Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
Explores both the untainted beauty of space & the technological advancements that have enabled us to unlock its secrets. Experience first-hand the view from the hubble space telescope & witness seldom seen nasa archival footage. This epic journey of cosmic discovery is an amazing adventure like nothing on earth. Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 12/16/2008 Run time: 400 minutes Rating: Nr

Amazon.com:
Where did it all begin? How did the universe give birth to the sun and its family of planets that form our solar system? How is a bubbling atomic reactor in space the source of warmth and light for life as we know it? Why will Mars be the first planet we colonize? What is the long-term fate of the planets in our solar system? Are we alone? The Planets is an entertaining, comprehensive, and informative A&E documentary series that sets out to answer many of life's most physically existential questions. This series combines scientific history of early scientists, rich knowledge from the leading minds in modern astronomy, and extraordinary image technology to tell the story of our solar system, from its beginnings to the present and beyond. The topics of the eight-volumes are: "Different Worlds," "Terra Firma," "Giants," Moon," "Star," "Atmosphere," "Life Beyond the Sun," and "Destiny." From the sweltering rocky surface of Mercury to the violent stormy skies of Jupiter to the cold, mysterious land of Pluto, The Planets is a fascinating exploration of discovery and adventure for anyone who has looked up into space on a starry night in total amazement. --Rob Bracco

Rating : - Very good...though not quite as "stellar" as some other astronomy documentaries I've seen.
In a nutshell, this set is an in-depth, informative and very interesting look at our solar system. So what more could you wan't? Well...a little more, maybe. I recently watched a documentary called "Roving Mars" - which chronicles the missions of two robotic probes sent there. RM is a perfect example of a fantastic documentary for several reasons: The narrative is well written and inspiring, the narrator(s) are great, the computer-generated graphics are absolutely mind-blowing (and spot-on accurate in every detail BTW), and the score written for the film works with it to really captivate and move you. Unfortunately, all of the things I just mentioned are a tad bit lacking in "The Planets." The narrative is pretty much "just the facts" - which are good facts, to be sure. Still, the narrative reminds me of the type heard in those 60's and 70's movies shown in grade school (I'm 48). As far as the narrator, she comes across as simply someone hired to read an informative script (there are other, more ispired "talking heads" throughout). The graphics vary from great down to slightly "dated." Not to shabby, but nothing compared to the stuff offered in "Roving Mars" (if you're into asronomy and haven't seen RM, trust me, you need to pick it up). I guess I was just hoping to have the kind of documentary I would want to watch repeatedly, and for me that says it all. I have quite a few space documentaries, such as RM, Nova's "To the Moon," and David Sington's "In the Shadow of the Moon" to name a few, and I enjoy watching those again and again. Once I was done with "The Planets" however, I had the feeling it might be a while before I watched it again. But hey, I'm a tough critic and most people will likely enjoy this just fine. My advice would be to get a used copy and save a few bucks. Do check out the other films I mentioned. Cheers and Clear Skies!