Am a big fan of nature documentaries, especially the work of David Attenborough. Having been recommended 'Wild Patagonia' on here while being on a documentary binge, it was instantly put down on my list as a must see. Also heard nothing but praise for it, which has nearly always been a good sign, so that further sparked interest.
'Wild Patagonia' may not be among the best documentaries there is and falls short just of masterpiece and piece of art status, then again this is coming from someone who thinks highly of nature documentaries but always expects a lot. It is still excellent, its best parts actually feeling much more than just a documentary. Throughout it's an awe-inspiring, utterly transfixing experience that should have lasted longer than the three episodes it had, for a look at amazing scenery and its wildlife it is a more than recommendable watch.
Not really anything wrong here, the subtitles perplex a little perhaps at times and the sound is occasionally underpowered but the good (or shall one say brilliant) far outweighs the not so good.
It is hard knowing when to start with the praise. 'Wild Patagonia' for starters may lack the cinematic quality of some other documentaries but nonetheless looks amazing. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate (a great way of connecting even more with the animals), way and never looking static. The scenery and habitats are some of the most breath-taking personally seen anywhere, whether in visual media and real life. The rich colours just leap out and the scenery from this part of the world has rarely looked more beautiful. The music here is a remarkably good fit, throughout it not only complements the visuals but enhances them and there is an authentic flavour to it.
What of the narrative and information aspects? Can find little to fault 'Wild Patagonia' in this aspect either. The narration has a great well-balanced mix of facts that will be familiar to the viewer and others that will induce the right amount of surprise. In short, it's just fascinating, informative and thoughtful.
From start to finish, 'Wild Patagonia' managed to intrigue and illuminate, and there is a freshness to the material, not feeling derivative of anything. The narration is delivered articulately, there's an enthusiasm and precision about the delivery and it never feels preachy and always lets the scenery and such speak for itself.
The wildlife themselves are a wonderful mix of the adorable and the dangerous, and one actually finds they're rooting for them in exactly the same way they would a human character. Seeing them adapting to, surviving and interacting with their habitats is fascinating to watch. There is a good deal of suspense and emotional impact. There are some scenes where one is amazed that they managed to be filmed in the first place.
In all the three episodes, 'Wild Patagonia' feels much more than a series and it doesn't feel episodic or repetitive. The episodes instead feel like their own story, without being too reliant on that approach, with real, complex emotions and animal characters developed in a way a human character would in a film but does it better than several.
Concluding, excellent. 9/10 Bethany Cox
