As the DVD cover accurately describes, Earth is the most ambitious nature documentary ever made, and it clearly shows, having been filmed over 5 years, with 45 camera people, 2000 days in the field, 204 locations, and 62 countries in all 7 continents with some amazing footage captured at over 1000 frames per second. The word ambitious doesn’t seem apt enough when described like that.

Set to the admirable tones of Patrick Stewarts’ narration, Earth lets us take a year long journey with some of our planets most interesting creatures, specifically focusing on the lives of a family of polar bears, a humpback whale and her calf, and an elephant and her calf. Starting with a mother polar bear and her 2 cubs waking from hibernation, the ground breaking film-ography gets us up close and personal with the animals while they remain oblivious to our presence. To say it’s breathtaking is an understatement.

You will laugh and you will cry as you witness some of nature’s most hilarious unexpected moments and most gruesome realities. A double edged sword it is, as you want the baby calf to escape the tiger, but at the same time you don’t want the tiger cubs to starve having not eaten in weeks. It does test you in instances like that, but that’s nature in all its glory.

I will point out that because many parents will want their children to see this documentary, the film-makers have deliberately left out the moments where cute animals have been slaughtered. A wise decision I think, but I hope an uncut version is released one day for when they are a little older.

Director Alastair Fothergill makes no apologies for the preachy global warming warnings throughout the film, and to see the actual effects played out on the male polar bear is both saddening and awe inspiring at the same time.

If you haven’t yet seen it, you really should. Although for some reason it won't be released in the USofA until Earth Day 2009, but the rest of the world has already seen it. If my recommendation isn’t enough, perhaps consider it has a 100% rotten tomatoes rating. Surely all those people can’t be wrong.

Note: If you get your hands on the DVD or Blueray version, be sure to watch the accompanying feature on how they produced the documentary. You will see some of the most insane camera set-ups and personal risks ever taken in the name of film.