The Life of Mammals rating: asin: B00008OM6K binding: DVD list price: $79.98 USD amazon price: $79.98

I've seen a lot of documentaries on animals in my day; I've also been to a few zoos and read as much as the next guy.

Thus I was expecting the usual from this series - a few interesting tidbits, perhaps some daring close-to-the-target footage, and so on. I wasn't expecting to be utterly fascinated and delighted.

Attenborough, armed with a good film crew and what appears to be the latest equipment for studying and observing animals in the wild, has got a superb documentary here. The footage is highly original, and the technology used isn't hidden. On the contrary, you usually get to see exactly how it is they're getting the critters on film, and the techniques used are quite interesting just on their own.

The stars of course, are the mammals of the title, and I found myself coming away from nearly every segment thinking "I didn't know they did that" about that particular animal's behaviour or abilities.

Attenborough strikes exactly the right tone for the series - serious when he needs to be, but not preachy or heavy-handed; light at other times without coming across as being silly or foolish. In short, he respects the viewer's intelligence.

Highly recommended. Suitable for children if you're comfortable with them seeing a few animal mating scenes; possibly not suited for very young children (ie., under six) with active imaginations as the series doesn't shy away from showing successful prey capture.