I've always had a certain fascination with Sci Fi movies containing end of the world scenarios. That's why I tuned into this NatGeo show a while back, thinking I'd like its "what if" scenario. Unfortunately, the more I watched, the more it irritated me. Why? Because of the narrative style.
If National Geographic kept the narration simple, limited to what the planet would become without human upkeep, it would have been more interesting. But as the show progressed, the narration took on a downbeat and condescending tone. Let's cut to the chase: It slams all human beings as the poison of planet earth! They deride every conceivable achievement we've made over the centuries to make our lives more livable, claiming that it's come at the expense of all plant and animal life. Last time I checked, the plants and animals were still there.
Mankind has made mistakes (pollution, deforestation, hunting whales to the brink of extinction, etc.) but we've shown the ability to reverse and correct the mistakes, too. The very last sentence "All we have to do is get out of the way", insinuating that earth is better off without us, were the nails in this coffin. I will give it three stars though, but only for the special effects.
National Geographic, the next time you produce a show like this, could you please keep the misanthropy out of it?
If National Geographic kept the narration simple, limited to what the planet would become without human upkeep, it would have been more interesting. But as the show progressed, the narration took on a downbeat and condescending tone. Let's cut to the chase: It slams all human beings as the poison of planet earth! They deride every conceivable achievement we've made over the centuries to make our lives more livable, claiming that it's come at the expense of all plant and animal life. Last time I checked, the plants and animals were still there.
Mankind has made mistakes (pollution, deforestation, hunting whales to the brink of extinction, etc.) but we've shown the ability to reverse and correct the mistakes, too. The very last sentence "All we have to do is get out of the way", insinuating that earth is better off without us, were the nails in this coffin. I will give it three stars though, but only for the special effects.
National Geographic, the next time you produce a show like this, could you please keep the misanthropy out of it?