pt100 *** This comment may contain spoilers ***I won't go into all the details of why this simplistic movie is just another example of the Intelligent Design (ID) camp's attempt to mislead the relatively uneducated and those who may be desperate to believe in a personal god/creator. I'll just point readers to a couple of objective information sources and then mention only one or two general fallacies in the film that are typical of the ID movement's pseudo-scientific approach.First, the biggest and most overarching flaw is the simplistic reliance on the anthropic principle: that there must be a purposeful reason why we are here to observe and contemplate the universe. Basically, anthropic reasoning says that we are here because we're special (in the eyes of God?). Whereas a more scientific approach would say that we're special because we're here. (A subtle but crucial distinction.) I.e., we could just as easily not have been here; in which case this would all be moot.For more on the anthropic principle, just Google it and read a few of the more scientific descriptions. Secondly, the ID proponents take scraps of "evidence" very selectively and then just ignore the huge amount of counter evidence that goes against their view.A couple of examples of this are their assumption that all life forms in the universe must be based on the particular combination of conditions found on earth (atmospheric composition, temperature, amount of water, carbon-based life, etc.); and the misleading commentary on how the size and distance of the moon from the earth and sun are just right to allow a total eclipse of the sun. Re: the latter point, the ID folks seem either to ignore or not even be aware of the simple fact that the moon is gradually moving away from the earth's gravitational field. It used to be much closer to earth; and it will eventually escape the earth's gravitation altogether, leaving us with no moon whatsoever. That future situation may be extremely disruptive to life on earth (no tides, on which many organisms depend, as the movie itself points out), if not totally disastrous. Ironically, survival under those future circumstances will probably depend on successful evolution of species due to natural selection pressure. So much for "intelligent" design.There's a lot more I could say. But maybe this is enough to get some of the more critical, objective proponents at least to view the movie again with a more skeptical eye next time. If you really want to take a cold, hard look at the ID arguments vs. real science when it comes to evolution specifically, I suggest you read the excellent, objective book "Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design" by Michael Shermer, who is famous for carefully and logically debunking lots of pseudo-science. Another excellent book is "Why Intelligent Design Fails" which also carefully dissects and debunks the ID arguments.And for more discussion about the "specialness" of our universe and how the laws of physics are tuned precisely to allow us to exist and observe it, read, in addition to the anthropic principle material, a book called "Before the Beginning" by Martin Rees, which discusses the concept of the "multiverse".Here is the key difference between the ID crowd and real science: while the latter try to remain objective and to derive and test theories based on evidence from the natural world, the former start with a religious belief about what they want to be true, and then use selective evidence and false logic to try to "prove" it. Unfortunately, those who do not have a strong education in science, logic, etc., can fall easy prey to such nonsense.

ken-teaff Told from a creationist point of view, Privileged Planet nonetheless uses science to show that Earth occupies a place in the cosmos that is perfectly suited for not only life, but discovery. Considering that the vast majority of the universe cannot support life because of excessive gravity, heat, cold, etc, it should be awe-inspiring to realize that we sit in one of the very few places where all the right conditions exist.Is this an accident, or pure chance? We'll all know someday. Certainly doesn't appear that way.Privileged Planet is superbly produced, using John Rhys-Davies' wonderful voice in the narration. It focuses on the life's work of two distinguished scholars and the conclusions they have reached. Adaptation of a book by those two authors/scholars.

brian_griffith This documentary was excellent! It never ceases to amaze me how wonderfully complex and finely tuned our universe is ... and how unlikely it is that it would provide the conditions necessary in which complex life could arise. To those who reduce this documentary, as well as the Intelligent Design movement, down to nothing more than a pseudo science ... please provide your arguments AGAINST the observations/claims in this documentary ... rather than merely cutting it down in your language. The various scientists and scholars that were interviewed throughout the course of this documentary (Guillermo Gonzalez - Ph.D. in Astronomy, Jay W. Richards - Ph.D., Dennis Danielson - Ph.D., Seth Shostak - Ph.D. in Astronomy, Charles A. Beichman - Ph.D.'s in Physics and Astronomy, Bijan Nemati - Ph.D. in Physics, Kevin Grazier - Ph.D. in Physics, Don Brownlee - Ph.D. in Astronomy, Paul Davies - Ph.D. in Physics, Robin Collins - Ph.D. in Philosophy) gave scientific facts, as well as their interpretation of those scientific facts, to produce their conclusions. Please leave a detailed rebuttal to their conclusions or your empty criticisms of their conclusions will be reduced to nothing more than anger and contempt towards the possibility that the Intelligent Design movement might be right after all. Thank you.

RubiksCuber Absolutely stunning visuals. This movie is an attempt at scientifically deciding whether or not the planet Earth is placed within not only the solar system, but the entire universe, by an intelligent force. Make sure that you watch every one of the extras on the DVD. They are just as fascinating as the main movie.Quite likely the largest issue addressed is the uniqueness of the earth's position to OBSERVE everything else in the universe based on it's position within the Milky Way in all 3 axis, x, y, & z (though not defined that way in the movie).Strong evolutionists will not enjoy this movie at all, so they shouldn't bother with it since it will just irritate them. I found it very logical in it's presentation. The movie never indicates that God created the earth or universe. Essentially, the movie presents data without any conclusions. It leaves you with questions.