Anybody who loved 'Earth's Tropical Islands' first episode "Madagascar", like me, will understandably expect a good deal from "Borneo" (another familiar location, though not as much as Madagascar, Amazon, South Pole and the Galapagos, in nature documentaries). An island that is just as exotic, as diverse (perhaps even more so) and as colourful as Madagascar and the third largest island in the world after Greenland and New Guinea.
"Borneo" is not just as great as "Madagascar", for pretty much the same reasons, it is perhaps even better. All the great things of the previous episodes are here but make an even bigger impact. To me, "Borneo" is a little more diverse in information, animals and locations, is even more visually beautiful and is more illuminating. It is also more eventful. Anybody who loves learning about Borneo and wants to learn even more about it should see this and perhaps find a lot to love about it.
It is great that "Borneo" has more content, but at times later on it did feel like there was a little too much of it.
On the other hand, as said, "Borneo's" visuals are even better than they were in "Madagascar". The beauty and at times cruelty of the island are very vividly done and the episode is beautifully shot throughout. The incredibly looking coral reefs, the clear blue of the sky and the rainforest trees are especially striking. The music didn't strike me as melodramatic, too jaunty or intrusive.
While the writing for the narration didn't quite have the same surprise factor of other documentaries, it was still educational and was engagingly and accessibly written. Nothing was heavy-handed, corny or patronising. Personally had no problem with David Harewood's delivery of it, which to me engaged and was sincere.
There was more unfamiliar content here in "Borneo" than there was before. There is some familiar stuff that was appropriate to draw one in, one cannot talk about Borneo without mentioning the orangutan for instance. Can never get enough of seeing coral reefs, but what stood out to me were seeing the woolly bat and pitcher plant interacting, the frog's quite genius way of calling his mate and a rare chance of seeing a sun bear.
Altogether, another great instalment. 9/10
"Borneo" is not just as great as "Madagascar", for pretty much the same reasons, it is perhaps even better. All the great things of the previous episodes are here but make an even bigger impact. To me, "Borneo" is a little more diverse in information, animals and locations, is even more visually beautiful and is more illuminating. It is also more eventful. Anybody who loves learning about Borneo and wants to learn even more about it should see this and perhaps find a lot to love about it.
It is great that "Borneo" has more content, but at times later on it did feel like there was a little too much of it.
On the other hand, as said, "Borneo's" visuals are even better than they were in "Madagascar". The beauty and at times cruelty of the island are very vividly done and the episode is beautifully shot throughout. The incredibly looking coral reefs, the clear blue of the sky and the rainforest trees are especially striking. The music didn't strike me as melodramatic, too jaunty or intrusive.
While the writing for the narration didn't quite have the same surprise factor of other documentaries, it was still educational and was engagingly and accessibly written. Nothing was heavy-handed, corny or patronising. Personally had no problem with David Harewood's delivery of it, which to me engaged and was sincere.
There was more unfamiliar content here in "Borneo" than there was before. There is some familiar stuff that was appropriate to draw one in, one cannot talk about Borneo without mentioning the orangutan for instance. Can never get enough of seeing coral reefs, but what stood out to me were seeing the woolly bat and pitcher plant interacting, the frog's quite genius way of calling his mate and a rare chance of seeing a sun bear.
Altogether, another great instalment. 9/10
