Join the action-packed adventure of a group of dinosaurs overcoming enormous challenges through courage, loyalty, and hope in Disney’s DINOSAUR, a special effects phenomenon! Set 65 million years ago, DINOSAUR tells the compelling story of an iguanodon named Aladar, who is separated from his own kind and raised by a clan of lemurs, including the wisecracking Zini and the compassionate Plio. When a devastating meteor shower plunges their world into chaos, Aladar and his family follow a herd of dinosaurs heading for the safety of the “nesting grounds.” Along the way, Aladar befriends Baylene, the dignified, elderly brachiosaur with a take-no-prisoners attitude; Eema, the unstoppable styrachosaur; and Neera, a feisty fellow iguanodon. Together, they must stand strong amid food and water shortages, the threat of attacks by carnotaurs, and Aladar’s run-ins with the herd’s stubborn leader, Kron. As the trip becomes one pulse-quickening adventure after another, it also forges friendships that no hardship can destroy. A landmark in filmmaking technology, Disney’s DINOSAUR is a breathtaking spectacle filled with adventure, fun, and life lessons that the whole family will love!Dinosaurs come alive like never before in this costly computer-animated film from Disney. After a breathtaking opening (a dino egg is kidnapped), the film changes style; realistic dinosaurs are given human characteristics and voices. The kidnapped egg grows into an iguanodon named Aladar (voiced by D.B. Sweeney), who is raised by lemurs (shades of Tarzan) on a lush island void of other dinosaurs. When a meteorite destroys their island home in a thrilling sequence, the lemur family and Aladar become part of a dinosaur troop roaming the mainland deserts looking for the lush nesting grounds (shades of the fourth installment of the Land Before Time series and Fantasia). Disney’s usual mix of modern language (one lemur calls himself “a love monkey”) is present, as is its typical capital punishment law: anyone against our forward-thinking hero (or even disagreeing with him) ends up dead. Curiously, the meanies, a pair of carnotaurs following the group, are nameless and voiceless. This more realistic approach might have been a bigger wow, as in the BBC’s Walking with Dinosaurs, which looked extraordinary with only a fraction of the budget. The complexity and scope of Dinosaur‘s visual scale is impressive, and group shots and a point-of-view angle are stunning. Rated PG for general intensity, the film should be a favorite for the 6- to 11-year-old set. –Doug Thomas
March 22, 2008
#1
For decades, Disney Inc. propogated a sterile, anti-intellectual, gendered, racialist perspective on reality. Let us be honest: Walt Disney refused to hire Jews (cf. the history of his actions when he found out Kirk Douglas is a Jew), could not draw, and Disneyland is the summation. Those who would engage in semantic tap-dancing — “family values” does not equal valuing families — and insist Disney Inc. is, somehow, “entertainment”, fail to see the corporate mind-set. DINOSAUR (and I speak as a paleontologist) is typical of the [ethical] bankruptcy (I almost expected Uncle Remus to appear and lead the non-Mesozoic lemurs in a sing-along). Like the [underlying] nuances of MERMAID, DINOSAUR has excellent drawings (best appreciated with the volume off), but little else. For decades, we have endured the putrescence of Disney Inc., much like Spielberg’s merchandizing of everything to maximize profits. It is time for the company to dismantle itself.
March 22, 2008
#2
Disappointing Disney release, wasn’t nearly as sharp as I would have liked to have seen it, especially when compared to say King Kong HD-DVD. Lots of blur and not much detail. If you have this on DVD already, don’t bother.
March 23, 2008
#3
this was a pitiful movie, and the extras on the dvd look justas pitiful. it irritates me to no end that people look at a movie, and just because it’s DISNEY. face it, disney hasn’t done anything spectacular in nearly 10 years.
March 23, 2008
#4
Thus spake Castro and I half expected the dinosaur equivalent of the man to show up with cigar and beard. A nasty fascist dinosaur named Kron is leading the dino’s to the promised land and he doesn’t believe in committees. Old and lame must fall behind and die, it’s the survival of the fittest that counts. But along comes a young idealist named Aladar (but they might as well have tied a red scarf around his neck and called him Che) who speaks of new ideas about cooperating with one another for the comman good. Everyone from Brontosaurus to Stegosaurus will be treated as equals and lo, all shall be bountiful in the garden of Eden. Inspired by this rhetoric, Kron’s sister rushes off to join the revolution, much to Kron’s horror. You see, Kron is like nowheresville, man. He ain’t hip. He’s a square. With a square head. He’s a bit of a dinosaur. Goodness, could Walt Disney productions be pushing (gasp) socialism? Nay, COMMUNISM? What would Uncle Walt have said? Anyway, we are left with Aladar and his comrades in paradise begetting new children. What happens next? Lo, some dinosaurs become more equal than others and decide to form a party. They get the share of the food and shelter. And lo, there was collectivization, another cultural revolution, famine and mass starvation. Then they were invaded by other dinosaurs (denounced as fascist) who were repelled and from then on everything went to a year zero. Dinosaurs were told not to question the way things were and any who did were slaughtered by the dreaded ‘Dino Rouge’. Dinosaurs informed on other dinosaurs. Whole families of eggs were wiped out. The green paradise became polluted and fell into disrepair. But Comrade Aladar told them everything was well and that there was no turning back and that the people must love him. No, actually the film ends with them all in paradise. Hey, this is Hollywood after all. Walt, you can rest easy. Sort of.
March 23, 2008
#5
I haven’t even seen the movie, however my 6 and 4 year old went to see it with relatives. When I asked them what it was like the six year old said ” I’ve seen it before”. When I asked what he meant, he said ” It’s the same as Land before Time” .
If a six year old can suss this out, perhaps Disney might want to think about putting more original storyline into movies and not concentrate quite so much on the CGI.