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Susan Granger's review of "DINOSAUR" (Walt Disney Pictures)
Cinematic dinosaurs have always captured our imagination. Back in 1905, an early film called "Prehistoric Man" is believed to have featured the first animated dinosaur. Then animation pioneer Winsor McCay made "Gertie the Dinosaur" and Willis O'Brian did "The Lost World." Others followed. Disney showed a battle between a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Stegosaur in the original "Fantasia" and, in 1993, "Jurassic Park" introduced the first computer-generated dinosaurs. IMAX then did a 3-D version with "T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous." So this visually thrilling, technical marvel, "Dinosaur" continues the legacy, ingeniously depicting these giant reptiles with expressive, distinctive personalities in a wondrous "photorealistic" world, blending digitally enhanced live-action photography, special effects, and computer-animated characters.
This story revolves around Alador, an orphaned Iguanodon, who is raised from an egg by a lively clan of lemurs and, eventually, reunited with other herbivores in the midst of a desperate migration. Perils abound - from natural disasters, like a devastating meteor storm, to brutal attacks by voracious carnivores. Problem is: there's no whimsy, no light-heartedness. "Dinosaur" is heavy-going serious in the scripting department, utilizing many of the same "misfit" plot points as "The Jungle Book," "Tarzan" and "The Lion King" - extolling kindness, generosity, perseverance and hope - but with no real villain, no emotional involvement, and no colorful, amusing characters. Rated PG, it might scare the tiny tots so judge accordingly. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Dinosaur" is an amazing, spectacular 7, filled with striking visual excitement. But it's great splendor in need of some fun.
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