Customer Reviews

Himalaya with Michael Palin [VHS]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Palin seems to have been infected by the mountain air - he absolutely bounds with giddy dleight through this series!

Recently, Palin's most recent travel documentaries have been watched and received with great anticipation, but there is an air of 'tiredness' hanging over them - emphasised more by the fact Palin's first efforts, "Around the world in 80 days" and "Pole to Pole" are being regularly shown now on cable channels, reminding us of his infectious enthusiasm, delight in mixing with the local people and response to seeing new things. By the time he completed "Full Circle," it was clear the travel was beginning to burn him out - and "Full Circle" was a monumental volume of work!

But with Himalaya, I am pleased to say he is back in fine form, he seems to absolutely delight in meeting and chatting with the people of the Himalaya's. He joins in their celebrations, their lives. The editing is superb - the majestic and breathtaking beauty of the landscape a constant reminder to pack one's bags and go! Its also great to see him and his guide hooked up with wireless microphones so now there are shots of them strolling through market places and you get to see more of the people going about their daily business around them as opposed to earlier days when shots of Palin with his guide would have had to been close ups to accomodate the (hidden) microphone overhead. It all adds up to one slick and very entertaining program!

The music is also magical - why isn't it out on CD?!

This maybe the last travel documentary by Palin, but he went out on a magnificent high point - literally I guess! This is defintely the best thing he has been in since "Around the world in 80 days" and I can't imagine anyone not wanting to pack their bags and go and see these sights for themselves after this show! I truly envy Palin and the opportunity he has been given with these shows, but he makes up for that the best travel documentaries ever made - I applaud him and everyone in the making of Himalaya - fantastic!

Beginning at the Khyber Pass, and taking in the Chitra Valley of NW Pakistan, Srinagar and Amritsar, a visit with the Dali Lhama in Dharmsala, where the Dali Lhama said that he's seen Palin's previous journeys and wishes that he could join him, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Lugu Lake in Yunnan Province and Bangladesh, Palin puts together another geographic journey of discovering different cultures and their landscapes. It doesn't seem to be as much about the journey as say, Pole to Pole or Full Circle, as more often than not the group leaves once place and suddenly appears at the next, with only a mention of a track between. If more of the actual travel was included, there would not have been much time for the destinations. More time is given to each place but it lacks the flow of the earlier journeys with the actual travel shortened to a few highlights. What some viewers of "Full Circle" saw as a "burnt out Palin," I saw as the true rigors of the road. To me the road is as much of the journey as where you check-in for a few days and I miss the old approach, a bit.

There are 3 DVDs. The only extras are deleted or expanded scenes and a couple of short interviews, which are well worth it. You get to places like the gardens of Shalimar on the extras that are skipped in the main cut. There are no subtitles, which I would have liked as in some places the ambient noise and English with heavy foreign accents makes comprehension difficult. Even so, back up on the DVD and a volume increase make this easy to overcome.

I'm about ready to bid on the Palin Region 2 DVDs from Europe that are not getting released here. So, whoever is holding the release of previous journeys back, your time is getting short as I run out of patience. At least I have this one.

One key factor to any travel show is whether the host is likeable or not. Michael Palin is just the sort of engaging host that makes "Himalaya" such a wonderful and exhilarating program. He's affable, engaging locals in conversation despite language barriers. He's game, trekking up the Himalayas despite the thin air and a nagging cough. He's funny, making the local children laugh during an English lesson.

The scenery, of course, is breath-taking. Most of us will never see it in person. Throughout the program, Michael maintains a down-to-earth and pleasant demeanor, which is important in a travel companion. He came up with a few gems, one of which was singing the Monty Python "Lumberjack Song" to an elderly man in Bhutan. Irreverent and funny moments indeed.

For those interested in Tibet, the segment there is sadly propagandized by the Chinese, who were obviously aware of this BBC production. It seemed so odd how all the locals praised the Chinese government. The extra footage of Michael's conversation with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India was very interesting. I highly recommend this DVD!

Michael Palin's travel documentaries are always interesting, and this one is no exception. He vicariously takes us from Hell (the Pakistani-Afghan border where warlords rule, guns and opium are the gross national product, and women are purposefully hidden away) to... Shangri-La. The sovereign nation of Bhutan is certainly as close to Shangri-La as one can hope to find on this planet. What else can you say about a country that proudly (and honestly) claims its gross national product to be... happiness? Assam, India is a close second in that respect, but one's heart breaks when one sees how many other places, like Kashmir, hold so much promise for peace, serenity and harmony with nature, but are stricken with continuous violence. Among other things, in just eight hours Palin shows us what we could be and - if one thinks back to the voyage's beginnings - how far we have yet to go in order to ever arrive there.

In this very worthy 3-disc set (with TONS of deleted scenes!) we get to experience the incredible diversity of cultures, religions, and of course, landscapes. The scenery ranges from looking as lifeless as the face of the moon, to as lush as a storybook, to... astoundingly breathtaking! Speaking of which, most folks will feel pretty relieved that they didn't take this trek themselves when they see Palin grievously choking for breath at `only' 1,300 feet (he'll eventually have to go as high as 1,800). Palin's sweet and good-natured disposition makes the entire voyage enjoyable, and his added bits of humor are always wonderfully spontaneous. My favorite bit -- him singing Monty Python's "lumberjack" song to an aging (and somewhat baffled) Bhutanese poet in an incredibly pastoral setting. If you are a Palin fan and you love to look at this AMAZING world we live in, buy this!

Actually, I think I liked the first three of Michael Palin's travelogues ("Around the World in 80 Days", "Pole to Pole" and "Full Circle") better than the three that follow ("Hemingway Adventure", "Sahara" and "Himalaya"). So from that point of view it's not correct to call "Himalaya" the high point of Michael Palin's career.

The big difference is that each of the first three series was documenting a trip made by Michael Palin, and the trip itself was the central element that provided a focal point for the TV series.

In the last three series, and especially in "Himalaya", one gets the feeling that the traveling was secondary, and that the purpose of the whole exercise was primarily to find places and people and events that would make "good TV".

"Himalaya" was, of course, a fantastic trip, and the TV series that covers it is very interesting. Many countries around the Himalayan Mountains were visited, some of them well off the tourist track and some of them with security problems such that the team needed armed guards. Specifically, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet, China, Nagaland, Assam, Bhutan and Bangladesh were visited. A total of 3000 miles was traveled during 125 days (4 months), and many beautiful and exciting images, encounters and interviews resulted.

Some of the best parts in the series include Michael Palin making several treks on foot up into the mountains, the highest trek going to Everest Base Camp at 5480 m (18000 ft). Well done, considering that Michael was 60 when he did the trip.

Other high points (ha, ha) include visiting the Dalai Lama, milking a yak, talking to a retired headhunter, buying booze in Pakistan, having an almost-encounter with Maoists in Nepal and sailing off into the sunset in the Bay of Bengal. All situations where the special Michael Palin wit and charm comes through strongly.

The down side is that it all seems a bit too artificial, a bit too motivated by "is this good TV?" The traveling itself is hardly mentioned at all, and in reality the filming and traveling was done in several visits to the area over a period of 11 months. Nor is there a continuous route from start to finish; instead Michael and the team seem to jump back and forth from place to place in order to find the elusive "good TV" locations and events.

The DVD version of the TV series is on three discs containing the six one-hour programs. In addition there is the following extra material:

- an introduction by Michael Palin, 3 minutes.
- 125 minutes of additional scenes - mixed quality, some good, some not so interesting.
- an interview with Michael Palin, 27 minutes, very good.

Highly recommended. Despite my negative feelings about the producers focusing on finding "good TV" instead of focusing on the trip as an undertaking, this is, of course, really good TV.

Rennie Petersen

All of his series are fantastic--and Himalaya is no exception.

It is intense, funny, uplifting, breathtaking, and awe inspiring. The mountain views are incredible.

The video production seems to have improved (it was never bad to begin with). It has more drama and vibrancy.

Watching Michael Palin is like going on a journey with an old, dear friend. You embark on a journey to discover of new cultures, customs and rituals that amaze and inspire.

Standouts: Michael's talk with the Dalai Lama, Annapurna and Everest, the world's highest polo game, the bull races, and the serenity of Bhutan.

A must see, a must own. You will want to see this over and over again.

I am no scholar or seasoned traveler (outside of making trips to Bolivia where we once lived). I have nothing other to say than that Himalaya is the best DVD that I have seen on the Himalayan region. I have had the DVD set less than a month, and I have watched it time and again. Michael Palin is truly, in my opinion, the best "host" of any documentary like this that I have ever seen. He is funny and endearing as in his Monty Python days, but what I admire most is that he is sensitive and respectful to each culture that he visits and it comes across in the series. There are very few documentaries or travelogues that I have seen where the host has been so gracious. Unfortunatley ,most come across as condescending and even disdainful of the countries and the people that they visit and film. Bravo for Himalaya!!!! Order it and enjoy!!!

Finally! Region 1 fans of Michael Palin's travel series are at last thrown a DVD bone--Himalaya, the latest of Palin's adventures, is as engrossing as his other series, and features amazing photography. The picture on the DVD is sharp,colourful,and clear, and the sound is beautiful. Needless to say, a must-purchase for fans of Palin's travels, but also for all those interested in travel and learning about landscapes and culture in other parts of the world.

Now, if only BBC would get on the ball and release "Around the World in 80 Days", "Pole to Pole", "Full Circle", "Hemingway Adventure", and "Sahara" to Region 1. In the UK you can get a box set. Why not North America? Are you listening BBC? HELLO!!!

An incredible program and it does have over 120 minutes bonus footage (or extended scenes). That's not even including the two interviews and unseen footage from each program that were cut from the US airings. Michael Palin is as witty & clever as ever. A great adventure for all.

Tragically, it is not easy to get access to BBC shows in the USA. There are some truly great series, for example all the travel series done by Michael Palin (some more amazing than others, but all very good). You might recognize him from his days as a star in Monty Python or from the film "A Fish Called Wanda." Part of what makes him a great travel series host is that he retains his humor while exploring extremely fascinating parts of the globe. His series are very balanced, informative, and entertaining all at the same time.

The most refreshing thing about his series is that they are not presented as "look at all these great touristic places I have been," but rather the camera is more of a silent witness to his adventures. It really just follows him as he sets out to do his carefully researched itineraries ("Around the World in 80 Days," "Pole to Pole," "Full Circle," "Sahara," "Himalaya") or themes ("Hemingway Adventure," "Palin's New Europe"). His style is both objective and subjective. Whilst retaining a journalistic like objectivity he also lets you know how he subjectively feels about the places he visits and about how he personally feels in regards to his personal health both physically and psychologically: he shares his apprehensions, feelings of triumph or defeat, relief or disparity, amazement and disappointments, mourning or elation or even neutrality, sickness and homesickness or feelings of health; in other words, his style is to bring the richness of a written travelogue to film. You get the feeling that you are watching his diary; for example, when he does his post trip/editing room voice-overs and other commentary, he adds his comments from it.
You see him get altitude sickness in the Himalayas ("Himalaya"), and you see him participate in a bizarre yet hilarious crossing-the-international-date-line ritual performed by the ship crew on his way from Japan to the USA (in "Around the World in 80 Days.") Moreover, the trips have quite large budgets so there really is no limit to what kind of itinerary he can dream up. In "Around the World in 80 Days" he set out to literally circumnavigate the globe, but not just in a ship, he uses any means of ground transportation he can find, which includes joining ship barges. The one stipulation is no air transportation. In other series his itineraries are equally as grand: in "Full Circle" he makes a trip around the Pacific Rim and has the unique privilege of hiring a helicopter to see some difficult to get to parts of far eastern Russia and after, true to Palin style, learns Russian drinking songs from the pilot while drinking vodka with him; in "Pole to Pole" he takes the only commercial plane that flies from South America to the South Pole, a ticket that is prohibitively expensive for your average traveller.

It was very easy for me to get addicted to Michael Palin's series and I had the fortune of living in China where bootlegs of anything are easy to come by when I did. In the USA, his shows are difficult to come by. I know that the complete box set of all the series he has done so far (he has at least one or two more left in him) is sold at a bargain price in the UK. But for people living in the USA who cannot stand the fact that those DVDs are (probably) regioned to the effect that they will not even work on our DVD players here even when legitimately purchased and imported to the USA, perhaps the best alternative is to turn to the internet (cough, torrents, cough).