STUDIO: BBC Home Video
RELEASE DATE: July 22, 2008
STARRING: Iain Stewart
FEATURES: None

When I want to show off my HDTV and its capabilities, I almost always switch to a channel that I honestly don't spend a lot of time on otherwise - Discovery Channel HD. Keep WETA and ILM - there is no better special effects house than Mother Nature itself. And documentary filmmakers have taken amazing steps forward in the last few years in the arena of bringing the wonders of our planet to your living room. It's remarkable to think about all the corners of the world profiled on shows like Planet Earth, Wild China, and countless others that will never see electricity, much less a Blu-Ray DVD player and a High Definition TV. The latest "Natural Effects" DVD is called Earth: The Biography, a two-disc affair from BBC and Warner Home Video that originally aired (and still does) on the National Geographic Channel. Using stunning helicopter shots of mountains, rivers, and volcanoes, along with the in-person experience of its narrator, Earth: The Biography shows viewers how the planet itself came to be and how it continues to evolve. If Planet Earth was about the residents of this giant rock, Earth is about the spinning globe itself, both its formation and how it continues to constantly change.

Hosted by Dr. Iain Stewart (who can sometimes be a bit overbearing as a narrator), Earth: The Biography is split up into five chapters - "Volcanoes", "Atmosphere", and "Ice" on the first disc; "Oceans" and "Rare Earth" on the second disc. Each chapter is pretty title-explanatory. They all feature a combination of Stewart's travels around the world with incredible overhead shots and satellite imagery views of our planet. Stewart is hit-and-miss as a travel companion. Sometimes it seems to be a bit too much about his personal experience rather than ours or the planet's, but his excitement for the subject matter can often be contagious. Although, honestly, the narrator isn't really that important - Earth: The Biography is all about the visuals. I remember sitting through countless, numbingly boring National Geographic videos in science classes throughout the years of my education. Watching Earth, I marveled, once again, at how each generation has it a little easier. This would definitely have kept me awake in Science class.

Having said that, Earth: The Biography can be a little overwhelming and works best in episode-sized doses. Watching more than one in a row can make your brain hurt. Stewart and the gang try to cram so much into each episode that the 230-minute running time of the two-disc set actually seems a little miniscule when you consider the show is telling the story of the entire planet. I wish Earth had actually taken more time to allow the viewer to take in the amazing sights. Stewart crams in so many facts and figures that you'll really have to pay attention to follow it when, honestly, your brain kind of just wants to shut off and marvel at the amazing imagery our planet can produce.

Earth: The Biography comes with no special features, but I can't imagine any would have been easy to produce. Most five-episode National Geographic Channel shows don't include EPKs. But it would have been nice to see a deleted scene or an extended episode or two. When you're telling the story of the entire planet, there must be some interesting stuff on the cutting room floor. Earth: The Biography is a welcome addition to a growing genre of Blu-Ray, one I like to call "Natural Effects" (and they usually put the "Special Effects" to shame). Pick it up and make your 8th grade Science teacher proud.