Narrator: Daniel Craig
Directors: Michael Gunton, Martha Holmes
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Running Time: 85 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Before I even start…do you see this cover art? Can you honestly say no to it? I think not. “One Life” is the latest in nature documentaries from BBC Earth. It is also one of my recent favorites among the genre. It was filmed over 3000 days across every continent and in ever habitat. The film comes narrated by James Bond himself Daniel Craig. I loved “One Life” because it really tells many different stories and each one is connected with the element of survival. It is very powerful and also dramatic. I am a big fan of these films and I feel like I have seen them do everything with these nature docs and I will still left saying “How the hell did they film that?” Beautifully shot and very entertaining for the whole family. Nature buffs and fans looking to celebrate Earth Day, this is a great day to do it.
Official Premise: Over the course of five billion years, life on Earth has evolved into the incredible richness and variety we see today. One Life is a celebration of the most brilliant and imaginative stories of survival from the natural world. Cutting-edge cinematic techniques capture unprecedented and astonishingly beautiful chronicles of animal ingenuity. One Life takes us from birth through to the creation of the next generation – then takes us one step further – revealing that, whether we have wings or flippers, eight legs or two, the triumph of life connects us all.
BBC Home Entertainment really delivers an impressive release. This combo pack comes in a very impressive not only with a Blu-ray of the film but also a DVD and an Ultraviolet digital copy. The 1080p/16:9 transfer looks actually stunning on Blu-ray. You see every little detail and the transfer shows all the hard work that was put into filming these stunning situations. The DTS-HD 5.1 track works perfectly with the documentary and assist in driving the film well and giving Craig’s voice some good weight. The special features are also quite impressive including a commentary track from the directors Michael Gunton and Martha Holmes. I loved hearing there additional insight and makes for a great repeat viewing. There is a Behind-the Scenes look and also a Making-of featurette included with some great additional footage. There are interviews discussing the film and what it took to put together. Lastly there is a Blu-ray exclusive “Mike Gunton on ‘One Life'”, which has the director chatting about his inspiration and all the work that went into the film.