What is it that fascinates us about human-animal hybrids? Man Beasts takes a look behind our mythology, focusing on the Minotaur, the satyr, and Medusa, but encompassing much more. Dorling Kindersley's attention to detail comes through for them again, as the imagery is brilliant and often downright scary. The seamless shots of Pan walking on hoofed legs are eerie, as is the garden of stone men surrounding Medusa. But the visuals merely set the stage for the research and narration that completes the package--unless your knowledge rivals Joseph Campbell's, you'll certainly learn something new about these powerful mythic figures. While some of the satyr-and-nymph scenes might be too suggestive for some tastes, Man Beasts takes care to follow the visions of our ancestors as closely as possible in portraying this fantastic world. --Rob Lightner
From Parents' Choice®
So many mythical beasts are introduced in this catalog of the supernatural. From the minotaur to Medusa to Pegasus, these creatures are touched upon in fairly rapid succession. Only the tale of Theseus and the minotaur is given careful attention in this video treatment. However, the whole is mesmerizing, as we are dazzled with images and shadows; chilled by sounds and dramatic narration. Few older children could pass this by, as they are able to grasp the concepts of known and unknown. Man Beasts are a fertile topic, as they combine the known (human) with the unknown (non-human) elements. This video, as with others in the series, introduces modern counterparts. The evolution of bullfighting is traced, and the strange results of modern cloning combinations are shown. History and myth are relevant to us now, say the makers of this fine series. A 1998 Parents' Choice® Gold Award.
Reviewed by Yvonne Coleman, Parents' Choice® 1998
