Creationists won't like the extras. A whole lot of mumbo jumbo about monkeys and evolution. Adam and Eve hardly get a mention - sorry guys. But for the rest of us, it's all good stuff - featurettes, storyboards, interviews, photos. Everything you could possibly expect.
Production interviews make an interesting diversion and the storyboards hold the attention, but the real deal comes in the two 50 minute featurettes, one about the rise of the mammals and the second about how man descended from apes.
The Triumph Of The Beasts gives you background knowledge to the main production, basically telling you how the mammals rose from the ashes of the dinosaurs to become the new masters of the world. While it sounds terribly authoritative, there's something you should take into account here. This happened an extremely long time ago and all that remains are theories and theories have about as much longevity as this year's fashions.
The Beasts Within tracks the attempts of scientists to find a link between apes and man. While we all know that we started out as monkeys, fewer of us are certain how that change came about. This fills in the blanks.
You're thankfully spared the self-congratulatory Making Of tedium and treated to a couple of documentaries, which could have stood on their own. Maybe the producers felt that a TV series needed something more to sustain its DVD. The result is a pleasure to behold.
Relying less on computer wizardry and more on substance, they equip you with all you need to look good in front of your friends.
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