Your average backyard garden may look tranquil and serene on the outside, but what lurks beneath will truly amaze you - as Leslie Nielsen is about to discover. As he strolls among the flowers, herbs and vegetables, there's a war for survival raging around him; from dangerous daddy longlegs and ferocious fire ants, to an eight-eyed jumping spider in a wrestling match with a belligerent bee. There's even a Top Gun-style air battle between a praying mantis and a bat. In this terrifying - and funny - new natural history comedy, National Geographic filmmakers use state-of-the-art cinematography to reveal what the world looks like from the insect's point of view.
Comedian Leslie Nielsen says that his garden is a "realm of stalkers, serial killers, and aerial combat" just as a bat swoops in and beheads a praying mantis. Is this a video for budding naturalists or for horror flick fanatics? It's unclear. While the cinematography may be noteworthy, the results are altogether too fantastic. Special effects create speed-eating fire ants devouring a dragonfly and a wildly dancing vine. The shrew in Nielsen's garden might as well be the pesky gofer in Caddyshack. The project has potential as a comedy but is not a good example of National Geographic's educational standards. Though Nielsen concludes that a garden is a place to pay attention and not wage war against animals you don't understand, the whole premise is that everyone's backyard is a war zone: gardeners are portrayed as the good guys and creatures are depicted as the enemies. Hey, here's a novel concept: if you want to introduce garden creatures to your children, turn off the television and take them outside instead. --Cristina Del Sesto
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