Life

I was expecting this film to have a creationist slant, but it does not. It is a bit like David Attenborough for children. It has first class nature photography, but it is aimed at children with a dumbed-down narration by Oprah Winfrey and somewhat Disneyfied music. It sometimes has an odd prudishness about fish reproduction.

The creatures chosen are each bizarre and entertaining but ones I have seen before.

Some of the principles of evolution are presented, but in a subtle way. The focus is on strange animal behaviour, not how it could have evolved. I learned something new, that the schooling behaviour of anchovies is indeed very effective against predators.

It is not totally prettified. It shows flamingo chicks that died after they fell out of the nest.

I think the insect segment was most interesting with the most material I had not seen before. The jousting tournament with the surprise ending really tickled me.

There are bits of Disneyesque anthropomorphising, for example talking of insects "fighting for their dignity".

This is first rate family entertainment. I am ready to see it again already.