In this groundbreaking, BAFTA winning, documentary, David Attenborough travels back in time to discover how and why these creatures took flight, and why. Showing in the bfi, imax, london from 6th may and coming to other giant screen theatres and cinema's across the uk.

Something remarkable happened 200 million years ago. For the first time, backboned creatures left the ground and took to the skies. They were reptiles called pterosaurs, and over millions of years, they evolved into a huge variety of species, some the size of airplanes. But why and how did these magnificent beasts fly, and why did they suddenly vanish? Join David Attenborough, the world's leading naturalist, and a team of scientists across the globe on a quest to unravel one of the science world's more enduring mysteries.

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• DAVID ATTENBOROUGH

  David Attenborough is the world's leading natural history broadcaster. His distinguished career in television spans more than 50 years. His films and series have won nearly every major award in television, including several British Academy awards, a fellowship and several Emmys.

  Attenborough joined the BBC in 1952, initially working in the Television Talks Department. In 1954, he launched the first of his famous Zoo Quest series, which, over the next 10 years, took him to the wilder parts of the world.

  Following Eastwards with Attenborough, a natural history series set in Southeast Asia, and The Tribal Eye, examining tribal art, Attenborough wrote and presented the 13-part series Life On Earth, first broadcast in 1979. In 1984, came its sequel The Living Planet, and in 1990 followed the final part of the trilogy, The Trials of Life.

  Throughout the 1990s, Attenborough presented natural history series that reached global audiences. In 1996, Attenborough in Paradise fulfilled a lifelong ambition for Attenborough to make a film dedicated to the elusive and beautiful birds of paradise. In 1997, he narrated the award-winning The Wildlife Specials, marking 40 years of the BBC's Natural History Unit.

  In autumn 2000, Attenborough presented State of the Planet and in 2001 he narrated The Blue Planet. In 2006, he narrated Planet Earth and presented the environmental series Climate Chaos: Are We Changing Planet Earth?

  In 2009, Attenborough wrote and narrated the BBC version of The Link and narrated the series Nature's Great Events. He also made his first production outside of the BBC with Atlantic Productions and Producer Anthony Geffen with First Life, for which he won two Emmys: Outstanding Nature Programming and Outstanding Individual in a Craft: Writing.

  Attenborough was knighted in 1985. Over the years, he has received several honorary degrees and a number of prestigious awards, including Fellowship of the Royal Society. He has served as a Trustee of the British Museum and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and as President of the Royal Society for Nature Conservation.

As said many times, David Attenborough is a national treasure. He may apparently dislike the term, but it is hard to not say that about such a great presenter who has contributed significantly to some of the best programmes (of the documentary genre and overall) the BBC has ever aired/produced. It is really hard picking favourites, let alone a definite favourite, among what Attenborough has done because he has done so many gems, it is the equivalent of trying to choose your favourite ice cream flavour or your favourite operatic role (for examples) and finding you can't pick. 'Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough' is one of Attenborough's 3D documentary programmes, his first if correctly recalled in fact, and became the first 3D programme to be shown on British television and win a Bafta. Both great achievements and deserved as well. It may not among the best he has ever done, in a career that has more very good to masterpiece stuff than most working today. To say that 'Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough' is not one of his best yet still manages to be very good says a lot about how good his best work is.

Would also have liked to see more of the creatures in action and more interaction, because they were there it was amazing to watch and one does wish that there was more. Occasionally the lighting is a little too filtered. Can't fault the rest of 'Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough' though. 'Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough' looks splendid on a visual level. It is gorgeously filmed, done in a completely fluid and natural, sometimes intimate (a great way of connecting more with the flying creatures) way and never looking static. In fact much of it is remarkably cinematic.

The editing is always succinct and smooth and the scenery is spectacular. 3D has had very variable execution when used. Sometimes it can enhance the experience and look great, at other times it distracts and is both overused and abused. Luckily, the 3D here in 'Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough' is of the incredibly well made kind and enhances the experience, allowing one to see these amazing creatures up close. It is a long way from soulless either, as well as looking incredible the creature have personality and soul, making it easy to engage with them and feel for them in the same way one would with a human character (the beauty of a lot of Attenborough's best work). The music score fits very well, never overly grandiose while never being inappropriate while also being a beautiful score in its own right. 'Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough' is incredibly educational and always maintains interest.

Have seen a lot of television, film and books on dinosaurs but still found myself learning a vast amount. In terms of the facts there was a very good mix of the known ones and the unknown and the investigative elements and how the conclusions made are reached really do engross. Attenborough's presenting as always helps quite a bit. Shadow warrior 2 secrets. He clearly knows his stuff and knows what to say and how to say it. He delivers it with his usual richness, soft-spoken enthusiasm and sincerity, never talking down to the viewer and keeping them riveted and wanting to know more.

One cannot review 'Flying Monsters 3D with David Attenborough' without mentioning a highlight or two. Particularly noteworthy is the truly unforgettable pursuit of the glider by the quetzalcoatlus, a tense and visually awe-inspiring scene that will stay with one forever. To conclude, beautiful and fascinating. An example of documentaries faring surprisingly very well in 3D when executed well like here.

8/10 Bethany Cox.