- Network: Disney+
- Series Premiere Date: Dec 8, 2021
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Critic Reviews
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The soundtrack is relentless, there are banal messages – delivered in artfully lit black-and-white cutaways – about Important Things such as conquering fear, or the beauty of the world; and a cast of photogenic adventurers who accompany Smith. ... Other episodes, as befits a big budget and a Hollywood film-maker’s eye, have moments of real wonder.
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There is a disjointed feel to all of this, because the show (produced by acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky) zips across continents in the space of each episode, some bits featuring Smith and others not. But when the star confesses that he was a frightened, bullied child and hopes to inspire others to conquer their fears, it’s heartening stuff.
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Given the abundance of current nature programming, "Welcome to Earth" doesn't reach the heights of the genre, much less transport anyone out of this world.
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I found myself doing a lot of googling for clarification on information left only half-explained by Smith’s jokey bantering, and I honestly wonder if that’s how Welcome to Earth ended up on Disney+ and not on NatGeo. Again, the reason you’ll want to watch Welcome to Earth is the visuals: Every episode has some piece of imagery, or two or three, that left me slack-jawed. ... I kept wondering why somebody felt the need to add an unnatural star-driven narrative to all of this natural wonderment.