Pole To Pole With Michael Palin
1992
Join Monty Python's Michael Palin on his second globetrotting adventure from Pole to Pole. Travelling from the North to the South Poles using only land and sea transport, he dodges polar bears, consults with doctors, and watches his luggage melt in the African sun. Read more
| Starring | Michael Palin |
|---|---|
| Genres | Special Interest, Television |
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Critics' reviews
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"...Other travel shows Palin to insignificance compared to this one--never before has globetrotting been so amusing..."
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Most helpful members' reviews (3)
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11 out of 11 people found this review helpful
More travel exploits for Michael Palin
Michael Palin follows his successful 'Around The World in Eighty Days' with a journey from the North Pole to the South Pole, using only land transport except for the hops to the poles, keeping as close as possible to 30? East.
This line takes him across Scandinavia, a Soviet Union which collapsed behind him, Turkey and Cyprus, and the full length of Africa. Without the 80-day target, the journey lacks some of the urgency of its predecessor, and some of the set-pieces fail to live up to the more spontaneous encounters and events which enliven his journey. It is these informal meetings with the friendly people of the world, somewhat dazzled by this weird chap rushing up to them with a film-crew in tow, that help to illustrate the diversity of our world and help us armchair travellers to meet people we would never do otherwise.
The route down the spine of Africa is what makes this journey something special. Away from Africa, the somewhat contrived rules about land travel and the route, broken where convenient, take away some of the magic, but this is still very enjoyable viewing.
The eight 50-minute episodes are split 3, 3, and 2 across the discs, with a half-hour interview with Palin on the third disc well worth watching. -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Not to be Missed
Excellent journey that needs to be seen, if you missed it first time around. Palin seems to make it look rather easy but, I would love to know how much planning and forthought went into this prior to the journey
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Good in part
I just watched the first disc of the 3in this series. Whilst i enjoyed it overall I found certain aspects Palins behaviour rather annoying. In particular during encounters with various colourful characters on his travels he persists on engaging in conversations in which neither party understands a word the other is saying. Perhaps this is supposed to be funny butthe joke wears off after you have seen it repeated a few times. And then we have his Monty Python moments when Palin drops into comic mode to enliven the narrative. I found the humour often contrived at these times; i found his vignette of the parrot sketch in a Leningrad state supermarket particularly grating. Perhaps the magic is wearing a bit thin for me but a couple of scenes i did enjoy were sadistically at his expense; these included Palin being beaten (hard) with Birch twigs in a Finnish Sauna and being sat on and pounded by a rather fat Turkish masseur in a Steam bath in Constantinople. That'll teach him ...
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Most recent members' reviews (2)
View all -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Great
Michael Palin travels through Africa on one of his most ardous journeys, many things go wrong which always make for more entertaining programmes, highly recommended!
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Palin the performer
I found this DVD to be very entertaining. Palin has a great way of describing cirmstances and the people that he meets. The excitable lady in a put up pool on a ship, vodka drinking from illegal stills and mud in very undelightful places.
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11 out of 11 people found this review helpful
More travel exploits for Michael Palin
Michael Palin follows his successful 'Around The World in Eighty Days' with a journey from the North Pole to the South Pole, using only land transport except for the hops to the poles, keeping as close as possible to 30? East.
This line takes him across Scandinavia, a Soviet Union which collapsed behind him, Turkey and Cyprus, and the full length of Africa. Without the 80-day target, the journey lacks some of the urgency of its predecessor, and some of the set-pieces fail to live up to the more spontaneous encounters and events which enliven his journey. It is these informal meetings with the friendly people of the world, somewhat dazzled by this weird chap rushing up to them with a film-crew in tow, that help to illustrate the diversity of our world and help us armchair travellers to meet people we would never do otherwise.
The route down the spine of Africa is what makes this journey something special. Away from Africa, the somewhat contrived rules about land travel and the route, broken where convenient, take away some of the magic, but this is still very enjoyable viewing.
The eight 50-minute episodes are split 3, 3, and 2 across the discs, with a half-hour interview with Palin on the third disc well worth watching. -
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Not to be Missed
Excellent journey that needs to be seen, if you missed it first time around. Palin seems to make it look rather easy but, I would love to know how much planning and forthought went into this prior to the journey
-
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Good in part
I just watched the first disc of the 3in this series. Whilst i enjoyed it overall I found certain aspects Palins behaviour rather annoying. In particular during encounters with various colourful characters on his travels he persists on engaging in conversations in which neither party understands a word the other is saying. Perhaps this is supposed to be funny butthe joke wears off after you have seen it repeated a few times. And then we have his Monty Python moments when Palin drops into comic mode to enliven the narrative. I found the humour often contrived at these times; i found his vignette of the parrot sketch in a Leningrad state supermarket particularly grating. Perhaps the magic is wearing a bit thin for me but a couple of scenes i did enjoy were sadistically at his expense; these included Palin being beaten (hard) with Birch twigs in a Finnish Sauna and being sat on and pounded by a rather fat Turkish masseur in a Steam bath in Constantinople. That'll teach him ...
-
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Palin the performer
I found this DVD to be very entertaining. Palin has a great way of describing cirmstances and the people that he meets. The excitable lady in a put up pool on a ship, vodka drinking from illegal stills and mud in very undelightful places.
-
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Great
Michael Palin travels through Africa on one of his most ardous journeys, many things go wrong which always make for more entertaining programmes, highly recommended!
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superb
Absoutely wonderful entertainment. cant wait for disc 2
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Palin the master
I read this book a few years ago and it was the best series he has every done.
The DVD does not do itself jutice -
very interesting
This is Michael Palin at his very best. It starts right at the north pole and he ends up in the Sudan. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of it. I have quite a good geographical mind so I could follow in my own mind where he was travelling from and to.
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Palin Strikes Again
Ok, so it's a documentary but, hey, Palin is at his best.
Scenery is breathtaking, the narative is informative but it's Palin himeslf that is a joy to watch. His quick whit and the fact he gets drunk, it's well worth watching.
Critics' reviews
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"...Other travel shows Palin to insignificance compared to this one--never before has globetrotting been so amusing..."
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- Pole To Pole With Michael Palin
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Join Monty Python's Michael Palin on his second globetrotting adventure from Pole to Pole. Travelling from the North to the South Poles using only land and sea transport, he dodges polar bears, ... -
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