It’s challenging to tally up the value of a documentary likeThe Americas. More and more, artists and filmmakers have been clamoring to investigate and preserve the natural wonders of the world with the increasingly complex and detailed technology that’s become available. While I’m most familiar with the classic BBC Earth documentaries that paved the way for series likeThe Americas, the concept of the show is intriguing. North and South America are two enormous continents with hidden niches of biodiversity ready to be explored. However,The Americasdoesn’t bring anything new to the table through visuals or storytelling.
Tom Hankshas the tough but enviable job of being the voice of the animalsand habitats we see onscreen, and he’s charming and familiar enough to pull it off. A comforting but engaging voice is a vital piece of any nature documentary, and though I’m more used to hearing a British actor, I slipped into the world Hanks was crafting for me. A 10-part series, it will be interesting to see howThe Americasperforms with audiences as it airs weekly over the next few months. Each episode needs to differentiate itself, and I think the show achieves this.
Tom Hanks Is No David Attenborough, But He Holds His Own In The Americas
Though Perhaps There Are A Few Too Many Movie Puns
Though a lot of pressure falls on the narrator of a series likeThe Americas, it’s the visuals that do the heavy lifting. Hanks is at his best when he’s marveling at the ingenuity of nature with the rest of us. Unfortunately, thanks to Hanks' long and illustrious career,The Americasdoesn’t hold back from making plenty of movie references,unable to resist every not-so-subtle nod to the actor’s filmography. However, even if this is a bit cheesy, it will ultimately act as a fun Easter egg for audiences who are watching because of Hanks.
Overall, the production value ofThe Americasis strong, and many of the shots are dynamic enough to make us sit up and take notice. It never gets old for anature documentaryto take you somewhere you could never go.Hans Zimmer contributed to the score, and his influence is obvious. It’s natural thatThe Americaswould want the music to be as sweeping and dramatic as possible,but it leans a bit too far into the cinematic. There were a few musical motifs throughout the episodes that could easily be mistaken for aHarry PotterB-side.
One of the best parts ofThe Americasis that it acknowledges the impact of humans on the natural world, to a certain extent.
One of the best parts ofThe Americasis that it acknowledges the impact of humans on the natural world, to a certain extent. Woodpeckers find new uses for barns, and raccoons run rampant in New York City, demonstrating that we’re not evolving alone and that there are living beings affected by our actions. However,The Americasonly ever shares the good stuff, like the fact that Bald Eagles have been revived from near extinction. This is amazing and true, but not touching upon how much of the titular Americas have been and currently are being destroyed is irresponsible.
On the one hand, a nature documentary should be able to exist purely for entertainment and enjoyment, but right now, a series highlighting the importance of our natural world doesn’t have that luxury. I was expectingThe Americasto provide a balance between the celebration of the animals and their ecosystems with some harsh realities of the climate crisis, but the series is almost entirely uplifting. This type of show shouldn’t be nonstop depressing, butignoring the fact that many of these animals and their habitats are in crisis because of us creates an awkward elephant in the room.
I Was Happy To Get Lost In The Americas, But I Wish The Series Took Its Time
The Pacing Moved Too Quickly For Me To Get Invested In The Stories
Of course, storytelling is a relative term when it comes to a documentary series, as the everyday struggle for survival is its own drama. However, it’s up to the filmmakers to find some meaning in the footage they get. It’s clear the producers and camera operators were immersed in the environments they explored and cared deeply about following interesting narratives. Unfortunately,The Americasbounces around these competing storylines too quickly.I wanted to spend more time getting to know each animal and habitat to understand them,butThe Americasdidn’t linger.
It’s smart of the series to take us to exciting and far-flung corners of the two continents, and though the formula of a docuseries is impossible to avoid, each episode feels fresh. Part of this is because of how different each landscape is and how alien some of these animals are. WhatThe Americastries to focus on to give it a unique edge is the fact that so many of these almost otherworldly creatures are right in our backyard. This, on its own, might make us all care a little more about our environment.
The Americaswill air weekly on Sundays at 7:00 PM on NBC, and is available to stream the next day on Peacock.
The Americas
The Americas is a documentary film released in 2025, exploring the wonders, secrets, and fragilities of the American continents. Narrated by Tom Hanks, it provides an insightful journey through diverse landscapes and cultures, highlighting the natural beauty and complexities inherent in these vast regions.
