Monday, 05 July 2004
Its the end of the world as they know it. But whether thats Disney or the Dino's, you decide...In a world where Disney rules supreme, this CG effort from the same stable that gave us Toy Story , is considerably bleaker and more downbeat than that kiddie flick. From the lush scenery to the arid desert wastelands, this film arid desert wastelands, this film is clearly aimed at the preteens audience, though its scripting is often bleak and some of the more graphic sequences (Dinosaurs fighting to the death) upsetting to the younger audience.
As you probably know, the meteor that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs hit about 65 million years ago. From the view of Aldar, the dinosaur whose story we follow, he watched it hit and lay waste to his land in one of the most horrific sequences ever committed to a U rated movie since the nightmare giving kiddie flick Watership Down ,with none of the innocence of Star Wars. Yes, that sequence still gives me the willies in Watership Down.
Aldar and his adopted monkey family then travel to the fabled nesting grounds, battling carniverous dinosaurs, predators and inter-species rivalry along the way, mainly in the form of the hubristic dinosaur leader Kron.
So, it's a kiddie flick. The animation is impressive and the backgrounds cinematically stunningly photographed (including a wry injoke when the dinosaurs walk past Beggars canyon of Star Wars Episode One fame), but the characterisation is dumbed down to kids level, and after the intensity of the meteor sequence, this seems unnecessary. So it may have a happy ending, but ultimately, its achievements are for animation and ...well, that's about it.
Thankfully its devoid of songs by Phil f**king Collins thank god, but realistically, wait until your nieces or nephews get it for Christmas and put it on instead of queenies speech. So its technically stunning, but as vacuous and empty as you can get without ripping its head off and pouring pop corn and candyfloss down its gullet.
As is the usual, the DVD has shedloads of extra's. Mainly on the technical level about the making of the film. 2 commentaries and a second disc chock full of making of stuff.
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