Netflix recently updated its library with what may be one of it most inventive docuseries. Alien Worlds takes viewers on a journey to fictional planets where through the power of CGI, we get a glimpse of how life would work there. The series shows many creatures both great and gruesome in its run, but which are the best of the best and worst of the worst?
I took it upon myself to do some digging and uncovered exactly which species we'd love and hate to have on planet Earth. Check out the great and the gross from Alien Worlds!
Sky Grazer - Great
At first glance, it may sound terrifying to have a fleshy mega beast soaring through the skies on Earth. Honestly, my first thought when seeing these sky grazers was that they'd be a nightmare to deal with on Earth, but that changed when I learned they were vegetarian. Once there's no longer a fear of being swept up into the sky by one of these bad boys, they become a cooler species essentially on the level of miniature sky whales!
I also have to say that this species won me over with its method of self-sacrifice to have children. It takes guts to land on a surface knowing you can't get back up once down, and it is a bit tragic that some sacrifice has to occur for this majestic species to carry on. Obviously, that problem wouldn't happen on Earth since our gravity is lower than Atlas, but also our thin atmosphere would likely make flying for this species much more taxing and prevent them from spending most of life in the air. It would be a compromise for the babies, but for those cute little babies, totally worth it.
Balloon Predators - Gross
I was all in on the balloon-like creatures on Atlas, because at first glance, they looked like a truly beautiful species. It turns out that like most other beautifully colored and shaped animals in the world, they're deceptively deadly. Who would've thought the species that looked like they could be popped like a balloon would be one of the most violent of Alien Worlds?
Remember those fleshy pink flying mini whales from above? These things attack those and in quite a devastating and horrific fashion. Imagine walking through the forest and all of a sudden these balloon predators are rapidly deflating and latching to your body in great numbers! Pretty soon there are so many that the weight takes you to the ground and you're trapped. Perhaps these things wouldn't take out a human, but just the thought of them dropping out of the sky in unison on my body has me shook.
Multi-Armed Monkey - Great
Let's be honest -- when it comes to the coolest animals in the world, monkeys are toward the top of the list. They're similar enough to humans that they can be in movies, they can do sign language, and they may just take over civilization if we don't keep a watchful eye on them. (Or so films tell us.) Take everything we as humans love about monkeys, give them two additional retractable arms, and we have a great Alien Worlds creature.
This little dude exists on Alien Worlds' Eden, and he's just the best. Those retractable talons are super deadly to space rabbits, and while seeing them chow down on those rabbits has to be a little gross, it's just so damn cool you have to look past it. Plus, these monkeys would probably kick ass at catching moles, rats, and other vermin that plague some American households. If these guys exist, I'm 100% for bringing them to Earth to take over the mantle as the coolest animal on the planet.
Boneless Scavengers - Gross
The minute I saw this creature, I knew it was going to haunt my nightmares. These boneless blobs look like something you'd get removed from your body if you saw it on you, only for it to come to life and start rolling around on its own! It's like a somehow uglier version of Krang from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, minus the face and ability to speak.
The part where it's a deadly and heartless beast is on point, though. Alien Worlds shows these creatures rolling over the top of baby animals and devouring them. Yes, it's as gross as it sounds, though thankfully, the CGI team didn't go the extra mile and show us any half-eaten carcasses or anything like that, so I should be grateful. I'm not though, because this creature will live in my mind for quite a while, and I don't think I can ever forgive that.
Advanced Civilization - Great
A lot of humans would feel threatened by the news of civilizations greater than our own out there in space, but not me. I'm always down for welcoming a species that can do it better than humanity has in its limited existence, and these guys seemed to have it all figured out. They just had the bad luck of starting their whole existence on a planet orbiting a dying star, and unlike humanity currently, they had a viable plan for surviving.
If we found out the sun was dying with even a couple of decades of a head start, the odds of humanity surviving would likely be pretty low. I think we need an advanced civilization to help us in creating tools for survival, and if I had to pick a poster boy for the cause, this civilization would be a pretty handy ally to Earth. Plus, even if I was leery and afraid of intelligent life forms that may exist beyond our planet, I'd have to be pretty foolish to publicly document it for them to read!
Freaky Eared Rabbits - Gross
There are many ways in which a rabbit could be improved upon, but when it comes to cuteness there's just no comparison. The typical reaction to the sight of a rabbit is not fear, which goes a long way of showing just how non-threatening they are thanks in part to their cuteness. If rabbits weren't so cute and looked a lot uglier, would we feel the same way if one randomly sprung out of a bush in our yard?
After seeing the freaky rabbits on Alien Worlds, I'm inclined to say no. In fact, if I saw something that creepy hopping that fast across my grass I'm not sure I'd ever leave the house again. If these things were real, I'd be paying whatever it cost for the four-armed predator monkey to keep it at bay. Rabbits are plentiful enough; we don't need these guys coming in and giving them a bad name!
Alien Worlds is currently available to stream on Netflix. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest happening in television and movies.
