Dinosaur Review
by Shannon Patrick Sullivan (shannon AT morgan DOT ucs DOT mun DOT ca)June 16th, 2000
DINOSAUR (2000) / ***
Directed by Eric Leighton and Ralph Zondag. Screenplay by John Harrison and Robert Nelson Jacobs, from a story by Thom Enriquez, Harrison, Jacobs and Zondag, based on an earlier screenplay by Walon Green. Starring D.B. Sweeney, Alfre Woodard, Max Casella. Running time: 83 minutes. Rated PG by the MFCB. Reviewed on June 13th, 2000.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
When a movie targeted at children tries to appeal to adults, it usually does so by offering an additional, more mature level of dialogue and humor: material which will go unnoticed by the younger set but will be appreciated by the grown-ups. There is some of this in "Dinosaur", but not a lot. Instead, what will entertain the adults is pretty much exactly what will entertain the kids: a visually spectacular production which takes the art of computer animation to a whole new level.
I first became aware of the possibilities of computer graphics when I saw "Jurassic Park". I can still remember the thrill I felt at actually being able to watch dinosaurs walk, eat, attack, and interact with one another. And while "Jurassic Park" is still pretty impressive -- certainly, seven years on it has not dated badly at all -- on a technical level, it has been altogether surpassed by "Dinosaur". For here not only do we see the reptiles as more of a presence in their environment than ever before, but we are witness to a tremendous variety of the creatures, all acting as though they were real, individual beings. One of the most incredible shots in the whole picture sees the camera pan up over a rise to show a massive caravan of dinosaurs, dozens of them representing many different species, all galloping off into the distance.
And the success of "Dinosaur" lies not just in these bold, epic scenes but also in the details. Check out the way the wind blows realistically through the hair of the lemurs, for example, or how the sand breaks under the feet of the heavier dinosaurs. Granted, the animation is not perfect: the dinosaurs feel entirely too textured and clean, and many of the faces (especially the lemurs) still bear a hint of their cartoon ancestry. But these are minor gripes; "Dinosaur" is the sort of movie you can just sit back and watch for an hour and a half, and let your eyes feast.
Of course, there's a story too, although it's a relatively simple one. Aladar (DB Sweeney) is a dinosaur who has been raised by a family of lemurs after his stolen egg was dropped into their midst by a flying creature one day. (Realistically, mammals were nowhere close to this level of evolution prior to the extinction of the dinosaurs, but in this case the science gaffe is forgivable, with the lemurs acting as more accessible audience identification figure than most of the dinosaurs.) Aladar leads a happy, if somewhat lonely, life with the lemurs on their verdant island for many years.
Then one evening, a violent meteor shower rains down upon the land, forcing Aladar to flee the island with as many of his family as he can carry. (This sequence is a wonderful example of mixing beauty and horror; the storm is initially very beautiful, burning across a purple evening sky, and very gradually builds in intensity and fury.) The survivors include misfit "love monkey" Zini (Max Casella), young Suri (Hayden Panettiere), Aladar's "mother" Plio (Alfre Woodard), and lemur patriarch Yar (Ossie Davis). Swimming to the mainland, Aladar and friends discover it to be a burnt, barren wasteland in the aftermath of the meteor storm. (It's not made clear if this shower is intended to be the one which would eventually lead to the extinction of the dinosaurs.)
They soon come upon a huge pack of dinosaurs in search of the fabled Nesting Grounds, a secluded valley paradise. The dinosaurs are led by the draconian Kron (Samuel E Wright), whose sister Neera ("ER"'s Julianna Margulies) quickly attracts Aladar's eye. Kron adheres strictly to the law of the survival of the fittest, and is perfectly happy to let the older dinosaurs, such as Aladar's new friends Eema (Della Reese) and Baylene (Joan Plowright), perish if it means stronger, younger pack members will live. The dinosaurs soon find themselves crossing a long stretch of arid desert a la "Lawrence of Arabia", with the terrifying, fang-mawed carnotaurs at their backs and only the faintest promise of reaching the Nesting Grounds ahead.
"Dinosaur" is well-written, although the simplistic, straightforward script by John Harrison and Robert Nelson Jacobs leaves little doubt about the intended audience. But there are some very amusing sequences (after Zini's ill-considered attempt to get Neera to notice Aladar, she quips, "That, children, is what we call a jerkosaurus"), and the story proceeds at a reasonable pace which shouldn't allow tedium to set in for adults or kids.
After an opening ten-minute sequence in which none of the animals actually speak, it is initially rather jarring when the lemurs and Aladar begin conversing. But this feeling of displacement quickly fades, and the voicework is altogether competent. Much of the characterisation is fairly shallow, however, so the artistes don't have a lot to do besides read lines. Only Davis, as the gruff but lovable Yar, really stands out.
The movie benefits from some luxurious cinematography by David R Hardberger and S Douglas Smith. Images of the sprawling grasslands and waves pounding the ocean cliffs are beautiful even without the presence of the animated dinosaurs. Also helping to raise the bar is the glorious score by James Newton Howard, which adds an epic feel to the events.
Most kids will enjoy "Dinosaur", and the content is generally quite appropriate. There are some nice lessons to be learned about the value of teamwork and the importance of caring for the elderly, and the movie doesn't get overly preachy. Parents of very young or sensitive children should be warned that a handful of scenes are quite savage, however. The destruction of the lemurs' island and the antics of the carnivorous dinosaurs, like the ferocious carnotaurs, have the potential to be nightmare fodder for some. For the most part, though, "Dinosaur" is a rousing and delightful adventure, another success from the Disney stable of animated films.
Copyright © 2000 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
Archived at The Popcorn Gallery,
http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies/Dinosaur.html
_______________________________________________________________________ / Shannon Patrick Sullivan | "We are all in the gutter, but some of us \ | [email protected] | are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde | \___________________________|__________________________________________/ | Popcorn Gallery Movie Reviews www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html | | Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) /drwho.html |
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
