Rating: 
Summary: Amazing and thought provoking.
Review: My family, Christian friends, skeptical friends, and myself enjoyed this DVD very much. This is a great, less technical, companion to Michael J. Behe's book 'Darwin's Black Box.'
This DVD goes into some detail about how, at the base of life, is information that cannot be accounted for by mere natural processes. It is not a Christian DVD per se', but the information presented certainly does add a modicum of credibility to a Biblical Creation model, as well as the Christian world-veiw as a whole. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in bio-chemistry, religion, or science in general.
Rating: 
Summary: Good information but...
Review: "Unlocking the Mystery of Life," is the first video from the creationist perspective that is on par with the production values of most of the evolutionly slanted programs one might find on PBS or the Discovery Channel.The video is divided basically into two segments dealing mostly with Michael Behe's Irreducible Complexity argument and William Demski's Design Inference arguments. Each segment making it's own case for the Intelligent Design movement. There are many other Scientists that also contribute to the debate including Stephen Meyer, Jonathan Wells, and Dean Kenyon to name a few. The video contains a wealth of information about the history of Darwinian evolution, some of the problems with chemical evolution, and the origin of information rich systems found in all life forms. The only issue I have with the video is that they ignore what I can guess is the main complaint Neo-Darwinists would have to the information presented. Neo-Darwinists believe in the RNA world and that self replicating RNA is the basis for all other forms of life. If they had addressed the formation of self replicating RNA by natural processes and demonstrated how difficult and improbable that would be, this vidoev would be a death nail into the coffin of the origin of life psuedo scientists. The DVD has some extra feature including a question and answer section in which the featured scientists answer questions related to evolution and intelligent design.
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Summary: Texas Two-Step Around the Content of this Brilliant Film
Review: "Unlocking" offers a brilliant and visually-stunning presentation of Intelligent Design theory, the scientific movement that puts forth the notion that intelligence and design brought for the complexity of living things. If the film were mere pseudoscience, it would not be airing on PBS in Miami, New York, Maryland, LA and elsewhere. Nearly 200 scientists have signed as skeptics of natural selection's ability to produce the incredible complexity of life (a list of 100 such scientists originally appeared in the New York Times Book Review supplement). As "Unlocking" demonstrates, design is not a default position. Rather, in the same way that we infer design when we encounter "John loves Mary" written in the sand on the beach, or Mount Rushmore carved out of the Black Hills of South Dakota, so we infer design from the complexity of life, in the absence of any natural selection/chance vehicle that can produce life on this scale. While the video does not take on RNA self-replication (it went bye bye as a legit model of early life 10-15 years ago), it does answer co-option (the idea that existing molecular machines were pieced together with pre-existing parts that may have previously served another function). "Unlocking" offers an excellent introduction into a scientific movement that is sweeping across campuses, communities and airwaves. In its wake, scientific elitism and naturalistic biases are left only to tread water in a vast ocean of discovery and legitimate scientific endeavor. I recommend it highly!
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Summary: ...Region free, will play on all DVDs
Review: A simply stunning video. Do NOT watch this unless you are fully prepared to throw your evolutions beliefs out the window. Christian scientists have oft said that it takes more faith to believe in evolution than God, and this video reveals why! That said, this video does not discuss God in any way, it is pure science from absolute leaders in the field.
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Summary: The Evidence is Clear
Review: Although more people would by the VHS Video version, click on the Amazon DVD version for additional reviews. Unlocking The Mystery Of Life refers back to Darwin's writings of one hundred fifty years ago and leads us through recent discoveries of the complexity of cell functions and components. Along the way we have Dr. Dean Kenyon who in the 1960's had written the definitive work on the chemical version of evolution, that has been widely used in colleges and graduate schools. Kenyon's textbook was "Biochemical Predestination". Given the scientific discoveries in molecular biology and genetics of the last twenty years, Dr. Dean Kenyon and other scientists in this video (Stephen Meyer, Michael Behe, Jonathan Wells, Scott Minnich, Paul Nelson, and William Dembski) have completely discarded Darwin's Theory of Evolution. Two examples of Darwin Theory's failure given in the video are the thousands of different complex molecular machines that interrelate in the cell's manufacturing processes as well as the detailed programming instructions for those machines. The video uses computer-generated animation showing the building of these machines from amino acids into proteins, and finally the particular machine structure and function itself. The machine example in the video is a relatively simple one: the bacteria flagellum - specifically, the "outboard motor" assembly that runs the 100 thousand RPM tail of the bacteria. The "modern" Darwin scientist counter argument of "co-option" is also addressed...
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Summary: Beginning of the End
Review: As I read all the shrill complaining issuing from the camp of the philosophical naturalists I cannot fail to be impressed by the lack of substantive criticism of this outstanding video. The best "smoking gun" the critics can offer is this: "Illustra Media has a tenuous link to the Discovery Institute and Access Research Network". That is it! There is no criticism of the content other than various incoherent grumblings about "pseudo science" and other forms of embarrassingly barren name calling. What the high priests of Darwin have greatly feared has come upon them in the form of a tight, concise, and intellectually satisfying film that is a must see for anyone who is interested in truly stimulating cutting edge science. The intelligent design movement, with films like this, has exposed the arid religious sage-craft and intellectual airlessness of the Neo-Darwinian movement for all to see. What further evidence does one need than the spectacle of Darwinists screaming, like offended Mullahs: "Cover your eyes, don't look upon these blasphemies!" and "The bad people who made this are creationist INFIDELS, I tell you, because they don't believe like we do!". And with more films coming (see: "Icons of Evolution" and the soon to be released "Privileged Planet") the design paradigm is poised to win the minds and hearts of people who value true critical thinking. Try as the priests of Darwin may, they cannot silence this voice or suppress this movement. They might as well try to hold back the tide or grasp oil in their hands. Watch this film, give it the benefit of tough, fair minded examination and you will not be disappointed. Run and hide Darwinist, for your day in the sun is over and the end of your reign of error is at hand. Unlocking the Mystery of Life is the beginning of the end for the Cult of Darwin. Notes on the Film: 1. There is no jarring music in this video. This is a serious production which all age levels and tastes can enjoy. Those scrupulous of the "rock beat" can view this film with confidence. 2. Exceptional animation is the rule in this film. In particular the sequence on protean synthesis from DNA Transcription, through messenger RNA translation, to the folding of the chain of amino acids into a protean is one you will want to watch again and again. The bacterial flagellum animation is wondrously stimulating. The producers even make the function of the humble mousetrap interesting to watch. 3. The film contains stimulating narrative from which even grade school children are able to learn. The high school level student will find this material sufficiently challenging while the undergraduate student can use it as a springboard to encourage deeper study of information science and molecular biology.
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Summary: Deceitful! Creationism pretending to be science
Review: Flashy production values and clever computer animation cannot hide the fact that this presentation is very long on wishful thinking and very short on actual science. As should be obvious to anyone viewing the program, this is nothing but Creationism trying to give itself an air of scientific respectability. However, to do so, the proponents of so-called "intelligent design" must stoop to fallacious reasoning, selective omission of fact, and appeals to ignorance rather than reason. Anyone brought into the fold via this...will only have been converted by deceit. This product, and indeed "intelligent design" itself, is an affront to rational thinking and a direct insult to any person of faith who is not swayed by empty arguments. Avoid this program in all its forms, whether on VHS, DVD, or on PBS.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent work.
Review: Good introduction to the Intellingent Design movement. Very compelling evidence. (In regard to those who maintian that no evidence is presented, I am curious as to which video they were watching; or are they giving negative reviews in an attempt to discourage people from viewing it?) The ID movement is making such inroads with the presentation of their views that even the famous atheist, Anthony Flew, has now moved to a belief in a creator God. I highly rcommend this video having used it with High School and older ages with excellent results.
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Summary: Factual, careful, artful exposition of intelligent design
Review: Having followed the intelligent design movement since its inception, most of the material in this video was not new to me. However, the depictions are apt and really awe-inspiring--especially those in the last one third of the video. When you see a computer simulation of specified complexity at the molecular level, it sticks in your consciousness. Sheer dumb luck could not have done this. I have seen this presentation three times. Each time I am impressed with the comments of the experts and the care in which the challenging material is presented. The subject is approached in a calm and scientific manner. The audio clips are long enough to explain tough concepts. Especially telling is the interview with Dr. Dean Kenyon, a pretigious scientist and author who eventually gave up on chance and necessity as the parents of human life--and this after defending it in a well-received volume called "Biochemical Predestination." He marvels at the nature of life and argues that a mindless universe could not have generated it. In an age awash with stupid, pointless, and sensational vidiocy, this video presentation stands out as a unique and important achievement for the young intelligent design movement. One can learn much from it about some things that truly matter. When I showed "Unlocking the Mystery of Life" to my class at Denver Seminary, the students spontaneously applauded at the end. Just to add an emotive comment, it gives me goosebumps. But please don't just view this, read about the intelligent design movement: Phillip Johnson, "Darwin on Trial," William Dembski, "Intelligent Design," Thomas Woodward, "Doubts About Darwin," and many others. Douglas Groothuis
Rating: 
Summary: Give me a Break
Review: I currently live in New York; but while reading other people's responses to the video, I felt like I was in Pulaski, TN(where the KKK was formed). How ignorant can you get? Philosophically, the video's importance in the examination of creation is very significant, but the theories it suggests are pathetic. Just like any culture throughout history which has encountered something confusing and inexplicable, these scientists(if they're still even worthy of that title) have done the unthinkable. They have suggested a theory of 'intelligent design' because they are incapable of discovering a truly scientific originof life. "Well, this Double-Helix [stuff] is way to complicated for me. I know! Maybe GOD designed it, and since He's perfect, I'm not meant to completely understand it." Give me a break!
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