History Channel // 2011 // 704 Minutes // Rated PG
Reviewed by Judge Dawn Hunt // March 2nd, 2012
"I know it sounds crazy."
Ancient Aliens: Season Three takes a look at different aspects of culture -- both popular and not -- positing it in ways which aliens could have been involved. And really who doesn't want to know whether the aliens are in league with the zombies?
I dare you to read the following list of episodes and tell me at least one doesn't grab your interest...
* "Aliens and the Old West"
* "Aliens and
Monsters"
* "Aliens and Sacred Places"
* "Aliens
and Temples of Gold"
* "Aliens and Mysterious Rituals"
* "Aliens and Ancient Engineers"
* "Aliens, Plagues, and
Epidemics"
* "Aliens and Lost Worlds"
* "Aliens
and Deadly Weapons"
* "Aliens and Evil Places"
*
"Aliens and the Founding Fathers"
* "Aliens and Deadly
Cults"
* "Aliens and the Secret Code"
* "Aliens
and the Undead"
* "Aliens, Gods, and Heroes"
*
"Aliens and the Creation of Man"
Ancient Aliens relies heavily on interviews. The show works best when the subjects of those interviews actually take details from the histories they're discussing and apply them to (possible) ancient aliens. I've always had an issue with the idea that our ancestors were merely idiots who could never have created anything greater than we're currently capable of, so I was pleased to find this being addressed directly. This season the show specifically asks whether or not the mysteries/ancient alien involvements up for discussion are merely things modern man rediscovered. The interview subjects question whether along the way we lost the knowledge that enables us to see the mystery/alien for what it really was. In other words, it's only a mystery to us now, it wasn't to the people at the time. For a show based on the belief we have been visited in the past by aliens to make the claim it is possible there is merely a gap in knowledge which explains phenomena is ballsy.
Everything presented is a hypothetical interpretation of historical facts. The dramatization of a different way of looking at commonly held theories is interesting and Ancient Aliens consistently relies on this to draw you in.
The real bread and butter of the series is that you cannot watch it and then conclusively state that any view put forth is utterly wrong, because there's not enough evidence either way. It encourages you to think, and in that it succeeds. This season is not as cohesive in terms of subject matter as the first two seasons, and indeed some may find that it recounts too much of what has already been covered in those previous seasons.
The standard definiton 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen visuals have improved over the previous seasons, with minimal digital noise and much less lingering on obviously manipulated shots. It's clear and vivid, in keeping with a show broadcast in the past year. The standard Dolby 2.0 Stereo audio keeps pace and I never had to adjust the levels.
No special features here. Apparently ancient aliens are above such things.
If you're open-minded to the possibilities presented, you'll enjoy Ancient Aliens: Season Three. If you think the idea of aliens is preposterous, why are you reading this review?
Not guilty.
Review content copyright © 2012 Dawn Hunt; Site layout and review format copyright © 1998 - 2013 HipClick Designs LLC
Scales of Justice
Video: 89
Audio: 89
Extras: 0
Story: 81
Judgment: 82
Perp Profile
Studio: History Channel
Video Formats:
* 1.78:1 Anamorphic
Audio Formats:
* Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English)
Subtitles:
* English (SDH)
* Spanish
Running Time: 704 Minutes
Release Year: 2011
MPAA Rating: Rated PG
Distinguishing Marks
* None
Accomplices
* IMDb
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt1643266/combined
* Official Site
http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens