Welcome to Earth

He can also host a nature show like nobody’s business, bringing a down-to-earth quality to the genre that we don’t often see from the mostly-detached style we see most of the time. ... Amazing shots and a tension-building score add to Smith’s presence, whether it’s the scenes he’s in or just the ones he’s narrating.

Hosted by actor Will Smith, who is convincingly and charmingly apprehensive about what he’s about to dive into, the six-part series relates to the world as the world relates to our senses, or eludes them. ... Deftly directed by Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan,” “Requiem for a Dream”), the show is visually startling.

There is a disjointed feel to all of this, because the show (produced by acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky) zips across continents in the space of each episode, some bits featuring Smith and others not. But when the star confesses that he was a frightened, bullied child and hopes to inspire others to conquer their fears, it’s heartening stuff.

The soundtrack is relentless, there are banal messages – delivered in artfully lit black-and-white cutaways – about Important Things such as conquering fear, or the beauty of the world; and a cast of photogenic adventurers who accompany Smith. ... Other episodes, as befits a big budget and a Hollywood film-maker’s eye, have moments of real wonder.

Given the abundance of current nature programming, "Welcome to Earth" doesn't reach the heights of the genre, much less transport anyone out of this world.

I found myself doing a lot of googling for clarification on information left only half-explained by Smith’s jokey bantering, and I honestly wonder if that’s how Welcome to Earth ended up on Disney+ and not on NatGeo. Again, the reason you’ll want to watch Welcome to Earth is the visuals: Every episode has some piece of imagery, or two or three, that left me slack-jawed. ... I kept wondering why somebody felt the need to add an unnatural star-driven narrative to all of this natural wonderment.