Narrated
By: Terry Macdonald
Director:
Chris Lent
Executive
Producer: John Smithson
Feature
length: 92 minutes
Languages:
English Stereo Sound
Subtitles:
N/A
Packaging:
Amaray Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 12
Sound:
Stereo Sound
Year
of DVD Release: 2002
Television
Broadcast Network: The Discovery Channel
Home
Video Distributor: Artisan Family Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: Not Rated
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
“What
Killed The Mega Beasts?” aired on The Discovery Channel last August and was
released on DVD by Artisan Family Home Entertainment just a few weeks ago.
Unlike “When Dinosaurs Roamed America” or “Walking With Prehistoric
Beasts” this is not a complete CGI narrated look at wild life in prehistoric
times, but rather a more traditional documentary with various scientist like
paleontologists and anthropologists essaying various theories regarding what
caused the sudden, in geologic time, disappearance of various strange animals
that were found in places as diverse as North America, Australia, and New
Zealand. Using CGI animation, the documentary brings such creatures back to life
as the Marsupial Lion, the 17-foot Giant Beaver, a 9-foot tall flightless bird,
the Giant Lemur, Giant Ground Sloth, and of course the Wholly Mammoth. Most of
the creatures have never been dramatized before using CGI animation and the
quality is comparable to most contemporary documentaries that have aired on The
Discovery Channel.
Detailing
the chill theory, that states the animals died from one of the world’s many
ice ages, the kill theory, which states they were hunted to extinction by early
man, and the ill theory, which states that a cross species virus killed off
these great mammals are all discussed with compelling evidence to support all
three theories, but nothing conclusive. The documentary is thought provoking and
the size demonstrations between these animals and their modern day counterparts
using real fossils are astonishing, but “What Killed The Mega Beasts?” slows
down a little too much toward the middle. The documentary could have been just
as informative and more entertaining at 60 minutes instead of 92 minutes, but as
a whole the subject matter for those who are interested is handled very well as
one can expect always from The Discovery Channel.
Artisan
Family Home Entertainment presents “What Killed The Mega Beasts?” in a 16 by
9 widescreen aspect ratio with a clear English Stereo Soundtrack to match the
picture, but no subtitle options. There are no extra features included on this
DVD and the menus are standard interactive still frames that are very
rudimentary and easy to navigate.
“What
Killed The Mega Beasts?” is available on DVD-Video now from Artisan Family
Home Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.