaru (sponsor I guess?) that had well panned camera shots of the vehicle before they drove off and around populated areas. May as well had Subaru stickers on their foreheads the whole trip and by the way, what happened to the others in the expedition? Did they get into a cattle truck for their ride or did they get a Subaru too! They just seemed to arrived somehow at the other destination. It also seemed like it was an after thought as well to include the guides and poreters in the celibration at the end of the trip at Ujiji. I would think that Bombay, Sir Richard Burton and Speke's explorer African guide, must have received more kind attenton. Expedition Africa could have been a great program but fell terribly short in my opinion. Bummer!!!

I have traveled to Africa many times (South Africa (3), Kenya (3), Mozambique (1) and Zimbabwe (1)) and read a biography on explorer David Livingstone within the past year. Knowing this, a friend recommended this DVD to me.

The concept is great, recreating Stanley's expedition to find Livingstone. But the reality show format gets old quick. There is too much time spent listening to the latest "drama," some of which appears to be made up or exaggerated.

I felt that of the four characters, Benedict and Kevin were weak. Kevin was billed as a seasoned war correspondent. He seemed way out of place and in over his head. So, the billing seems exaggerated. And Benedict just seemed to not be focused or engaged.

I also did not like that much of the journey was covered by car (to be able to cover the 970 mile journey in 30 days).

The travels across Tanzania were interesting enough to get me to finish the DVD. But I was left wanting much more.

If you're interested in history, then pass on this production, as there's very little of substance in it. You won't learn much about either Stanley or Livingstone, nor Stanley's expedition, which isn't followed faithfully. And you certainly won't learn about this part of Africa at that time. What you will learn about are the supposed travails of the four so-called "explorers." Of course, they weren't really exploring, as the area traversed has been well known for a long time. Then there are the contrived dangers, notably those of food and water. Neither could have been much of a problem, given the presence of the film crew. If you like bickering, then you'll be happy, as it dominates the story. Also, contrived? The stars of the film are the Africans, especially the two Maasai who complete the journey to Ujiji. I will admit that the photography is spectacular, especially the night scenes, when, out of necessity, the lights had to be on to keep the cameras rolling. In fact, maybe the best way to watch Expedition Africa is to turn off the sound.

I have to admit. I enjoyed the series when it was on the history channel and jumped on it when i saw it for $4.00 on Amazon. It is what it is. Nice scenes will lots of arguing. Like one of the reviewers said. I was half expecting a lion to jump out and eat Pasqually when he was trying to go through the brush and seemed clueless where they were. Would I spend $20 for it? No! $4.00 yes. I enjoyed it!

This is the best adventure documentary series in bluray ! Gorgeous depth and sharpness of Africa wilderness images, enjoyed every minutes of it ! What a best buy of the year !!!