Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age - brief overall thoughts (spoiler-free)


IT'S BACK! I'M BACK!

Do I mean my blog or Prehistoric Planet? Both.

This time, instead on continuing with the dinosaurs, we go to our era, or rather the period before the human era: the Pleistocene. Granted, there are key differences that at least for me make it feel more like a spinoff then a proper new season.

I rank the episodes (without elabouration):
  1. Grass Lands
  2. New Lands
  3. Desert Lands
  4. Big Melt
  5. Big Freeze
The effects are great as ever. Framestore takes over from MPC after they sadly went the way of the di-, nah, pterosaur, and they still have have it 20 years on from a certain other cenozoic palaeodocumentary.

Also ever, the sequences and photography are brilliant as ever.

The species selection is good, going beyond the usual stock genera/northen hemisphere fauna, from australian megafauna to deep cuts like the giant otter Enhydriodon. That was a thrilling sequence.

But all that said, I do admit Ice Age feels a bit... downgraded from the first two seasons. Here's why I think so:

The frost giant himself, Tom Hiddleston takes over from David this time. While he does well enough, and obviously no one could reach David's level. Doesn't help IMO there's no intro bit with him in person at a museum, which makes him feel less tangiable. 

Almost every animal that gets attacked makes it out alive. Unlike the first two seasons, this gives the impression of lacking stakes. I know most people don't like seeingt cute mammals getting maimed, but a few dead babies here and there wouldn't hurt, and make the rest 

Few of the creatures and even the locations have their scientific names mentioned. Darren Naish said it was intenitionally done by execs, apparently a way of mass appeal. I disagree it was needed though: even kids know what scientific names are and take great pleasure in correcting normies, plus, it does help differentiate species to media illiterate idiots who can't tell the difference. There's no excuse to for not mentioning locations. Even if you already know what each creature and where each lived, this is a failure of a documentary to educate.

Finally, I feel it would have benefited from a certain genus appearing. You know the one, just look down at your opposable thumbs. Others have said it better, but we were not just thee only at the end.
  • Accuracy - 9/10
  • Script - 8/10
  • Sound Design - 8/10
  • Behaviour - 9/10
  • Narration - 6/10
  • Rewatchability - 7/10
  • Visuals - 10/10
  • Overall - 6/10
Overall, while there's still a lot to love about Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age, this return has fell a bit weaker then usual. I honestly feel it's the Walking with Cavemen of the series, with so many changes to the format and the crew, it feels more like a spinoff then part of the mainline.

Maybe its just aquired taste that hasn't had its time yet. Still, I think it's a great way to cap off such a great year for palaeomedia (if nothing else).

See you next year.

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