Prehistoric Planet review


(link for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6KolH0LekY&list=PLzV6yGh6hXDbaa0SvKxy3cywqM--SnWBR&index=1&t=5s&ab_channel=GabrielM.R)

While Walking with Dinosaurs is undeniably a british show, it was not made by them lone: the American Discovery Channel also helped make it. Naturally they aired it stateside, albeit as a single special narrated by Avery Brooks. 

However, we're not discussing it. We’re discussing Prehistoric Planet. This was a recut of the series made for younger audiences that aired on Discovery Kids (back when it was just Discovery Channel aimed at kids and not a Hasbro channel) shortened the episodes into roughly 21 minute episodes. There was a season two that did Walking with Beasts, and narrated by Christian Slater (making it the closest to a cenozoic sequel to Dinosaur Planet, but its Lost Media save for the intro). This was undoubtedly many an american and canadian's introduction to it, but I am not one of them. I discovered the original online when I was like eight.

I will be real and just say there isn't really too much inappropriate for kids in the series to edit out: sure, there is the killing, the mating, and the the dung, but its pretty mild versus most crap kids can see in the last 30 years. All of what I listed is still intact, so why bother?

Meanwhile, instead of Kenneth Branagh, we got Ben Stiller on narration duties (and wouldn't be the last time he's interacted with dinosaurs). Personally I don't mind him. His narration does have some form of patheos and humour to it, but the scripts for the eps he has to narrate? Well, if you thought the scripts would be dumbed down into childish stuff.... you wouldn't be wrong. There's a lot of corny attempts at jokes, usually involving modern human objects and concepts. Standard stuff, and I didn't find any of it funny.

Really, there isn't even that much to talk about here. Not much besides the addition of fact cards that still provide nothing of note lt alone positive value. Other notable out-there and wrong stuff the show edits, adds, and, deletes also are (but not limited to are):

  • Altering the small mammal seen in Spirits of the Ice Forest (sorry, Dinosaurs of the Ice Forest) to an outright coatimundi. WHAT!? That is not just an extreme case of anachronism, but misplaced wildlife in any documentary!
  • Having the part of Appalachia in Giants of the Skies (sorry, Sky King - but that's admittedly a cool title) be Florida. Um, pretty sure it was underwater even then, even the northernmost parts of the Panhandle.
  • Not only using footage of Liopleurodon as the pliosaur in Sky King, but calling it such. WHAT!?
  • In the first ep, its flat out said that T. rex and its kin lived 100 million years ago. UM NO YOU SAY OTHERWISE LATER
  • Ben saying Allosaurus would evolve into T. rex. NO. IT. DID. NOT. THEY WERE. DIFFERENT CLADES.

So is there anything I don't hate about this? I do like the ending of Sky King. While not the tear jerker that Giant of the Skies was, I do like how it gives a more positive spin on it. Helps Ben's delivery is a lot better then the rest of the narration.

"But this one of the most important parts of evolution: the constant turnover of generation after generation allows a species to adapt evolve along the changing world around them. This cycle of birth, life, and death is what makes the wonder of evolution possible. In truth, our hero is now travelling the final stretch of a journey that has been a huge success. Ornithocheirus has wandered the prehistoric world for four years; he's flown tens of thousands of miles, and countless young. Now he's flown full circle: he can finish his life where he was born. Even in death, he has something he can offer for his species: nourishment for the next generation. He'll also leave something to the modern world: the sands of time will turn his bones to fossils, and those fossils will tell the story of this truly awesome creature."

Beautiful. Just imagine Kenneth saying that. Utter perfection.

The music by Russ Landaeu that replaces Ben Bartlett I suppose is also nice on its own.

Also, the ep Time of the Titans corresponds to removes the Brachiosaurus. It was just a mere cameo, so nothing of value was lost.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this recut for all but the most diehard completionists, those who saw it as a kid and are nostalgic for it, Ben Stiller fans, or masochists. My advice to you? Just watch and support the original, British release. Perfectly safe for da kiddiez and way better.

  • Accuracy - 6/10
  • Aging - 6/10
  • Presentation - 3/10
  • Music - 6/10
  • Storytelling - 4/10
  • Rewatchability - 6/10

That's it, I'm going to bed now and taking a couple-day hiatus. Goodnight, y'all!

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