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Miracle Planet
DVD Box Set
Actor: Christopher Plummer
Director: Hideki Tasuke
Genres: Television, Documentary, Mystery & Suspense

G 2006 4hr 10min

Miracle Planet is a five-part series that recounts the profound and gripping story of Earth's mysterious evolution. Narrated by Christopher Plummer , it reveals the surprising role that sheer chance has played in the devel... more »opment of life. Over its more than 4-billion-year history, Earth has been home to repeated violent climactic changes, which have caused mass extinctions. And yet, life has survived. In fact, these same catastrophes that devastated life on Earth also helped bring about its evolution from the simplest microbes to the complexity and diversity that is found on the planet todayFilmed in High Definition this series features location footage, interviews with the world's foremost scientists and cutting-edge computer technology. Programs in this series:

The Violent Past

Earth is a planet born in fire and baptized in ice. Earth grew from the collision of many smaller planets, drawn together by Earth' s gravitational force and melted together from the force and heat of the impact. Some scientists posit the idea that first life emerged on Earth 4.4 billion years ago, and the likely source was simple organisms originating from Mars, as rocks from that planet hurtled through space to land on ours. Snowball Earth

Over the ages, continents have shifted their positions, wind and rain shaping and reshaping the surface. Scientists believe that at least two total ice ages have occurred, each lasting for millions of years. But life in the simplest form might have been able to survive in the depths of the oceans, living from the heat and energy that comes from the Earth itself. New Frontiers

From microbes to the first complex creatures, life was always searching for new frontiers. By 450 million years ago, Earth had become a less violent planet - no longer bombarded by giant meteors from space and the great ice ages had passed. Nothing yet lived on the land, but in the warm and shallow seas that fringed the continents, there was a rich diversity of life. Around this time, fossils capture long extinct creatures on the evolutionary path, aquatic organisms defined by jaws and early limbs. Extinction and Rebirth

The dinosaurs would roam the Earth and ruled for millions of years, until a disaster from space wiped them out and cleared the way for the mammals to rise and dominate the planet. With the early mammals, many steps including the development of opposable thumbs, the ability to walk on two legs and sharper eyesight - would lay the groundwork for primates and the birth of humanity. Survival of the Fittest

The human race is here today because of its ability to adapt. Our ancestors, the earliest mammals, survived low oxygen levels. Later primates developed sharp eyesight and hands that could clasp for nocturnal life in trees. And about 6 million years ago, fossil evidence in Africa tells us, some primates may have begun to walk upright, perhaps because they were forced out of the trees and into the grasslands. Living on Earth truly was the Survival of the Fittest. Features:

English Subtitles

Educator s Guide

Larger Image

Movie Details

Actor: Christopher Plummer
Director: Hideki Tasuke
Genres: Television, Documentary, Mystery & Suspense
Sub-Genres: Television, Documentary, Mystery & Suspense
Studio: Ambrose Video
Format: DVD
DVD Release Date: 02/01/2006
Original Release Date: 01/01/2006
Theatrical Release Date: 01/01/2006
Release Year: 2006
Run Time: 4hr 10min
Number of Discs: 5
SwapaDVD Credits: 5
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 1
Edition: Box set
MPAA Rating: G (General Audience)
Languages: English, Japanese

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Movie Reviews

Almost ashamed to watch it this many times

bit medler | 07/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a spectacular series to see in hd, and the subject matter is often mind blowing. I would highly recommend this to anyone remotely interested in how we as a species came to be and/or in the really incredible history of this planet."

High Def?

D. Means | Yorktown, VA USA | 07/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I would be extremely interested in purchasing this if it were truly High Def as some reviewers have said in their reviews. I don't believe they know the real meaning of high def however! I have watched 2 of the episodes on my HDTV with Dish Network High Def programming and it is spectacular. It would not be as great with a standard DVD unfortunately!

If it is ever released in the Blu-Ray format - I guarantee that I will be one of the first in line to purchase it! That is what High Def is all about."

Still my Favorite DVD series!

BBinEdmonds | Edmonds, WA | 12/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've watched this series many times and it is still just as fascinating as the first time. The story is amazing, and even though I thought I knew a great deal about formation of the earth, this series adds enormously. This set is first on my list when I think of gifts in this price range."