Rating: 
Summary: ...
Review: *I watched the original BBC version with the male narrating (i think Richard CHamberlain was name)... Apparently some people don't like the american dub.... why they bothered to make it in the first place is a bit confusing.*Even if you're uninterested in space, other planets, or earth's own origins and achievements, The Planets is worth a vieiwing on the merits of the genrally spectacular visuals alone, and is very capable of sparking an interest in even the most dormant of brains (mine). Although much of the CGI is low-budget tv quality (from 1999~2000), it's generally kept to a minium and the better cgi (like the simulations of an expanding sun) is MUCH better. It avoids the overly serious tone in the narration that seems to be common to these types of documentaries, and although there is some content overlap between segments, it doesn't diminish the experience. This is a must see for anyone and everyone (although you can probably catch it on A+E or one of the BBC america channels, rather than spend 80 dollars for this box set (which is worth it, I think- though there are a number of equally worthwhile documentaries that cover some similar ground in a much more intellectual fashion, like Cosmos and Stephen Hawking's Universe, but I haven't seen any that, visually, really convey how fantastic the universe is as much as this one).
Rating: 
Summary:
Zooming back and forth
Review:
This is acceptable for young children, because no topic is covered at any length at any one time. This is fine for kids who can't sit still long enough to get a lot of detail. And the presentation continues for four disks, revisiting most topics at least once.
Unfortunately it doesn't really do more than reiterate pretty trite information and opinions, despite the abundance of interviews with quite a number of people in the US and former Soviet space programs. The fact that the USSR made an attempt to probe Mars in 1961 is remarkable, but the complete failure of the mission is not mentioned at all.
Probably the best of the eight programs in this collection is "Moon", which is strictly about the Apollo missions to the Moon, which remain the most amazing achievement of the space age. Also, that program has a single focus and doesn't jump around. The other program from disk two is "Giants", which recounts the US probes to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
"Life Beyond the Sun" on disk four discusses the labeled release experiment, which did in fact detect microbial life on Mars. The program only gives the official NASA view that no life was found, and doesn't bother to interview Gilbert V. Levin, who designed the experiment, and has a long series of published papers defending the results of the experiment and debunking the inorganic chemical "explanations".
The oddly named "Terra Firma" (an ancient name for the Earth) gives a survey of various probe missions to Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and the Moon. "Atmosphere" again discusses Venus and Mars, and repeats the silly claim that there's a "greenhouse effect" at work.
The main deficiency of this package is the repetition and lack of focus. I would have liked more in-depth discussion of (for example) the search for the various planets X (Tombaugh, Van Flandern, but emphatically NOT Zecharia Sitchin, Andrew Collins, et al), focussed comets as an argument in favor of the existence of one, and critical arguments of the possible existence of a trans-Neptunian major planet.
I'd suggest getting this from the video store first and seeing if your children like it, then purchase it if they do.
Rating:
Summary:
Zooming back and forth
Review:
This is acceptable for young children, because no topic is covered at any length at any one time. This is fine for kids who can't sit still long enough to get a lot of detail. And the presentation continues for four disks, revisiting most topics at least once.
Unfortunately it doesn't really do more than reiterate pretty trite information and opinions, despite the abundance of interviews with quite a number of people in the US and former Soviet space programs. The fact that the USSR made an attempt to probe Mars in 1961 is remarkable, but the complete failure of the mission is not mentioned at all.
Probably the best of the eight programs in this collection is "Moon", which is strictly about the Apollo missions to the Moon, which remain the most amazing achievement of the space age. Also, that program has a single focus and doesn't jump around. The other program from disk two is "Giants", which recounts the US probes to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
"Life Beyond the Sun" on disk four discusses the labeled release experiment, which did in fact detect microbial life on Mars. The program only gives the official NASA view that no life was found, and doesn't bother to interview Gilbert V. Levin, who designed the experiment, and has a long series of published papers defending the results of the experiment and debunking the inorganic chemical "explanations".
The oddly named "Terra Firma" (an ancient name for the Earth) gives a survey of various probe missions to Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and the Moon. "Atmosphere" again discusses Venus and Mars, and repeats the silly claim that there's a "greenhouse effect" at work.
The main deficiency of this package is the repetition and lack of focus. I would have liked more in-depth discussion of (for example) the search for the various planets X (Tombaugh, Van Flandern, but emphatically NOT Zecharia Sitchin, Andrew Collins, et al), focussed comets as an argument in favor of the existence of one, and critical arguments of the possible existence of a trans-Neptunian major planet.
I'd suggest getting this from the video store first and seeing if your children like it, then purchase it if they do.
Rating:
Summary: What we know so far - And well done too!
Review: A solid trip through the drama that is the science of Space. Deftly delivered details of the wealth of data gathered thus far by the world's astronomical community. The masterfully designed menus move the viewer effortlessly to the desired content segment. They are SO nice, you can sit and watch them and be entertained. As a documentary, the facts are well presented and conveyed in digestible chunks. Concepts like Earth/Mars similarities, and life's early transport across the Sol system, were introduced seamlessly and reinforced throughout the volumes. As a drama, yes a drama, thematic and conceptual material is expertly woven throughout the entire series. Technically, this set is a gem. It is a shining example of masterful editing techniques, Computer graphics production, DVD production methods, and videography. On the whole, "The Planets" is a must buy for anyone interested in learning more about the cosmos. There's even a cameo of the well loved and sorely missed Carl Sagan. Shine on Carl! A MUST BUY.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Absolutely first rate! I have been waiting for someone to take all the latest theories and images from space and put them together with the latest computer graphics and interviews with scientists and that is exactly what has been done here. Have you wondered what the formation of planets in the solar system looked like? It is shown here in all the spectacle of a Hollywood Sci-Fi movie. Same for other astronomical events (worlds colliding, stars exploding). The computerized movies of Jupiter's storms are stunning! I would watch a documentary on ANY subject that was put together this successfully. I fear some people may confuse this title with another space video narrated by Patrick Stewart called "The Planets." That is little more than a music video for Holst's work and is disappointing to anyone hoping for a space documentary. I was greatly saddened to learn of Carl Sagan's passing in late '96. I had always wished that he would do another series like Cosmos. This series is not Cosmos but it comes closer than anything I have seen since 1980. I only have two complaints. One is that there is very little bonus material on the DVDs. But given how stunning these documentaries look on my 15-year-old TV, this is not much of an issue for me. Secondly, the narrater could have been a bit more enthusiastic about the material. (Perhaps I am spoiled by Carl Sagan's enthusiastic Cosmos.) I see that this was a BBC production and that the US version uses a different narrator. I have to believe the BBC narrator is better and if I were buying these discs again, I'd buy the region 2 discs from Amazon.co.uk. Space documentaries this good only come once in a generation. What are you waiting for? Go ahead and purchase it!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting video
Review: An interesting video about our solar system. Differently from other videos which deal about this same subject "The planets" is not a mere old movie full irrelevant informations. It really discusses and speculates about the new theories of formation and composition of different worlds. The computer generated animations are impressive and the sound quality very good. The only single failure is that it sometimes waste time with "personal experiences". That's a good acquisition to your DVD's scientific collection.
Rating:
Summary: Great for people wanting to know basics about astrology!
Review: Captivating and exciting, this will educate you on many things about our solar systems, the planets and the moons that surround them among MANY other things, great set!
Rating:
Summary: Great for people wanting to know basics about astrology!
Review: Captivating and exciting, this will educate you on many things about the solar systems throughout the universe, premordial "soup" and how life may have begun, and the outter-most reaches of the universe. This is an extremely educational set but unfortunately, it is NOT in widescreen format.
Rating:
Summary: Good Mental Junk Food
Review: I enjoyed this series admittedly, and will watch it many times in the future, as I am a junkie for all things related to the science of astronomy. I would have given it 3 1/2 stars if it was possible.
It is however not the most informative, nor the most comprehensive such attempt on the subject. The Narrator used for the American addition (Karen Stone) is wholly innapropriate and to my ear, a distraction to the show's content. She seems to be reading everything for the first time and with no true concept of what it is she is saying. I get the feeling the British version would carry a far more intellectual tone and this I regret being shorted.
There is nowhere near the scientific information relayed as compared to a show the caliber of Cosmos for instance, or even in any given Nova installment. There are definately holes in the story. Also, there is a pattern of content repetition between the episodes to the point that my wife on several occassions didn't believe that we had not already seen the epidode currently being watched, despite my insistence that we had not.
So, what is good about this series? It is, notwithstanding what I have said thus far, both beautiful to look at and enchanting to sit through. I consider this series (which I own on DVD) a fine edition to my collection. It simply fills the niche of mental candy as opposed to the niche of a full meal. This is amplified by the fact that there is no sequence required, rather you just pop in any episode and it stands on its own as a visual snack.
It is certainly light years ahead of the garbage most Americans are able to call entertainment, it is however done with an eye to the modern taste for flash and sound bite sized doses of information. This is A bowl of easy to eat mental candy for the thinking person not wanting to think TOO deeply. I recommend it (Though you might wish to check for the British edition).
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, intriguing series
Review: I have been very interested in space from a young age and this series brought back some of that awe that i felt first learning about the planets in our solar system. This documentary is very well laid out and put together. It is very informative and interesting. The series is broken into eight episodes, which first talk about how scientists believe the planets were formed, to what future discoveries we may find. There are many inspiring visuals in this compilation, and the footage is first rate. If you were thinking of buying this title, and were wondering it is any good, let me tell you, it is great, and what are you waiting for, go buy it.
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