Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Steven Patterson Neill is engaging, and the topic is presented in a natural, conversational manner. But is this really an original series? The script seems in places at least to follow Carl Sagan's Cosmos series, which ran decades ago. I want to think it's a consequence of similar subject matter, but some of the phrases are identical - "star stuff", "billions and billions", etc. Of course it's been some time since Cosmos aired, and today's audience may be too young to recall it, too lacking in attention span to sit through the statelier pace, and too critical of the dated visual effects. It seems this newer series achieves a brisker pace and wider audience by avoiding the pitfall of explaining how we "know," for instance, that life does not exist on other planets in our solar system.This shorter series, presented by a professional actor (he should do a disclaimer "I'm not a scientist, but I've played one in cinema") in lieu of a genuine scientist like Sagan or Hawking (or a historian/journalist like James Burke) may better appeal to a younger crowd, with less interest in fussy details like actual evidence.

dan-2291 In an age where fundamentalism is on the rise and science is under attack - its is documentaries like these that should inspire imaginations and help the layman to appreciate the depth and breadth of science. Instead, this whole documentary skips over the real good stuff and focuses on doomsday scenarios...constantly! Countless times Sam would talk about an aspect of space and then somehow find a way to link it to the end of the world...then comes the dramatic music and a 3D model of the Earth blowing up.Incredible shame that someone like the BBC with its financial means and influence would resort to a Macdonalds wrapped sensationalist piece of garbage devoid of real science. Think I will stick to PBS for 'real' science documentaries from now on. Don't bother with this tripe!

highflying_falcon Sam Neill continues to stun audiences again after "Jurassic Park" in this beautifully directed and presented documentary. Like Stanley Kubrick's movie "2001, A Space Odyssey", the vastness of space shows just how truly amazing our universe really is and just how insignificant mankind is on Earth.The computer graphics are terrific and anyone who criticizes about how boring this documentary is because of the lack of action, obviously need to get out more and experience the world.After watching this documentary series I have developed a new appreciation for life on Earth and in the universe, and maybe like Sam Neill suggests we might one day be able to travel to new exotic locations in this awesome universe.

jap_baker When it comes to making good, informative and visually stunning documenters, the BBC stand head and shoulders above the rest. Shows like `Space' and `Walking with Dinosaurs' may not be hard-science, but they are good-science and understandable. I have a scientific education, but I still love shows like this. It helps you to understand things by placing them in a visually captivating way.If you want hard facts and hard science, go watch `The open university', if you want to understand what's going on without needing a PhD in Astrophysics, watch `Space'.