Dinosaur (film)
From AwardAnnals
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| Director(s) | Eric Leighton, Ralph Zondag |
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| Distributor | Walt Disney Video |
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| Dinosaurs come alive like never before in this costly computer-animated film from Disney. After a breathtaking opening (a dino egg is kidnapped), the film changes style; realistic dinosaurs are given human characteristics and voices. The kidnapped egg grows into an iguanodon named Aladar (voiced by D.B. Sweeney), who is raised by lemurs (shades of Tarzan) on a lush island void of other dinosaurs. When a meteorite destroys their island home in a thrilling sequence, the lemur family and Aladar become part of a dinosaur troop roaming the mainland deserts… | |
Honors
Reviews
Amazon.com
Dinosaurs come alive like never before in this costly computer-animated film from Disney. After a breathtaking opening (a dino egg is kidnapped), the film changes style; realistic dinosaurs are given human characteristics and voices. The kidnapped egg grows into an iguanodon named Aladar (voiced by D.B. Sweeney), who is raised by lemurs (shades of Tarzan) on a lush island void of other dinosaurs. When a meteorite destroys their island home in a thrilling sequence, the lemur family and Aladar become part of a dinosaur troop roaming the mainland deserts looking for the lush nesting grounds (shades of the fourth installment of the Land Before Time series and Fantasia). Disney’s usual mix of modern language (one lemur calls himself “a love monkey”) is present, as is its typical capital punishment law: anyone against our forward-thinking hero (or even disagreeing with him) ends up dead. Curiously, the meanies, a pair of carnotaurs following the group, are nameless and voiceless. This more realistic approach might have been a bigger wow, as in the BBC’s Walking with Dinosaurs, which looked extraordinary with only a fraction of the budget. The complexity and scope of Dinosaur’s visual scale is impressive, and group shots and a point-of-view angle are stunning. Rated PG for general intensity, the film should be a favorite for the 6- to 11-year-old set. —Doug Thomas
Barnes and Noble
A fittingly oversized box-office hit from 2000, Dinosaur is the computer-animated tale of an orphaned dinosaur, adopted by lemurs, who eventually joins a migrating dino herd in search of nesting grounds. As veteran Disney fans will recognize, this is not a giddy ride like the Robin Williams-fueled Aladdin. Rather, the film is more of a Homeward Bound-styled odyssey, with a voice cast (including D. B. Sweeney and Julianna Marguilies) that plays it straight. What truly widens eyes here, though, are the undeniably awesome computer-generated images, depicting dinosaurs romping and stomping in photo-realistic backgrounds. There are two DVD editions of this artistic milestone. The single-disc edition contains four segments that chronicle the painstaking production process, as well as two games, a “Dinopedia” of dinosaur facts, and DVD-ROM links to the Web. The Collector’s Edition boasts two discs. The first includes audio commentaries by the directors and effects supervisors as well as other members of the creative team. Some of the tidbits here are especially fun, such as the revelation that Zini, the misfit lemur, was inspired in part by the Michael Richards Seinfeld character, Kramer. There are abandoned and deleted sequences, hidden “Easter Eggs,” an isolated sound-effects-only track and a treasure trove of supplemental features—nearly three hours worth—that chart the film’s evolution in sketches and animation tests. Young Dino-maniacs will eat this up. Donald Liebenson
