Netflix’s ‘The Dinosaurs’ was a needed trip through time
Netflix’s ‘The Dinosaurs’ was a needed trip through time
If you need to escape the pressures of modern life for a little while, this new docu-series is the perfect solution.
There’s something about dinosaurs that captures the imaginations of almost everyone who learns about them at a young age. Partly because of how difficult it is to conceive just how long ago they lived, and partly because of the size and scope of these animals, dinosaurs ignite a fascination in humanity as few other life forms do.
It’s why people flock to new “Jurassic Park” movies, more than three decades after the first film was released. And it’s why, when Netflix announced a new documentary series about dinosaurs to be narrated by none other than Morgan Freeman, I was instantly intrigued. Having watched the new series “The Dinosaurs,” I can say it more than lived up to the prehistoric expectations I had, and it was my favorite stream of the week.
The first episode of the four-part docuseries introduces viewers to Marasuchus, a progenitor of dinosaurs that lived 235 million years ago. The entire first episode is devoted to animals like Marasuchus, giving valuable insight into the origins of dinosaurs that most docuseries on the subject tend to skip, in favor of getting to the more famous dinos.
The series expertly blends computer-generated environments and animals with footage from the real planet Earth — something I think the show does better than almost any other title about these ancient creatures. The planet was a very different place hundreds of millions of years ago than it is today, and “The Dinosaurs” does a wonderful job of illustrating how different Earth was when dinosaurs and their predecessors ruled it.
The show describes how dinosaurs evolved into the dominant form of life on Earth through its four episodes, chronicling the evolutionary traits that allow them to thrive, the terrifying geological and climatic events that helped them gain mastery over other life forms, and ultimately, the cataclysm that makes room for the age of mammals.
And while “The Dinosaurs” spends plenty of time familiarizing its viewers with lesser-known species, it also gives fans what they want: famed dinosaurs like Stegosaurus and Allosaurus, as well as later species like Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex. Let those call it fan service who will, but there’s really no way to create a show about dinosaurs without including these animals.
Morgan Freeman shepherds viewers through it all with his trademark, calming voice, lending expertise and credibility just by being able to pronounce all the complicated names correctly. Other than Sir David Attenborough, I can’t think of another nature documentary narrator more suited to the role. Netflix clearly knew what it was doing with the choice.
“The Dinosaurs” is perfect for kids with families, but you don’t need to be an adolescent to enjoy the show. There’s nothing juvenile about the production; it’s informative, detailed, and crafted with care. Audiences can stream the show with any Netflix plan, starting with its Standard with Ads tier, costing $8 per month.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”