David Attenborough’s documentary series, ‘Dynasties’ is back with its second season. Is the show worth your time? Or can you simply skip it? Read the full review to find out.
Director: Lydia Baines, Simon Blakeney, Felicity Lanchester, Mandi Stark, Anna Place
Cast: David Attenborough
Available On: Sony Liv and Sony BBC Earth
Duration: 6 Episodes, Around 50 Minutes Each
A sequel to David Attenborough's ‘Dynasties’ - the 2018 series - examines the drama that unfolds in the hidden lives of some captivating and charismatic animals as they struggle to keep their families safe against all odds.
It’s so surreal to see that even at the age of 96, David Attenborough’s dedication to creating a scintillating show on nature and wildlife is still the same as it was probably 50 years ago. His deep baritone coupled with the careful usage of words not only makes ‘Dynasties II’ a free-flowing watch but even worth your time.
You can direct humans to tell a story. You can even train animals in captivity and then direct them to tell stories. But to make animals in the wild tell a story is purely hard work, perseverance and immense patience on the part of the directorial team. Directors Lydia Baines, Simon Blakeney, Felicity Lanchester, Mandi Stark and Anna Place manage to tell so many different stories through the eyes and the gestures and behaviours of animals living in the wild. One can say that you can get a few shots in the wild by just letting your camera on for a month. But knowing where to place the cameras and what stories to capture and which time which animal will be at what place – that’s where the genius of this directorial team comes, and they’ve absolutely nailed it to perfection.
The cinematography team needs to bowed down to. The sheer brilliance of Ian Llewellyn, Mark MacEwen, Lianne Steenkamp, Neil Anderson, Jim Bishop, Sophie Darlington, Mike Holding, Philipp Klein, Soufiane Ouggougne, John Shier, Stuart Trowell and Tom Walker in the picturisation of the show is sheer brilliance. Just scrutinisingly seeing the show one can gauge as to how precisely the team must have shot in the wilderness in order to get the perfect shots. Some of the footages are so beautiful that they tell a story in itself even without David Attenborough's commentary. Sheer brilliance behind the cameras by the team.
Robbie Garlands, Angela Maddick and Nick Carline’s editing is crisp and to the point. The way they’ve managed to sew some of the stories together makes it look as it they were written that way, but in reality, they were just naturally shot.
If there was one thing that was slightly lesser than the rest of the crafts, it was the sound department. It’s understandable that you cannot record wild animals flaunting their natural sounds during the film, and those sounds need to be recreated in a dubbing studio. But, the thrill of every story is there in its background score, and in ‘Dynasties II’, it was just a mild bit lesser in perfection than the rest of the departments.
Yes
‘Dynasties II’ is a must-watch not only for all the kids who’re willing to learn about nature and wildlife but also for the adults, who want to learn more about climate change and impending environmental disasters. Richard Attenborough pours his heart and soul into the commentary, which not only brings something informative to the table but also keeps it light-hearted and interesting. Without a doubt, you’ll fall in love with the amazing cinematography. It’s one of those shows which aren’t just a one-time watch but can be Repeatedly Viewed. I am going with 4.5 stars.