Animal Nation - Spiders - The Whole Story

I'm wondering if the previous reviewer has reviewed the right disc! I disagree with the previous opinion about the narration and think the documentary is just aimed at a broad audience of all ages and interests - suitable for children of 8 and up but without the manic tones of programmes like Deadly 60 which are produced specifically for children.

As a zoo keeper working with spiders on a daily basis, I found this to be detailed and engrossing. I didn't learn a great deal I didn't already know, but I'm no beginner. I also found a lot of the facts I share with my school groups included, and unlike with other documentaries I've seen, it sticks to the facts.

There are some wonderful close up shots of mating sequences and egg laying and although the makers don't have the budget of the BBC Natural History Unit I think they've done themselves proud.

This isn't going to win over an arachnophobe, because of some of the graphic shots, but I do like the way they present spiders - perfectly adapted for what they do, incredible predators and behaviourally fascinating creatures. The key point? - they're not actually all that dangerous to us humans! There are some spiders with incredibly toxic venoms, but like all animals they wont attack non-prey without provocation.

I certainly don't feel I've wasted my time in watching this and would recommend it to my colleagues and children's group at work as one to watch!

If you like your wildlife documentaries to have a narrator that talks to you as if you were a seven year old child, then this is the DVD for you. If you plan to rent this out for your children then maybe that would be ok. The subject is a fascinating one that could have been filled with fascinating facts and insight into the world of predatory spiders, I was left feeling cheated, the delivery and narrative were both on a level with Thomas The Tank Engine, hardly compatable with one of the worlds most intriguing and deadly predators. I switched this off after five minutes.

Another point the makers of this DVD should be ashamed of: It has no subtitles.