Critic Reviews

This excellent series has too many of the usual experts and way too many ridiculous sound effects.

It aims for epic, and sometimes hits epic--but it's a bit shallow.

The series' historic recreations are convincing, for the most part, although at times, the History Channel can't help itself and falls back into some of it cheesier bad habits.

This is history lite, to be sure, but it's probably a lot livelier than your sixth-grade history class was.

The show works and it's fun. [12 Nov 2012, p.43]

Mankind: The Story of All of Us is that college freshman survey course, a buffet of tasty data, a little bit about a lot. It might leave you hungry for more.

Though there are millennia being covered, some may find the material oversimplified or oversanitized, but it's still an engaging and appealingly presented overview.

Stuck on hyper-drive and stuffed with hyperbole, Mankind: The Story of All of Us is history a-go-go from a programmer that used to obey a few speed limits.

Historical re-enactments almost always seem cheesy, especially when accompanied by a soaring score and melodramatic narration (by Josh Brolin). But these are arguably better than most.

The journey of mankind on the History channel, while ambitious and informative, at times comes off a little too much like a history lesson.