An Inconvenient Truth rating: asin: B000ICL3KG binding: DVD list price: $19.99 USD amazon price: $14.99 USD

I must admit I was planning on avoiding this film. We try to do everything we can to reduce, reuse and recycle at our house, and we're also very energy use conscious. We have two young children and we are deeply worried about their future. I didn't want to watch a film that I figured would further depress me and keep me up at night. The title also led me to believe that it would be quite political, perhaps even angry in tone.

I was wrong to avoid it. An Inconvenient Truth is a hopeful, cogent documentary on both climate change and Al Gore. The film focuses on Gore giving what he calls his "slide show" - a multimedia explanation of what climate change is, and how it is impacting us, what it could do if left unchecked and so on. Gore manages to hit all the right notes with his latest iteration - he doesn't stint on the science or the consequences. He respects his audience's intelligence without overwhelming them with technical jargon and explanations. He also does a very good job of dispelling the myths about climate change.

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.