Search - Man vs. Wild: Season 2 on DVD

Pessimists, doubters & naysayers....bitter with life

Samuel Taylor Coolridge | Miami, OK | 01/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Apparently the survival experts have spoken and MAN VS WILD = SUPERMEGA FAKE. That's alright with me; I am an idiot who enjoys "dumbed down" productions such as Man vs. Wild moreso than I enjoy watching Survivorman, a show in which the adventurer (i.e. Les) sits around a campfire for 7 days while he plays his harmonica and does nothing else. Survivor experts are we???...yeah...ok. I guess Surviorman is one who brings the excitement of hiking to the screen-he walks to a spot, camps in a spot and does not move.

Bear Grylls (or should I say the infamous Ed...) may camp in "hotels," he may eat pieces of steak instead of badgers, he may jump through sheets of ice into a secretly hidden hot-tub beneath the surface of a "frozen lake," he may even use "smoke machines" to simulate the gaseous, boiling properties of lava, but he nevertheless is more of a survival expert than you and me. Any man or woman who goes into nature and puts his/herself into situations in which he/she shows inexperienced outdoorsman how to escape quicksand, animal threats, etc. has my respect. I suppose the beetle grubs he eats are fake as well.... After using these techniques he displayed for creating compasses, building camps, and even learning of the different types of insects and plants that are edible in regions I myself have visited (i.e. the Moab desert and the Badlands), there is no doubt in my mind that the things he teaches are relevant and useful. While he may not camp through the entire night or eat every single disgusting insect/animal upon which he appears to dine, he nevertheless shows people what to do in moments of emergency.

I have faith in Bear/Ed, his camera crew, and the survival experts with whom he explores. While I do not doubt that some things are staged (i.e. the disclaimer at the beginning of the show states this), there is no way one can completely discount the show, even if that SURVIVAL EXPERT does not agree with the techniques he employs. Further, I have a hard time believing that the Discovery Channel would allow a show to air on their TV station that bore absolutely NO truth and applicability. That is simply ignorant. Bear Grylls is a genius and he should not have to suffer verbal abuse from naysaying simpletons.

Do not allow the negative, pessimistic reviews from those angry with and at life deter you from purchasing this DVD. Buy this DVD and you will know how to survive; more importantly, buy this DVD and you will also know what it means to be human. I will cease writing now, as I aim to write a review and not an essay."

Amazing show!

Paul Stevens | oklahoma state,OK USA | 01/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"great for the price. 13 episodes. and as a bonus there's bears mission everest. great buy."

Great entertainment value!

J. Davis | Burlington, CT | 01/02/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Despite all of the controversy surrounding the show, I think season 2 is great. Note that if you get it through the Discovery Store, like I did, its been available since August. In any event, if you take the show for what it is and not for absolute authenticity, then you will probably like it as much as I did. If you are dead set on Bear spending the night in every camp he builds or every encounter being total coincidence and never staged, then maybe this isn't for you. I personally would rather see a staged event to demonstrate techniques rather than an uneventful walk through the forest! For the amazing landscapes the show offers, the fast paced adventure and seeing Bear eat snakes, worms, spiders and all the rest, it will always be worth it to me.

On a side note, I thought season one was slightly better (the first released set, not the edited set that comes with 2 discs in the same package!) based on more varying places all over the world, and more consistent format. Still tho, this is a great buy and I hope we will see more of Bear Grylls."

Great Show!

George Casanova | Atlanta, Ga. | 05/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great show. Bear shows you different ways to survive in the wilderness or on the beach or in the mountains or the desert or where ever they decide to drop him off, all of which are beautifully shot countrysides. Yes he has a camera crew, yes hes is given some info and help in different situations for him to present to you. so if you don't like that you might not be into this show some people compare him to survivor man Les Stroud which is another one of my favorite shows although Man vs. Wild is a more action packed, because he doesn't have to spend his time lugging around camera gear and trying to get good shots of himself doing these things."