Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking, the wheelchair-bound theoretical physicist who joined Einstein and Newton at Data's holodeck poker table in Star Trek:The Next Generation brings us this stunning look into the realms of sci-fi speculation and science. You may think a documentary hosted by someone who can't move and speaks in a computer-generated monotone would be boring but this three episode mini-series is anything but. Hawking appears only to punctuate the segments and a smoother-voiced narrator speaks for him most of the time. It's his inner vision of the universe and it's incredible possibilities that take us along on this fantastic ride.

The first two episodes seem more like sci-fi than science; the third is mostly a cosmology primer- the basics of the history, structure and dynamics of the universe:

• "Aliens" gives us an intriguing look at what life might look like in bizarre extraterrestrial landscapes and the possibilities and implications of first contact.

• "Time Travel" explores the scientific basis and intriguing "what ifs?" of travel through time.

• "The Story Of Everything" brings us back to pure science for the most part covering the basic tenets of cosmology with the same compelling examples, engaging style and eye-candy photography and graphics as the first two episodes. It dabbles in sci-fi towards the end as it speculates about human migration to the stars.

For me personally, the third episode was an anti-climax twice as long and half as interesting as the first two. This is because I've watched many cosmology documentaries and despite the presentation the subject matter covered was just too basic and repetitive to interest me. If you're new to cosmology however, you'll probably find it as riveting as the first two episodes. If you're a strong believer in a Creator or Intelligent Design, you may be a bit put off by the unambiguous lack of support for them here.

This series is very accessible for a layperson or student who doesn't follow science, anyone from grade school on up should enjoy this series. Hard-core science fans like me should appreciate it for it's wonderful imagination and spectacular presentation. Check it out.

This, This is one of the most fantastic Documentary's i have ever seen! Into The Universe With Stephen Hawking is just mind blowing! Stephen Hawking is just such an intelligent man, one of the most intelligent people in the world and his knowledge of this subject is really something special. The way he tells all this just makes me want to know more about all this! It is all told in a way that keeps you glued to the screen and just makes you feel that you cant wait for what he tells next. Stephen Hawking tells this in a way that makes you believe what he tells. The graphics and colours looks so beautiful, and all this takes you onto a journey into the universe. So if you are interested in the universe and all about this then you should watch this!

After viewing this I had many of my questions answered but also brought new questions to mind leaving me wanting more this was absolutely unbelievable and I loved every second of it. It is obvious that Stephen Hawking knows what he is talking about, but to have this whole thing explained the way he did really makes understanding quite easy I was left in awe of the way this was made, the visuals were amazing and I just couldn't stop watching every second eager for what was to be revealed next I hope they make more of these because what I watched wasn't enough to satisfy my curiosity but it certainly gave me a lot to think about so I definitely can't wait for more. If this kind of thing interests you then get ready to be amazed I know I was and I hope you guys will enjoy it as much as I did.

Compared to other similar documentary miniseries (Wonders of the Universe, Cosmos) I found this one to be somewhat sloppy and cheesy in tone.

In terms of script, consider just two things I remember from the third episode: 1. Stephen Hawking (or his narrator) calls us a breed of monkey, when in fact we're a species of ape. 2. Stephen Hawking (or his narrator) says that for a room floor covered in evenly-spaced spheres, they all experience the same gravity from each other, which is of course false because the gravity at the boundaries would be different than the gravity in the middle.

The first two episodes I would rate as 6/10, wild and wasteful speculation with pretty graphics and annoying music.

Only the third episode is worth watching, if you understand it's been dumbed down and hyped up for today's US audiences. But because it's twice as long as the previous two, I rounded the score up to 7/10.

One word: Amazaing!

This is so damn good and i could watch it over and over again. The time travel episode just cleard my mind and answered me every question i had about time travel into the future and past. This need to be watched.