Well, this just couldn't get any better. Its sensibly made, very well prepared and beautifully presented. If you want to learn in brief the history of the ups and downs of Darwin's theory, then this is the one to see. Moreover, the direction, the cinematography bear the "top-class-BBC" testimony. Broadcast as a part of the BBC's Darwin Week celebration, this documentary film takes you to the journey of the theory from 1859 to the present and hopes to go even beyond. On the way, it shows the great obstacles the theory faced and how a group of extra-ordinarily talented people came up to defend it. It boldly discusses the primary drawbacks of the theory and how Darwin truly felt about it. It also shows how, in the gene era, we, humans can find our place in nature. It introduces the viewers with some of the latest techniques being used for evolutionary analysis and also a few very new and promising branches of science. The bottom line is, this 90 minute film deserves a view from a true admirer of Darwin and evolution.
3 Reviews
Good primer on the history of evolution theory.
Innsmouth_Apprentice9 April 2015
This doс is more detailed than your average BBC doc. The creators weren't afraid to stuff it chock-full of valuable information. The rundown is complete: Lamarck; Darwin; Darwin's opponents like Richard Owen; Mendel; Haeckel; Watson and Crick; Kettlewell and his peppered moths - and many others. A near-perfect summary of the evolution theory's intriguing history, done in a mere 90 minutes.
I am deducting a few points only because the presenter's humor and certain turns of phrase occasionally grated on my nerves. I sometimes tend to be abnormally irritable that way, though, so don't let this deter you - with this documentary, you'll receive a great chunk of condensed biology-themed knowledge in a relatively short time. The visuals are relevant and keep the doc interesting. 8/10.
I am deducting a few points only because the presenter's humor and certain turns of phrase occasionally grated on my nerves. I sometimes tend to be abnormally irritable that way, though, so don't let this deter you - with this documentary, you'll receive a great chunk of condensed biology-themed knowledge in a relatively short time. The visuals are relevant and keep the doc interesting. 8/10.
One of my favorite documentaries of any kind
LeatherCajun30 April 2020
I have read and worked in theoretical evolutionary biology extensively. This documentary accurately describes and elucidates many many key issues in these fields in a very entertaining way.
I enjoyed Armand Leroi as a presenter very much. He is reasonably good just as a presenter...with the extremely added benefit that he is an actual academic expert in the field.
Check it out.
I enjoyed Armand Leroi as a presenter very much. He is reasonably good just as a presenter...with the extremely added benefit that he is an actual academic expert in the field.
Check it out.
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