DINOSAUR
Review by John Beachem
* * * 1/2
Directed by: Eric Leighton, Ralph Zondag Written by: Thom Enriquez, Walon Green
Aladar (D.B. Sweeney) is a dinosaur with none of his own kind to be with. As an egg, Aladar was carried away to an island dominated entirely by monkeys. While there, the lead monkey, Yar (Ossie Davis), takes Aladar into his home as a son after some coaxing from his wife, Plio (Alfre Woodard).Years later, Aladar is grown up and wishes he could be with one of his own species. However, before he has a chance to think too much about how lonely he is, meteorites hit the planet. Aladar, Yar, Plio, and Plio's children, Zini (Max Casella) and Suri (Hayden Panettiere), are forced away from their home. The five soon come across a herd of other dinosaurs who are heading across the vast deserts for the fabled nesting ground; the one remaining spot on the planet which still has water and life. The herd is led by the arrogant Kron (Samuel E. Wright) and his sister, Neera (Julianna Margulies). A rivalry soon grows between Aladar and Kron. They aren't given much time to feud however, because two cartosaurs (t-rex's) are on their tails.
"Dinosaur" is the kind of movie which is going to have two age groups gaping at the screen in awe. Kids are going to be thrilled by the chance to see dinosaurs brought to life like they haven't been able to see before (granted, I'm assuming their parents haven't allowed them to see "Jurassic Park"). Anyone over the age of forty or so is going to be shocked by how far animation has come, since "Dinosaur" is (in some ways) even more impressive than "Toy Story". The problem is that anyone between those two age groups will be used to seeing effects this impressive, and there isn't enough of a story to "Dinosaur" to hold their attention. Much of the movie consists of watching dinosaurs walk, and walk, and walk over a whole lot of desert. In the beginning of the film, when we were able to see all sorts of different dinosaurs in interesting looking jungles, this was enough to keep our attention. Watching the same herd of dinosaurs walk over a lot of sand for forty five minutes just doesn't work.
The voices in "Dinosaur" are a mixed blessing. Joan Plowright (1996's "101 Dalmations") and Della Reese (television's "Touched by an Angel") give some wonderful personality to two elderly dinosaurs, who befriend Aladar and his family. Ossie Davis ("Grumpy Old Men") does a nice job providing the elderly Yar with a subtle, comic touch. Samuel Wright ("The Little Mermaid") is a perfect choice for the stubborn, haughty Kron. The weak links are, unfortunately, the lead voices. D.B. Sweeney, who usually gives great performances in shows like Fox's short lived "Strange Luck", is a rather poor choice for Aladar. Sweeney simply sounds too experienced and, frankly, too old to be playing a naive young "man" going out into the real world for the first time. Julianna Margulies ("The Newton Boys") sounds strangely cold and detached as Aladar's perspective girlfriend. Scenes where she is forced to intervene between her brother and Aladar there is almost no emotion in her voice. She sounds as though she's reading directly from a que-card. Alfre Woodard ("Love and Basketball") nicely underplays her role as Yar's sometimes submissive, sometimes tricky mate.
Let's face it, the main reason everyone is going to see "Dinosaur" is for the insanely expensive computer animation. In fact, this is the most expensive animated film ever created by Disney. The effects may have cost a fortune, but they certainly are impressive. Every dinosaur is detailed right down to the last scale and the intricacies of their eye movements. The landscapes look shockingly real at times, and the oceans reflect images perfectly. The animation makes up for what is lacking in the rest of the script, but not by much. The story is even more predictable than your usual Disney film, but the usual Disney humor is sadly absent throughout most of the film. In movies like "Toy Story", Disney writers did a great job combining juvenile humor and jokes adults would find amusing. The humor in "Dinosaur" is so cheesy and childish that adults will only be rolling their eyes while their kids squeal in delight. The only exception is a little spiked dinosaur, named Earl, who doesn't say a word but runs around like a typical family dog. I hate to admit it, but I couldn't help but laugh at his antics. I'd recommend "Dinosaur" to anyone who loves computer animation and certainly to every kid who ever had a thing for the giant lizards (I know, I know, they're warm blooded yadda yadda). The movie runs a nice, fast 84 minutes, and I give it three and a half out of five stars.
Any past movies you want me to review? Send to: johnbeachem@dependentfilms.net Past reviews can be found at either: http://www.dependentfilms.net or http://us.imdb.com/ReviewsBy?John+Beachem
* * * * * - One of the best movies of the year. * * * * - Great flick, try and catch this one. * * * - Okay movie, hits and misses. * * - Pretty bad, see it at your own risk. * - See this one only if you enjoy pain.
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