This is going to be an unpopular review. But if even just one of you find it helpful, then there is hope for the Universe.
Visually this is a stunning achievement. Read the other reviews about that stuff. But philosophically, it left me cold, empty and somewhat disgusted. This series focuses very heavily (almost exclusively) on two things: eating and procreating. It portrays animal life at its worst: savage, selfish and opportunistic. Having been intimately involved in wildlife studies & conservation, I can tell you that there's more to animal life than this.
Imagine a race of aliens doing a documentary about human life, and they focus exclusively on slaughterhouses and daycare centers. That would hardly be a fair portrayal of the wonders of which we humans are capable. As a human, I'm sure you'd be outraged that the higher pursuits, like art and study, had been overlooked in favour of the more sensational, dramatic and carnal elements of life.
The segments about predators (wild dogs, cougars, sharks, hawks) show them to be nothing more than killing machines (complete with the obligatory soundtrack - minor key, low cello note). They are invariably shown either hunting or eating. Or thinking about hunting. There is no footage of the fascinating wild dog "singing" rituals, playtime or simple leisure--the stuff they do when they're not ripping antelope to shreds, you know? Unfortunately documentaries like this only serve to reinforce the myopic opinion that "nature is savage". And in turn, humans feel it is their duty to emulate such savagery. If this documentary were indeed what it purports to be--an objective view of the planet Earth--then it would have offered not only the vulgar cycles of life and death but the inscrutable mysteries of life that do not fall into that category. Aside from a 5-second shot of a polar bear tobogganing down a hillside (which Attenborough narrates as "she may be cleaning her fur or simply enjoying herself"), this documentary claims to understand everything about animals, limited to killing and procreation, of course.
Serious nature enthusiasts may be offended. Werner Herzog would be proud ("I believe the common denominator of the Universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility and murder"--Grizzly Man). Me, I was severely bummed out. I rate this a 10 for cinematography and a 5 for content. Watch it as a feast for the eyes. But make no mistake, there is a lot more to life on Earth than what this show implies. And Sir David Attenborough has a very anthropocentric view of the world. It is no wonder that, when asked why he does not endorse vegetarianism, he said, alluding to the superiority of the human species, that he has no moral problem with killing animals and also added that he "doesn't love animals, but is fascinated by them." He openly admitted hating rats and said that his favourite animal is the human being (source: funtrivia.com). Implied: "Animals suck."
