Walking with Dinosaurs by a Dino Geek

SPOILER ALERT!

I grew up on dinosaurs. These prehistoric creatures hold a special place in my heart. So when my son discovered that Walking with Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie was in cinemas, I jumped on it like a Compsognathus on living tissue (little dino geek talk there... hehe).

Anyhoo, the review.

Let's start off with the movie title. Not too hot about it. Seriously, it can be any dinosaur movie. And saying that it's 3D (like they've just discovered the technology) made me snicker a bit.

The animation is cool! The details from the lush landscape to the leathery skin to the foggy breath in the middle of a full-blown dino wail are awesome! Just look at that! *frantically points to the image above this paragraph* The editing is good, too. I mean, like, Hollywood good. With appropriate zooms and unexpected slo-mos. The kind of thing you don't expect in a kiddie movie.

The plot is another story though. It's all about a power struggle between a tough herd leader and an underdog (just like in Disney's Dinosaur) during migration (just like Disney's Dinosaur) with the platform of sibling rivalry (a Walking with Dinosaurs original idea) and young love (just like Disney's Dinosaur). Oh and there was also a buddy thing happening here between 2 breeds (just like in Disney's Dinosaur) and an an unexpected prey revolution against a much-feared predator tyranny (just like in Disney's Dinosaur).

Another novel touch is using the Pachiosaurus as the stars of the film. Usually these bulky guys only serve as backdrop. The protagonist even has a unique hole in his head. Oooh...

The script... well, I'll be honest... is cringe-worthy. The jokes are painful. A bird as a narrator makes it even more painful.  But that's just me.

Another downer for me (and this is a personal thing) is that the T-Rex --the King Lizard himself-- is again labeled as a not-so-tough-after-all dino. The movie introduced the Gorgosaurus, as huge as the T-Rex, but more ferocious and fast. Aargh! Being a full blown T-Rex fan, this really boils my beans! But at least they didn't do a New Dino vs T-Rex fight scene which ended with a very dead King Lizard (just like in Disney's Dinosaur). That would've definitely got me on geek frenzy.
Buuut... they still went over the line when the film said the Gorgosaurus teamwork and attack skills can be likened to military precision. Hello! THAT skill belongs to the Velociraptor! Yeeeah... I'm a raptor geek, too.

Ok, so do I recommend you watch this? Yes! But... on DVD. Or maybe when it starts showing on HBO Hits or in National Geographic. It's good. But, for me, it's just not quite up there with expensive plush movie seats and overpriced popcorn.

*Photo creds to the Walking With Dinosaurs website

The Primeval Prime Cut

Hands down, the family's favorite TV show of the moment is the fantabulous British blockbuster on FOX, Primeval.

Kenji likes it for the dino overload.  Just think --he used to have to wait for the seasonal dinosaur specials on Discovery Channel.  But now, with Primeval, he gets his daily dose of gargantuan growls, mayhem, and bloodshed.  What more could an 8-year old ask for!

Miro likes it for its time traveling aspect.  Being the science geek that he is, the concept of anomalous doors opening and closing intrigue him.  Although dinosaurs don't really rock his boat that much, the show is inspiring him to put a time traveling machine on top of his to-do list for when he grows up.

Jing likes it for nothing more than critique.  His keen artistic eye suspiciously checking out if the prehistoric creatures are matted on properly for every scene.  If they have well-designed textures and shadows.  If they move seamlessly.  If the T-Rex has enough spit in his mouth (He's once ruined it for all of us when he pointed out that the Jurassic Park dinosaurs' mouths were dry ...and therefore were unrealistic.  Bummer.). 

I like it for the conspiracy theories overlapping one another.  I love that kind of induced migraine.  It's so difficult to read who can possibly be the real bad guy, who can possibly die next, and then who can possibly return.  The show's characters come back from the dead just as easily as coming back from the mall.  Hey, the show's premise is on time and space meddling so that's expected.

The story is quickly winding and evolving --which is a good thing for a series.  If you miss one episode, you miss a lot.  The creature feature is also growing.  From making us somewhat nostalgic with the appearances of childhood heroes like the Mastodon and the Pteranodon to shiny, brand new mutations from the future and even from some alternate dimension.  The writers do their antediluvian homework, too.  Raptors are portrayed as the most clever of the beasts, and the sabre-tooth tiger as a likely house pet... IF you keep him full.

If you're not squeamish, Primeval is a definite family show epic.  Just don't get too attached to the characters. Because once you do, a raging Carnotaurus will kill them off. 
It's like that.