Mongolia, 25 million years B.C. This episode follows a young Indricotherium. After a dramatic birth, he must survive in a world of rhino-sized predators like Hyaenodon and pig-like monsters ... Read allMongolia, 25 million years B.C. This episode follows a young Indricotherium. After a dramatic birth, he must survive in a world of rhino-sized predators like Hyaenodon and pig-like monsters such as Entelodon.Mongolia, 25 million years B.C. This episode follows a young Indricotherium. After a dramatic birth, he must survive in a world of rhino-sized predators like Hyaenodon and pig-like monsters such as Entelodon.
Photos
- Narrator
- (voice)
- Self - of University of California
- (as Blair Van Valkenburgh)
- Narrator: China
- (voice)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode features perhaps the most extreme case of prehistoric animals interacting with the camera: the indricothere calf charges at the camera-man, knocks the camera over, and walks away from the scene that has been flipped 90° to the side as a result of the collision.
- GoofsAt one point the baby indricothere encounters an adolescent indricothere of three years old. The adolescent creature looks just like an adult. However, at the end of the episode, when the youngster is also three years old, it still looks just like a calf - bigger eyes, different facial features and a different skin texture.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Kenneth Branagh: Out of the darkness emerges a twelve ton giant. She is an Indricothere, and she is about to give birth.
- ConnectionsEdited into Andy's Prehistoric Adventures: Chalicothere and Claw (2016)
Expectations that were actually mostly lived up to, a good thing for me having seen my fair share of wastes of potential recently. 'Walking with Beasts' is not one of the best documentaries personally seen (far from it), and there are better ones on the subject of dinosaurs. It is also not as ground-breaking as 'Walking with Dinosaurs', as far as dinosaur documentaries go, still a big achievement to this day. Standing on its own without comparing it to anything, 'Walking with Beasts' was very interesting and mostly very well done.
Once again the third episode "Land of Giants" is very good.
Sure "Land of Giants" isn't perfect. Sometimes the dinosaur effects are on the stiff side in movement.
Did actually appreciate the storytelling approach "Land of Giants", and 'Walking with Beasts' in general, took and it made it entertaining and emotionally investable and it was never less than compelling. It did get in the way at times though too much of the documentary aspect, which interested and compelled throughout but there could have been more focus on the evidence and such to stop things from being too speculative.
However, when it comes to how it's written, "Land of Giants" does just as good a job entertaining and teaching, it's all very sincerely done and it never feels like a sermon. There are things here that are common sense and knowledge but one is taught a huge deal as wel (didn't know anything about the Indricothere for examplel.
Kenneth Branagh's narration delivery is similarly spot-on, very sensitively delivered and very dignified, his expertise in Shakespeare helps the delivery. The narration is comprehensive and sincere, with a good balance of things known to me and things new to me (really like it when documentaries do that), as well as compelling.
Visually, "Land of Giants" may lack the awe-inspiring, almost cinematic quality one anticipates. With that being said, it is beautifully shot, shot in a fluid and non-static way. The sceneries and landscapes are handsomely rendered and mostly the dinosaur effects are impressive.
"Land of Giants" is appropriately scored, never intrusive or too low-key. There is fun, tension and pathos throughout and the dinosaurs, prey and predator, are like characters that one cares for in the same way they do a human. The documentary aspect is grounded and well researched, coming over as if there was evidence to corroborate what was said.
Overall, very good though could have been great. 8/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jun 7, 2018
Details
- Runtime30 minutes