happy_quadruped Reviews

Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold (2024)

lessons on teamwork and risk

[8/10 · 17 March 2024]

This was somewhat better than I was expecting. I felt the first episode started a bit slow, and I was worried the thing would be a bit formulaic and corporate. However by the second episode it's clear that they're facing a challenge of significant scale, and Alex starts becoming Alex.

Without giving anything away, I think the season holds some important lessons about teamwork and risk management. How do you know when you're taking on too much risk? Are you the type of person who would actually notice that when it happens? How do different members of a team respond to it differently?

I enjoyed the Artic setting and the science stuff as well. Learned something new about how to check glacier health, which also made for some cool visuals.

Retrograde (III) (2022)

depressing but very informative

[9/10 · 15 January 2024]

This doc follows the US and Afghan forces during the fall of Afghanistan, focusing primarily on fairly high ranking (but still forward-deployed) figures, especially General Sadat and his US counterparts (Green Berets). When it starts out, the US and Afghans are working side-by-side. Things are a bit dicey but seem managed. Then the Americans drop out and the Afghans are left alone. We watch as thing go downhill fairly quickly, ultimately leading to the fall of the country.

It's a depressing watch, but informative. After 20 years the Afghans still aren't quite ready to stand on their own. A variety of factors seem evident at least from the film, including a certain lack of technology (e.g. No Predators), low morale (exacerbated by the US decision to withdraw and the Afghan President's decision to flee), lack of sufficient popular support (Afghan employees are getting targeted in their homes), and perhaps ineffective or inexperienced leadership (Sadat doesn't come across as very impressive even though he may be brave).

My hat's off to the filmmakers - their level of access and the quality of their footage is stunning. The cameras keep rolling even as the governor's compound is surrounded. Quite incredible.

Cosmos: Possible Worlds (2020)

less tightly edited than its predecessor

[8/10 · 27 December 2023]

I still think this is a solid show, but it's less tightly edited than its predecessor. Episode 3 is a good example. The segment on Schonbein was quite confusing because it kind of conflated his discovery of ozone with his discovery of guncotton, and in any case it wasn't clear why they were even talking about him other than the fact that he mentioned geochemistry once. Then later you can get through the entire segment about Victor Goldshmidt without really understanding anything about the science he produced. I'm sure it was impressive but they don't really say much about it. And how many times are they going to mention green olivine without saying anything substantive about it?

America's Heart & Soul (2004)

a criminally underrated snapshot of history

[10/10 · 11 November 2023]

Watched this 20 years after it was released. I understand why people had negative reactions to the premise, because beginning around when this was released, and continuing to the present, we have been focused understandably on the ways that America has not lived up to its promise. However I would still strongly encourage you to give this 10 minutes of your time, and if you aren't amazed you can stop watching there.

This is an incredible snapshot of history that should be shown to students in 50 years so they understand late 20th early 21st century America. The types of lives people lived. Their accents, which are already far less common now in 2023. Their hopes, dreams, aspirations, and struggles. It's all here. As a 38 year old guy who was 21 when this was released, watching this brought me back.

It also drives home how much we have lost in the past 20 years. The optimism, the fun. 2023 is a strictly no-fun zone. And really, is optimism all that bad? Today it's very out of style, essentially frowned upon. But I wonder if life would be better if we found a way to indulge optimism without losing sight of the ways we want to improve.

Other things I was struck by: The size of crowds in churches (won't see that these days). The apparent strength of people's friendships (we're more isolated now). I could also feel some strength in the middle class that we lack now.

Again, this movie is criminally underrated. Many people should watch this, and they should do a sequel.

Sea of Hope: America's Underwater Treasures (2017 TV Movie)

OK but possibly simplistic

[4/10 · 7 October 2023]

I originally watched this with great interest and was shocked to hear that we don't have any parts of the ocean that are off-limits to fishing. However as I've continued my documentary watching, I learned that isn't entirely the case - for example we already have the Monterey Bay National Marine Park, protected areas off the Florida Keys, etc. That doesn't mean that Dr. Earle's ambitions are wrong, I just wish that the documentary and presentation was more honest with the viewer. Perhaps a more nuanced perspective might be that we have some but need far more, but I shouldn't have to translate for the presentation.

Petra: Secrets of the Ancient Builders (2019)

camerawork and music driving me crazy

[2/10 · 25 August 2023]

I tried watching this, but the camerawork in particular is driving me crazy. It makes me nauseous how they continually speed up and slow down the shot, and it also prevents me from looking at what they're talking about. The music is also over the top. It's basically like playing a really bad video game.

I also question the editing for another reason - the audio said a particular building (Al Khazneh) was a treasury, but then the text on screen said it was a sanctuary and tombstone.

I just think a documentary deserves more thought and care than this - you can't just force it to be a cool doc with a bunch of cheap tricks.

Positive Energy (2017)

not all the projects are that helpful

[6/10 · 3 August 2023]

Humanity is in a major climate crisis. So in general I would welcome a show that is focused on solutions.

However this show falls into the same trap some other climate shows fall into, by highlighting projects that make you feel great but won't do much good because they don't have scale.

Even worse, sometimes this show highlights things like natural gas. There was a time when we felt moving to natural gas from coal would be a big improvement. Unfortunately the reality is that even that isn't nearly good enough - we need to move to fully clean energy.

I think the hosts are super nice and the projects are all interesting. But the show just doesn't age well at all.

EDIT: I finished the full 3 parts and decided to upgrade to a 6. They do highlight some things like fusion power which if solved would certainly be a game-changer. I liked the investigation of geothermal in Iceland. And in fairness some of the natural gas stuff in China was basically recycling cooking oil so possibly could not be bad (?) for the environment. The one that I could have done without was the natural gas extraction from a lake in Africa which is basically net positive emissions.

Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist (2017)

wild, crazy, ultimately inspiring story

[9/10 · 16 July 2023]

This is a pretty wild story and I'd recommend it to anyone. I didn't know about Dian Fossey before watching this, but she's basically the person who saved the Eastern Gorilla. She started a research center to live with them and helped rehabilitate their image from King Kong to a creature that is actually playful and gentle despite its size. She learned how to communicate with them, and generations of researchers learned from her. Definitely somebody worth knowing about.

This is also a whodunnit story of her death that goes through several twists and turns. It stays interesting through all 3 episodes and I looked forward to continuing my journey through them.

It isn't just talking heads either, they have a lot of contemporaneous video and photos because she was involved with National Geographic back in the day and they sent filmographers. The interviews are pretty interesting too, though.

7 Toughest Days (2023– )

Nat Geo: Please stop overproducing

[3/10 · 8 April 2023]

I should say that in fairness the critiques I'm applying to this show also unfortunately apply to many other recent National Geographic shows. They're all the same in an annoying way: The host continually plays up the danger of the situation they've put themselves in and their personal fright level, in an attempt to make the show seem more exciting. But it just ends up making it annoying. Like when he pretends not to know that a waterfall is coming up, or when he asks his guide whether there are any roads in the jungle. Come on, guys, stop insulting your audience so hard. His guide can't quite believe his feigned level of ignorance, leading him to ask incredulously, "Why did you come here?" But the show lacks self-awareness, so they kept that part in.

There is plenty of demand for adventure shows, but we as audience members are not dumb. Stop treating us like we are!

EDIT: Another reviewer seems to be mentioning my review and saying I rated it lowly because the host is a black man. That's news to me because two of my most recent ratings (8 and 9) are of other nature shows with black hosts. I also recently rated Life Below Zero: Next Generation a 1, and that has all white hosts.

I'd like it if people could be less polarized in their approach to rating. Take a look at some of the recent shows with black hosts and you'll see a lot of 1's and 10's. It's disappointing but others of us are just trying to give an honest rating.

As for this show: No, it's actually bad. It's more manipulated than other shows. Watch 15 minutes and if you don't agree, well, congrats, you have a new show to watch.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014)

I wish they made more shows like this

[10/10 · 26 March 2023]

This show is absolutely superb - Every episode contains at least one revelation that makes my head explode, some episodes contain several. I did well in my science classes in school, but I definitely didn't know everything presented here.

TV these days is often dumbed down, but Cosmos isn't. It treats you like an adult and lets you in on some secrets - well, they aren't secrets per se, but they may as well be given the quality of other programming.

The stories are also quite wonderfully told, and you'll learn some cool tidbits from history while you're at it. Watching this I often look things up in Wikipedia to learn even more, so for me it's as much a jumping off point as a show.

I've heard that there may be another season in the works and I hope that's right.

Aliens of the Deep (2005)

a great balance of awe, cool shots, and futurism

[10/10 · 20 November 2022]

I'm surprised the ratings are mediocre, but I loved this. Deep oceans are barely explored by Earth standards and a lot of the creatures would be totally new to most people. I was expecting the movie to be entirely about those creatures, so it was an interesting twist to see it connected to Europa exploration.

Two things were mercifully missing from this movie that you'll see in many more modern science shows: crazy background music and human drama. Instead the movie mostly lets the locations and creatures speak for themselves, and you feel like you're along for the ride.

I also appreciated the scientific explanations, which were just deep enough to be satisfying without being over my head.

Finally, I think it's important to remember that this was released in 2005 - at the time it was more groundbreaking. Comparing it against something filmed in 2015 or 2020 would be comparing it to a successor.

Life Below Zero: Next Generation (2020– )

This is no LBZ Canada or LBZ Original

[1/10 · 10 November 2022]

I'm pretty disappointed in this and won't continue to watch after the first episode - the casting decisions are not great. It's a bit strange to have to say, but I feel like they don't realize why people like LBZ (or LBZ Canada). We don't want to watch normal people try to become "bush dwellers," we want to watch people who are already "bush dwellers" do their thing. Otherwise there isn't really much that you can learn. It's also kind of insulting to hear people talk about "filling their freezer" when they clearly don't rely much on hunting - it's important to respect your audience's intelligence. There's also an overuse of slowmo, a hyping up of not-necessarily-serious situations (will somebody fall through the roof in the first episode?), and an overuse of other gimmicks like ending a scene right before the person shoots to amp up the tension even when they haven't really established much tension.

Extremis (2016)

interesting, but with holes

[6/10 · 31 October 2022]

It's an important and worthy topic - honestly, more people should be aware of what these conversations are like, both so they can express their wishes to their loved ones in advance, and because it would probably lead to interesting reflections on what one wants out of life.

However I feel the execution of this short film leaves too much out. We're not told much about the preceding circumstances of any of the patients, some of whom only get about 45 seconds of screen time. What happened to the patient who was 38 and just became a grandma? She seemed pretty "with it" but was being put on a long term ventilator - why?

That said, it was instructive to see how the doctors debate these decisions. A lot of people will probably second guess some of the doctors (especially the curly haired white woman), but I actually feel better seeing that it's a bit of a committee rather than just one doctor. And there honestly isn't one right answer, which is why it's a debate.

America the Beautiful (2022– )

unbelievable camerawork

[9/10 · 5 September 2022]

I honestly have no clue how they got some of these shots, it seems like it would be almost impossible to get the timing right but somehow they did it. I watch a ton of nature shows but this includes stuff I haven't seen elsewhere before for sure. It's so unique that it really makes you think about the world in a different way.

My one critique is that I think the drone shots where they move over landscapes quickly might actually be a little too quick at times to be pleasing. At least watching on my MacBook Pro it's a little nauseating. But that's only a fraction of the show so I won't weight it too highly.

I enjoy the narrator. Maybe a little hokey, sure, but actually that's sort of on point for a nature documentary and I appreciate his friendliness. I like the theme of "heros".

Somewhat relatedly, one other amazing thing about this show is that it isn't just individual shots, rather they seem to have followed individual animals for a somewhat extended duration, which makes the storytelling more compelling.

Evolve (2021– )

good concept, uplifting/educational/entertaining

[8/10 · 27 August 2022]

On the whole I like this show - it's actually the first one I've watched on Curiosity Stream.

Humanity's got a lot of problems but there are still reasons for inspiration and wonder, and this show focuses on them. The host is gregarious and likable. The production value is better than you might expect for a documentary like this. I've learned a number of cool things that I didn't know before and have left feeling inspired.

My main critique is that it could use a bit tighter "arc of explanations" if you will. For example he shows us how seals can sort of see fish through their whiskers, and then connects it to these submersible robots somebody is researching, and somehow that is supposed to be relevant to detecting life on Europa. I mean, maybe, but I was struggling to follow the thread and it seems possibly even more speculative than the researchers intend. To the extent that the show is his own speculation rather than somebody else's it may fall short.

That said, I did like it and plan to continue watching.

MeatEater (2012– )

a different show from what many are used to

[9/10 · 17 July 2022]

This show is not for everybody, but I think that everybody would benefit from exposing themselves to it. For many of us, this show represents the other half of America that we always hear about but rarely see. I myself have spent my entire lifetime in liberal coastal enclaves and started watching this show in order to expose myself to other ways of thinking and living. On that count, it has delivered.

Steve Rinella is a friendly and unassuming guy and you feel that you're along on the hunt with him. He doesn't assume an excessive amount of hunting experience - actually, I've never once gone hunting and only on very rare occasions have I handled or shot a gun, but I still like the show. Or perhaps that's the reason I like the show.

Sort of by its nature as a hunting show, it has a bit of a masculine and/or red-blooded vibe, though I also get the sense that that's unintentional and not necessarily what they're going for. Rinella in particular seems like a guy who knows what his principles are but would also be comfortable hanging out with anybody. As for the rating, it's in the 7's but the median rating is actually a 9, which tells me that other than a few people who strongly dislike hunting, most viewers really like the show. Which one are you? There's only one way to find out!

Rogue Trip (2020)

a positive, fun show to watch

[9/10 · 20 June 2022]

As somebody who occasionally watched Bob Woodruff as a reporter, I had a degree of nostalgia watching this. More than that, though, it's a great concept for a show - he spent a lot of time reporting on various problems in other countries, and now he's trying to highlight other countries' best qualities. It's a sort of righting of the cosmic scale, at least so far as he can accomplish.

The itineraries are quite interesting and you feel more or less like somebody on the trip with them. Sometimes their reactions are not the most polished, so I see why others felt that they seemed a bit like privileged outsiders, but ultimately I think they succeed in the show's stated goal of showing the humanity of the people they're visiting. They're likable people too.

The videos are sometimes quite stunning as well - now I really want to visit Papua New Guinea!

The Magical World of Disney: Man in Space (1955) Season 1, Episode 20

pretty fascinating 70 years later

[9/10 · 12 June 2022]

I found this a pretty fascinating watch nearly 70 years later in 2022.

Firstly, I think it's good to see how people thought about things in a different time, rather than only exposing myself to media created by those in a narrow age band from myself.

Second, as a software engineer I like seeing how other people approach difficult technical problems and this did not disappoint. There was a ton of work and decades of preparation that went into making space flight a reality, as this illustrates. It's interesting to compare that to current difficult problems like self-driving cars or visiting Mars, for example.

I also learned some about the history of rocketry that I didn't know before, and it was cool to see the early scientists (mostly "imported" from Germany) describing their plans. More surprisingly I actually learned a bit about space that I didn't know, for example the bit about how the atmosphere on a space station doesn't circulate well (though it makes sense once you think about it).

The coolest thing is that even though space travel was still a decade away, they were almost completely correct in their descriptions of what it would be like. (The one thing that seemed wrong was the claim that in the vacuum of space you'd boil on one side from the Sun and freeze on the other, though your blood would boil from the vacuum)

This is more for adults than kids even though it's partly a cartoon. There's a graphical caricature of Asians early on that most people would consider racist today (in the illustrators' partial defense most of their characters are fairly whimsical). Also the main cartoon character is constantly smoking a cigar, and as the TV rating agency might say the episode "contains dangerous and explosive situations" haha.

Anyway, worth a watch I think.

Something Bit Me (2022– )

This show is no joke

[10/10 · 2 June 2022]

You don't want to watch this show unless you are ready for several punches to the gut. It's honestly harrowing at times, more than you might expect. But otherwise I wholeheartedly recommend it.

These are real stories, deeply compelling, retold by the people involved themselves. For the most part they are also re-enacted in parallel to the retellings. The incidents that are retold had a profound impact on the people telling them, both emotionally and physically. No filler here. It's both shocking and inspiring.

Mission Pluto (2015 TV Movie)

host is too annoying to watch

[1/10 · 31 May 2022]

It's an interesting topic, but the host is just way too annoying. I couldn't get through more than 15 minutes even though I'm quite interested in the topic. The presentation is also vapid.

Lost on Everest (2020)

lost a sense of their mission

[5/10 · 22 May 2022]

If they didn't find the body after looking hard, then I think it would be understandable. But in this case it seems they didn't find the body because they were too exhausted from doing the summit, which wasn't supposed to be part of the plan in the first place. It just goes to show that you can't serve two masters.

Explorer: The Last Tepui (2022)

honestly good, could have been a bit better

[7/10 · 22 May 2022]

I found this show interesting and inspiring. Could they have gone into further detail and fleshed things out a bit more? Yes. Would I recommend this to somebody on a rainy Saturday? Sure.

The Biggest Little Farm: The Return (2022)

largely recycled footage from the movie

[1/10 · 16 May 2022]

If you are interested in this topic, just rent the actual movie The Biggest Little Farm. It's a pretty good movie. This show is mostly like a very long trailer for the movie and contains much of the same footage, but presented with less explanation because it's a lot shorter. It's like some business person at Disney had a bright idea about how to get a new show without paying to make one - just repackage all the old stuff into a lame recap! Unfortunately viewers know the difference and won't be entertained.

Port Protection (2015– )

a mixture of good and no-so-good casting decisions

[4/10 · 10 April 2022]

This show is pretty well produced and has a few pretty interesting characters who seem to know what they're doing, how to fend for themselves, how to build interesting contraptions to help them do it, etc. These people are interesting to watch and listen to.

There are also a couple of characters who seem more like they just live in the town and aren't necessarily much more cut out for survival living than you or I are. They make the show more tedious and hard to watch.

If they got rid of the bad characters this could be a top show. As is, I quit watching after 3 episodes. The last straw for me was when a woman went fishing, just doing some basic fishing, catches a tiny fish and tosses it in her bucket, and they show a couple shots of her tossing the fish in the bucket in slow-mo as if it's some amazing thing.

Secrets of the Zoo: Tampa (2020– )

incredible diversity of animals, good storytelling, fun humans

[10/10 · 10 April 2022]

This is one of the best animal shows I've seen on Nat Geo, and I've watched many of them. The diversity of animals this zoo has is pretty amazing - honestly, I didn't know that all of these species even existed before watching this, and I could watch them all day.

The storytelling is solid and not overbearing. The humans on the show are pretty cool too, and exude a genuine, positive energy. Def worth a peek and I hope they keep making new seasons.