Over the years, Animal Planet, the Discovery Channel, PBS, and motion picture documentaries have basically covered every animal and every aspect of nature known to man. Nothing has gone unnoticed (even Meerkats have their own show!) and I was beginning to think that I had seen it all. I was wrong. The 11 part "Planet Earth" is unlike anything we have seen before.

"Planet Earth" is a massive documentary series (narrated by David Attenborough) that spotlights mountains, deserts, fresh water, caves, ice worlds, plains, jungles, shallow and deep seas, and forests all over the world. In addition to discussing the various landscapes and bodies of water, we get a glimpse of the animals that inhabit each location and how their survival depends not only on the land they live on, but other animals as well. "Planet Earth" is the nature documentary to end all nature documentaries. Where else can you see incredibly detailed time lapses of eels snacking on a carcass, tree leaves changing colors or plants and flowers growing right before your very eyes? Where else can you observe camel, locust, Bison, Wildebeest behaviors and lifestyles? Sure, many documentaries have provided a more in depth analysis of the various animals and locations shown in this series, but never before have we been so close to them thanks to the razor sharp HD camera equipment. It's because of this superior technology that the footage in "Planet Earth" has yet to be rivaled. While all 11 parts have eye-popping scenes or a moment that truly moves or affects you, the two most impressive episodes are without a doubt "Caves" and "Shallow Seas." In "Caves," not only do we get an up close look at bats and the bizarre glo-worms, but we even get to explore dangerous, little seen flooded caves in Mexico and other locations around the world. As for "Shallow Seas," I felt this episode was the most visually satisfying of the bunch. The sharks, swarm of sea snakes, vibrant colored reefs, and especially the seabird/humpback whale spectacle had me staring at the screen in amazement. Hollywood can only dream of re-creating images like those. Note: Families thinking of showing this to young children should be warned about some shockingly graphic and tragic scenes, namely the starving polar bear, a sea lion attacking penguins, and a pack of lions preying upon an elephant.

I rarely throw the word "Flawless" around, but it's the best single word to describe the "Planet Earth" picture quality. Seriously folks, this is hands down the best looking disc of 2007. Everything from the colorful trees to the cockroaches appear crystal clear. The Dolby Digital Surround Sound is equally stunning. The bird chirps, running water, bear growls, lion roars, and other assorted noises are as lifelike as actually being there in the wild yourself. The narration by David Attenborough is also clear as day. Note: Sigourney Weaver did the narration for the U.S. version. I would recommend avoiding the U.S. version, however, as it edited out a total of 50 minutes of footage from the 11 episodes.

The "Planet Earth" DVD contains a few extras, but sadly none of them appear on the HD-DVD or Blu Ray versions. It would have been nice to see a making of at the very least.

"Planet Earth" is an epic nature documentary series that should be required viewing. If you have an HD-DVD player, there is no reason not to own this disc. A must buy.