Name: Life on Our Planet
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2023-10-25T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Morgan Freeman

The opening shot of Life on Our Planet lingers on a vast, untouched landscape, the camera sweeping across eons in a single, unbroken take. It’s an ambitious gesture, one that sets the stage for this Netflix docuseries’ grand sweep through Earth’s evolutionary history. Yet, as impressive as those initial visuals are, they also hint at the series’ central tension: between its breathtaking scale and its often clumsy execution.

Created by a team including Patrick Makin, Barny Revill, Adam Chapman, Sophie Lanfear, Gisle Sverdrup, and Nick Shoolingin-Jordan, Life on Our Planet is a collaboration between Amblin Television and Silverback Films, with Steven Spielberg serving as executive producer. The series aims to chronicle the journey of complex life on Earth across billions of years, blending CGI reconstructions of prehistoric creatures with live-action footage of modern animals. Morgan Freeman‘s familiar voice guides viewers through this epic narrative, but it’s here that the first cracks in the foundation appear.

The series’ visuals are undoubtedly its strongest suit. The photorealistic CGI—evoking comparisons to Walking with… and Prehistoric Planet—is often indistinguishable from live-action footage, as noted by Jack Seale of The Guardian. Sequences like the prehistoric forests of the Carboniferous period or the icy expanses of the Pleistocene are rendered with meticulous detail, offering viewers a window into ancient worlds. The soundtrack, too, complements these visuals beautifully, swelling and receding in time with the ebb and flow of evolutionary history.

Yet, for all its ambition, Life on Our Planet stumbles in its storytelling. The series’ structure—eight episodes, each focusing on a specific geologic period—is logically sound, but the execution feels uneven. Some episodes soar, particularly those that weave together prehistoric and modern taxa, creating a compelling narrative about adaptation and survival. Others, however, falter under the weight of their own grandeur, relying too heavily on Freeman’s narration to carry the story.

The series’ script becomes a liability in its attempt to humanize the natural world. Seale’s critique—that the narration treats “billions of animals… as if they were an army or a sports team enjoying success together”—is astute. The hyperbolic tone often undermines the scientific rigor of the content, reducing complex evolutionary processes to simplistic metaphors. Even Freeman, whose voice is one of the most recognizable in Hollywood, seems ill-at-ease with the material, his delivery occasionally veering into melodrama.

The series’ originality is another point of contention. While its visual effects and cinematography are undeniably impressive, the narrative framework feels familiar, echoing earlier nature documentaries like Our Planet and Planet Earth. The attempt to blend prehistoric reconstructions with modern taxa is innovative, but the execution often feels disjointed, as if the series can’t decide whether it’s a history lesson or a nature show.

That said, Life on Our Planet has its moments. The episodes that focus on specific adaptations—like the evolution of flight or the colonization of land—are particularly compelling, offering viewers a glimpse into the incredible diversity of life on Earth. These segments also benefit from the series’ hybrid approach, seamlessly blending CGI and live-action footage to create a cohesive narrative.

The series’ direction is another mixed bag. The creators clearly have a vision for the grandeur they want to convey, but the pacing often feels uneven. Some episodes rush through millions of years in a matter of minutes, while others linger on single species or adaptations, creating a disjointed viewing experience. The transition between prehistoric reconstructions and modern taxa is also handled inconsistently, sometimes feeling seamless and other times jarring.

The performances, if they can be called that, are limited to Freeman’s narration. His voice is a powerful tool, capable of conveying both the awe and the tragedy of evolutionary history. However, the script often works against him, forcing him into awkward metaphors and hyperbolic language that feels more suited to a blockbuster film than a nature documentary.

The series’ themes are undoubtedly important. It seeks to highlight the interconnectedness of all life on Earth, the resilience of species in the face of adversity, and the delicate balance of ecosystems. However, these themes are sometimes lost in the spectacle, reduced to background noise amidst the stunning visuals and sweeping soundtrack.

Life on Our Planet is a series that will appeal to nature enthusiasts and casual viewers alike. Those with a keen interest in paleontology or evolutionary biology will appreciate the detailed reconstructions and the blend of prehistoric and modern taxa. However, the series’ uneven pacing and sometimes clumsy script may frustrate viewers looking for a more cohesive narrative.

Ultimately, Life on Our Planet is a series of impressive parts that don’t quite add up to a whole. Its visuals are stunning, its ambition laudable, but its storytelling and script let it down at crucial moments.

Tags: Netflix, Morgan Freeman, Life on Our Planet