Rating: 
Summary: Wondrous, but I'd rather hear Sir David than the music...
Review: This is a beautifully filmed and presented documentary series, though that goes without saying if it's done by David Attenborough and his crew. I'm not sure if it's my cheap DVD player or the discs themselves, however, that are the cause of my only complaint. The music and effects, especially in the opening episode are so loud compared to Attenborough's narration that it must be turned up to an almost uncomfortable level to understand him over it. Coming from the Life of Birds series, which is flawless IMO, this was a disappointment. The scenes caught on film certainly are not! The episode travelling down to the deepest regions of the ocean provide probably the most fascinating visuals you'll ever see. You will literally be amazed that such creatures are actually a living part of the world that are almost completely unknown to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: A must see for all divers
Review: This is a great series. I bought those 4 DVDs (including 8 documentaries) 6 months ago and since then, my wife and me, we watch it plus 100 times. If anybody thinks that I am exaggerating ... Let me tell you this, I use to live in Istanbul/Turkey where we used to dive every weekend. At the moment I live in Chicago and this documentary is the only thing that feeds our underwater hunger :)
Rating:
Summary: Visually stunning; Heavy on Macrofauna
Review: This is a visually stunning series: how do they get these shots?!! However, the subject matter leans HEAVILY toward larger animals and doesn't delve into the subtleties of the marine environment. Focusing primarily on marine biology, there is sparse information of phytoplankton blooms, no microbial coverage, and no coverage of other aspects of the marine environment (e.g., marine geology, physical oceangraphy, etc). Regardless, this series is a great introduction to the wonders of marine animals.
Rating:
Summary: Breath taking
Review: This is just an absolutely breathing taking series. The photography is utterly amazing. The narative is great, informative and well paced. It is with good reason that other reviewers say to watch this on HDTV (and a home theater system) though it's still incredible if you have a regular tv. All four parts are great. A small warning for young kids though, the end of one of the DVD's shows killer whales "playing" with a seal pup. Not playing nice -- but tossing it like a ball between them. Otherwise, it's pretty tame (well, there are fish swalling other fish whole, but nothing grusome
Rating:
Summary: Wonderous work for the entire family
Review: We first rented two of the four dvds. Given the number of oohs and aaahs and the conversation these generated between my children, my wife and I made a rare call to buy, rather than rent, the set. We are were not disappointed. The videography and editing is spectacular, the narration both insightful and engaging and the educational experience is truly illuminating. It is very clear that an incredible amount of work went into these documentaries. If you want a grand look at the 70% of our world that is water, buy this dvd set.
Rating:
Summary: Received as gift. It makes a great gift!
Review: We've ventured out in space but we barely know about our own planet! What we see in this 6 1/2 hour DVD set, took several years to create. The images alone are breathtaking. Great for kids of all ages!
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: WOW! I recently returned from scuba diving in Australia, Bali, and Palau as part of a larger 7 month world trip. This video set further opened my eyes to the beauty underneath and above our waters and how it all relates. I was almost entirely speechless the first few episodes - except for when I uttered frequently - (...)...or the sound of my gagging in disbelief. The adrenaline dropped a little during the the 3rd and 4th CDs, but there are clips in those that made my jaw drop too! The "Deep Trouble" featurette / segment on the 4th CD is highly recommended too. I visited Tokyo, Japan - Tsukiji fish market - in Dec 2003 and saw the Bluefin Tuna auction first hand, among other sites - wow! If you never thought the world could be overfished, or don't act like it is - you must go to Tokyo and see the market first hand. It's free to go in! We should take some of the next round of $50 billion used for the Iraq war and buy a copy of this and send it to every *household* in America. There would be even enough to give a free DVD player to those wihtout. Europe and Japan should do the same. There would still be money left over to send to Iraq too!
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