Planet Earth (TV Mini Series) Caves (2006) User Reviews

An outstanding illustration of caves and cave environments.

[jazz_pilot · 10/10 · 1 September 2006]

Having been a caver and member of the caving community for over 20 years, I've had the pleasure (and disgust) of seeing caves used and abused in film.

This documentary however, is simply dazzling. While other outstanding films about caves and caving exist, they simply do not compare to this one. I've personally had the privilege of visiting some of the places featured in the film, and I've always wondered how it would be possible to do proper justice, photographically. Here is the answer!With dazzling cinematography and yet another wonderful narrative performance by David Attenborough, the BBC sets a standard so high, it will be hard to beat.

Probably a bit too long for the average school class session. However, it should be considered a must-see for anyone with an interest in caves.

You'll Go Bats Over This Episode

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 25 December 2008]

While much of this episode features bats and other creatures in dark caves, we also get a good look another kind: the underground caves that are filled with water, caves that have intricate passageways for miles and look very much oceans with the normal fish and plant life you'd see there. At least you see: in above-ground caves, it's dark; always dark.

What struck me most are three million bats all coming out of one gigantic cave each morning, and then predatory birds trying to capture and eat them. It's a viscous world where no creature is safe! To see the bats fly in such numbers is awesome and to see them for "doughnuts" to avoid capture also is very interesting.

According to narrator David Attenborough, "caves are the least explored places on earth. They are places where you will find the strangest and least-known animals on the planet." For starters, we see the glowworm of New Zealand, and it what it does to trap insects for food. It's amazing, and beautiful (glowing long strands handing from cave walls).

We learn about bat guano (yeech) and the valuable bats' nests, which help make "Bird's Nest Soup." The underground watery caves are magnificent have incredible creatures in it. Check out the flood caves/wells in Yuccatan! Finally, we head over to the United States where some explorers discovered only 20 years ago (1986) the most beautiful cave in the world, with crystal structures that have to be seen to be believed. Where is it? Well, you'll have to turn on this episode. It's well worth the discover.

Oh, those three million bats mentioned earlier? Those are from Deer Cave In Borneo, in case your visiting the area! Also at Deer Cave, you'll discover the world's longest underground river.

Ah

[vincentsauerborn · 10/10 · 24 July 2022]

This episode is definite proof that there is no god and if there is he does not love his creation.

Anything that has to live like this could not be created by a loving creator. A bat gets stuck in its own feces only to be eaten alive by cockroaches.

Caves at their most exquisite and fascinating

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 12 November 2017]

Absolutely adore 'Planet Earth', one of the best documentaries ever made and actually is more than that. Have remarked a few times that it and its recent follow up (every bit as good) did for nature and out planet as 'Walking with Dinosaurs' did with the dinosaurs. David Attenborough is wisely considered a national treasure for very good reason, no matter how much he himself dislikes the term.

'Planet Earth' is comprised of eleven episodes, none are less than great. The fourth one "Caves" is no exception and is every bit as brilliant as the previous three "From Pole to Pole", "Mountains" and "Fresh Water". Throughout it's an awe-inspiring, utterly transfixing experience where one forgets they're watching a documentary and instead feeling like they're watching art. This may sound like extreme hyperbole, but to me and many others 'Planet Earth' is completely deserving of its praise and even deserving of more. To me as well, it is easily one of the best the BBC has done in years.

Where to start with the praises for "Caves?" For starters it looks amazing. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate (a great way of connecting even more with the animals), way and never looking static. In fact much of it is remarkably cinematic. The scenery and habitats are some of the most breath-taking personally seen anywhere, whether in visual media and real life and the rich colours positively leap out. The music is epic but has just as many quieter moments that speak just as much. The main theme is unforgettable.

Regarding the narrative aspects, "Caves" can't be faulted there either. The narration has a great well-balanced mix of facts that will be familiar to the viewer and others that will induce the right amount of surprise. In short, it's just fascinating, informative and thoughtful. Everything is intriguing and illuminating, with as much for children to be inspired by as well as adults, and there is just enough freshness to avoid it from becoming stale. Attenborough delivers it beautifully, there's a soft-spoken enthusiasm and precision about his delivery and he never preaches.

The animals themselves are a wonderful mix of the adorable and the dangerous. One actually finds they're rooting for them in exactly the same way they would a human character. Never up to this point watching "Caves" have caves amazed and fascinated me this much, and before it would have been unheard of to find myself rooting for bats but that actually happened here. That has often been the beauty of Attenborough's work, finding that you appreciate far more animals and things that you were indifferent to.

Nothing episodic or repetitive here in "Caves" either. Despite covering a lot of animals and habitats, there is a real sense of the episode having its own individual story with real, complex emotions and conflicts and animal characters developed in a way a human character would in a film but does it better than several.

Concluding, another 'Planet Earth' gem. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Just Few Caves to display in an episode only!!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 17 December 2018]

The running time around 45 minutes only, it's really a short time to show several large Caves around the world, spend so much time in the environments and news species of fishes, spiders and bats to quote just a few, often focusing at Mexican's caves called water wells displayed for miles acctually an underground fresh water, or when it mix up with salt water, should be includes Brazil's largest caves located at Peruaçu valley and others places, exposing many kinds of them, in this fourth episode has a decrease of quality over this marvelous series, in any case don't let you sleep along the show, but must to be better!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2010 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25

It's Discovery Episode!

[dakuchonekobing · 6/10 · 4 September 2020]

Yeah I really love the opening scene when a few man jump out of the edge of the cliff. And there's so much knowledge about chemistry and science things to discover when I watch this episode. And I'm a little scary of caves and dark places, especially the cockroaches scene it scared me a lot. Overall, this episode is still a great ep. And I'm really curious about the cave under the water in Mexico. It's so interesting.