Insectia

Rating:
Summary: insects rule
Review: I bought this dvd collection for my 7yr old son who is totally infatuated with anything in nature. I was not disappointed. Brossard takes us along with him on a trek that spans most of the globe and shows us insects in all their variety and splendor. He draws enough connections between man and insect to make me wonder who is the superior species. By the end of the last dvd (which comes with bloopers) my son wanted to go running off to the amazon rain forest and even I, who shudder at anything with more than four legs, would be willing to reconsider a camping trip. Well worth the money...for anyone who loves "bugs" or knows someone who does.

Rating:
Summary: Spell-binding, fascinating, professionally done
Review: My husband and I have enjoyed several of these episodes. The sound and lighting are always professonally done. The transition from insect to insect is smooth and keeps it from getting tedious. Georges Brossard as the narrator is always intense, but sometimes quiet and sometimes loud. Every episode has kept our complete attention. I can't take my eyes off the screen.

Georges Brossard left his job as an attorney to travel around the world and pursue his interest in insects. He was responsible for the creation of the Montreal Insectarium and has been mandated by the Audobon Organization to create an insectarium in New Orleans. (The Insectia web page has more information.) His vision is to make insects interesting to everyday people, including children. I think he is succeeding.

Rating:
Summary: Spell-binding, fascinating, professionally done
Review: My husband and I have enjoyed several of these episodes. The sound and lighting are always professonally done. The transition from insect to insect is smooth and keeps it from getting tedious. Georges Brossard as the narrator is always intense, but sometimes quiet and sometimes loud. Every episode has kept our complete attention. I can't take my eyes off the screen.

Georges Brossard left his job as an attorney to travel around the world and pursue his interest in insects. He was responsible for the creation of the Montreal Insectarium and has been mandated by the Audobon Organization to create an insectarium in New Orleans. (The Insectia web page has more information.) His vision is to make insects interesting to everyday people, including children. I think he is succeeding.

Rating:
Summary: Dissapointment
Review: THis is not a documentary about insects. It is a collection of amature caliber location shots starring the commentator - sparingly peppered with stock footage of bugs purchased from WGBH and others. The only thing that is good about this set is the packaging that it comes in - which is what led me to purchase it. It is, however, quite deceptive as to what the content of the DVD's actually is. I cannot emphasize enough - If you want a box set about the "Crocodile Hunter" of the insect world shot with a cheap video camera - this is your DVD. If you were looking for information and footage of insects (as I was) you will be totally dissapointed.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: When I purchased this DVD I was expecting to watch a documentary the level of BBC or National Geographic. Unfortunately the scientific informations provided by this video scarcely fill one disc and the remaining topics in other 3 discs are only about curiosities, popular beliefs, ancient legends and bugs being used as medicine and food. Differently from David Attenborough's serious documentaries where his interference is minimun and necessary, the presence of Georges Brossard (a mixture of actor, clown and ontologist) is annoying. He wishes to be the star of the show more than the insects. Unbelievably, even the scientfic informations provided by him are limited and not new: The only insects' way-of-life he focus in detail are ants and termites but all of these informations can be found in documentaries not specialized in insects such as BBC's The Life of Plants and Trials of Life. The two stars go to some beautiful closes on insects and that's all.