This perfectly serviceable and somewhat conventional documentary tracks the daily struggle to survive for an assortment of wild animals. Adhering to the tried and tested tropes of nature documentaries, this one offers a discreet set of vignettes featuring assorted fauna in the full spectrum of landscapes (tropical, arctic, deserts and so on), usually in danger from predators or environmental risks. It subtextually reinforces the usual message about the diversity and resilience of nature and is sprinkled with a smattering of anthropomorphism.
So here are many of the usual suspects: tenacious reptiles, adorably fierce pouncing pussycats (in this case servals, a type of African wild cat), daft zebras, bears rubbing themselves on trees set to corny lounge music, and so on. Judging by the release date, the intended audience is families, which is why there’s not a lot of gore or Werner Herzog-style emphasis on the brutality of nature.
Robert Redford’s soporific narration is functional but lacks the character or intelligence of David Attenborough. At least the ultra-high-definition cinematography, terrifyingly crisp and elegantly composed, will ensure this a place on specialist 4K channel schedules and streaming services sub-categories that until now have been mostly reliant on old Attenborough material or footage of burning logs.
