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"It's
Doomsday for the 'Dinosaur'"
by Scott Mantz
"Dinosaur"
D. B. Sweeney,
Julianna Margulies
Directed by Ralph Zondag and Eric Leighton
For a race that's
been extinct for 65 million years, it's amazing how popular the
dinosaurs are these days. You can thank Mr. Spielberg for that.
Ever since his 1993 epic "Jurassic Park" and its 1997 sequel "The
Lost World" stunned audiences (and the box office) with its groundbreaking
special effects, it only left us hungry for more. Now Disney, that
great pioneer in visual animation, serves its main course with "Dinosaur."
Considering its svelte running time (84 minutes) and its estimated
cost (between $150 and $200 million), the result is one of the most
expensive movies of all time on a cost-per-minute basis. Obviously,
that raises the question, "Was it all worth it?" Well, that depends
on how old you are. While the simple dialogue and cuddly characters
are sure to please the kiddies, the end result proves that no amount
of lavish special effects and technical wizardry can match for a
good screenplay.
After his egg
is tossed around by a bunch of hungry carnivores, Aladar (D. B.
Sweeney) ends up being raised by a family of friendly lemurs. When
a meteorite crashes down and turns their golden paradise into a
barren wasteland, they stumble upon a convoy of rogue dinosaurs
who are searching for the untouched beauty of the nesting grounds.
They join the pack, who's stern leader, Kron (Samuel E. Wright),
commands them with a jealous and insensitive rule. They must trek
through the desert and find water if they are going to survive,
and at the same time they must stay one step ahead of the deadly
carnotaurs (who make the T-Rex look like a teddy bear).
From the outset,
"Dinosaur" bears a striking resemblance to last year's "Tarzan"
(which, ironically, was also a Disney film). Aladar is raised like
one of the lemurs, even they he clearly isn't. It's only a matter
of time before he yearns to be with others who are just like him.
After his home is devastated and he joins the pack of dinosaurs,
he falls for Kron's sister Neera (Julianna Margulies). If Aladar
is the "Tarzan," then Neera is the "Jane." Aladar is given his rights
of passage when he stands up against Kron's abusive rule and leads
his fellow dinosaurs to safety.
After partners
Disney and Pixar set new standards in digital animation with "Toy
Story," Toy Story 2," and "A Bug's Life," Disney decided to strike
out on its own with "Dinosaur." It didn't matter how much it was
going to cost--Disney was out to prove that it could take CGI animation
to the next level on its own. It that sense, mission accomplished.
Unlike the two "Jurassic Park" movies, these dinosaurs have names,
they talk, and they emote the same facial expressions as previous
Disney animated characters. Otherwise, the visuals are exactly what
you'd come to expect from Disney, which is to say that the blend
of CGI animation with real scenery is breathtaking.
While the visuals
are larger than life, the story falls short. Watching the characters
suffer from dehydration and exhaustion through the barren wasteland
gets depressing, and the fight scenes, as exciting and intense as
they are, may be a little too scary for the kids. The film takes
place roughly 65 million years ago, which coincides with the main
event that led to their extinction. Given that information, how
is this movie supposed to have a happy ending?
The target audience
for "Dinosaur" probably isn't going to care too much about story
issues (and if you don't believe me, check out the record-breaking
grosses of "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace"). The main
characters are lovable, the visuals are breathtaking, and the action
scenes are exciting. Also, the main message about standing together
and fighting for what you believe in rings loud and clear. If you're
going to learn something, you may as well learn it from a race that
ruled the Earth for 130 million years.
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