John Panagopoulos
"Prehistoric Park" is a paleontological gift from the gods. Don't listen to those fussy nitpickers that condemn it as an ersatz "Jurassic Park" clone. First of all, the various endangered, ancient beasts are NOT cloned. They are rescued from perilous time periods by the charismatic and engrossing zoologist and adventurer Nigel Marvin, a somewhat more subdued version of the late, lamented "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin. Second, not all the captured beasts are dinosaurs and reptiles. Yes, T-rex makes his obligatory appearance, but we also witness bizarre creatures like a 10-foot tall, flightless, carnivorous bird (Phorusracos), a woolly rhino the size of a modern elephant with a 6 1/2 long horn (Elasmotherium), and a 10-foot long millipede (Arthropleura). Third, the creatures are allowed to and even encouraged to breed, as the Ornithomimus chicks demonstrate. Finally, not every creature encountered is captured. For example, we get to see the giant cave bear, the Parasaurolophus, and the rhinoceros-like Toxodon undisturbed in their natural environments.Instead, this series puts a prehistoric (and sometimes gently humorous) twist on the daily activities and challenges in maintaining a natural-habitat wildlife park. Nigel and his appealing, competent cast, such as groundskeeper Bob and Suzanne the veterinarian provide detailed but fascinating information on the feeding, boarding, and medical care of disparate animal groups. The actual forays in the past are even more fascinating and gripping as Nigel and his crew deal not only with dangerous, deadly animals but also perilous natural disasters like, say, the approaching asteroid which decimated the dinosaurs during the Cretaceous, and odorless carbon monoxide, and a swamp fire during the Carboniferous period. Yes, Nigel has a time travel portal to visit those bygone eras, and yes, some people might have a problem with the time travel paradoxes which inevitably follow. To me, they were an insignificant distraction. The series seems episodic, but you can't really watch the 3-DVD set at random because there are linear threads running through it. Two of the main ones are the increasing sibling rivalry between the troublesome T-Rexes Terence and Matilda, and the living adjustments endured by the wounded, long-suffering, and ultimately heroic woolly mammoth Martha.The series has exciting cliffhangers, but they are natural and unforced. Will Terence survive Matilda's attack? Will Martha heal and be accepted by the elephant herd? Will the male and female Smilodons breed successfully? Will Nigel get himself and his 4 X 4 out of the Carboniferous swamp before the fire strikes? Will Nigel's scorpion sting do permanent damage? Can anything stop the spooked, stampeding titanosaur from reducing the park to rubble? It's also fun to see the depiction of how animals from different eras might react to each other, such as when Martha is introduced to a real elephant herd, and when the crocodile Deinosuchus tries to take a bite out of the escaped Matilda, and when Martha attempts to protect a baby elephant from, again, Matilda; the CGI in this regard is sensational, and is seamlessly top-notch in general.Also, in general, if you are a nature, paleontology, or wildlife buff, you will be in heaven with this series. "Prehistoric Park" may also give conservation-minded people comfort, of a sort, by kinda cheating extinction and bringing a mind-blowing array of creatures back to life for our contemplation.
bebop63-1
This TV program is apparently taking bits and pieces out of the Walking With Dinosaurs and Beasts series, combining with the more exciting portions of the Jurassic Park movies then embellishing with sections of Steve Irwin's wildlife documentaries, all in the hope of creating an "original" series. Well, didn't work with me. It does have its highlights, such as introducing obscure and relatively little-known creatures like the giant millipede and eagle-sized dragonfly, but the downsides far outweigh it. Surely even pre-school viewers would know that wooden enclosures are woeful insufficient to safely contain TWO T-Rexes. And if the aim of the park was to preserve and propagate prehistoric wildlife, why did Nigel and company choose to time-travel back to when the species were nearly extinct (as in the case of the smilodons and mammoth) and not when they were at the height of their glory?And how would they expect to breed more triceratops if they brought back only one male? It is highly entertaining for the CGIs (Computer generated images) of the animals but for educational purposes, it leaves a lot to be desired.
sportykat
The series is educational, interesting and funny. I got the box set and i enjoy watching it. Alomst everyone in my family does, we have not had the disk that long but it has already been watched millions of times, and I'm surprised it hasn't broken. Each episode focuses on a different time so no matter which part of the prehistoric history you are interested in, it will be there with plenty of fun clips and facts. Another bonus is that the animation is excellent and at times believable. As well as facts there is a story with each one, sometimes sad and sometimes scary. For anyone this is a great series and well worth watching!
ttandb
My whole family loved this series. My 8 year old daughter in particular; she has now told us that wants to be a vet *and* an archaeologist and "dig up bones like Nigel." It shows the fascination that this show holds for people; particularly children.Yes, the animals are CGI for the most part, with the odd bit of animatronics, but even for those of us who have seen movies like 'Jurassic Park' this still seems more realistic; particularly with Nigel discussing the various creatures he sees. His educational technique is very good, as he obviously teaches without people feeling they're being bored with facts and figures.We have the DVD now as well, which my daughter is in danger of wearing out. I only hope they make more of this brilliant show, as it was so good.
