Le Dinosaure

I am quite surprised at so many negative comments people have made. It's just a movie and one that is sheer entertainment. People seem to have a problem with the way violence is portrayed but I liked how the directors portrayed the brutally and the honest way death was portrayed. Thankfully, it's not excessively sugar-coated and there are some very sad scenes but it beautifully ends on the note of hope. I liked the way Leighton and Zondag told Enriquez's written story but I thought that some of the situations weren't developed. For example, how does Aladar adjust to the lifestyle of the dinosaurs considering that he was raised by lemurs. Most likely it may have been due to time constraint but nonetheless the current adventurous story of migration and survival is engaging and moving. Aladar's selfless attempts to save the dinosaur's are touching to watch as it reflects how the kind-hearted Plio raised him. The characters are enjoyable and the voice cast, that includes talents like Alfre Woodard, Joan Plowright and Ossie Davis do a fine job. D.B. Sweeney too does a very good job voicing Aladar. The animation is very detailed, giving the characters and setting a very authentic look. Even though the slight stop motion takes away from the realism, this is only a minor quibble. Newton Howard's score flows well with the story. 'Dinosaur' is sheer beauty and a pleasure to look at. It's a dinosaur classic and it's become one of my favourite dinosaur films.

This was yet another example, when it came out in 2000, of the latest strides being made in animation, computer-or-otherwise. At the time, I thought to myself, "Man, this just gets better and better all the time." Six years later, I am still saying that but with newer animated efforts.

Some of the scenes in here look so real you wouldn't know they were drawings. The colors are particularly good in the opening minutes. They are just stunning at times.

The story is pretty interesting, too. It's not great, but not boring, either, and not too kid-oriented. Adults can enjoy this. In fact, I was surprised at the amount of violence. That, and some of the jokes actually make this more for adults than kids in many spots.

I recommend the movie for its story and innovative techniques.

When i heard that the original screenplay o this film planned no dialogue at all for the characters, i became even more disappointed at the end result. While a very good film Dinosaur certainly is, it could have been incredible. The visual effects alone are a sight to behold, never more so than in the opening sequence. This is probably the best stretch in the whole film for me; it's unsanitised by talking animals and genuinely feels like a prehistoric world (ignoring the multitude of historical inaccuracies like grass in the Mesozoic era, particular dinosaurs living side by side). Once the animals start to talk the film is bogged down by the shortcomings of the script, which is idealistic and morally exposition heavy, for the sake of the target audience. It also detracts from the illusion the film so effortlessly produces on the screen at the start; it all just becomes so standard an routine when it seemed to be so much more. With a weak script, the visuals no longer arrest like they did before and would have done had nobody talked. Without the amazing cgi, this could have almost been straight to video.

I say almost because despite the shortcomings Dinosaur is a good movie; it's at times thrilling, exhilarating, touching and surprisingly intense, for a movie with a such a routine story. Had it had a better script it could have been great. Had it had no dialogue at all it could have been a classic and perhaps one of Disney's finest. The era of risk taking and inventiveness for the company seems to be at an end, or at least under suppression. Damn you Eisner! They were onto something this time.

My first glimpse of this film was an extended trailer (which is essentially the first 5 minutes of the film) in front of The Phantom Menace a few years back. Everyone in the audience was stunned at the incredible visuals. And when it was over, there was a simultaneous "Whoa..." from everyone in the theater including myself.

Then there was all this hoo ha about the inappropriateness of a Kate Bush song so the movie was re-edited and when it finally did come out, it came out rather quietly so I never got around to seeing it in the theater.

I just caught the end of it tonight broadcast on the Disney Channel while doing some channel surfing. They were gracious enough to show it 2 times back-to-back so I sat there and watched it all the way through on the second run. I'm really mad at myself for forgetting to go and see it in the theater. Broadcast cable television quality is garbage and what I saw on my television tonight blew me away - I can just imagine how it must have looked in the theater.

Is this story a rehashed mix of Tarzan with a dinosaur and a pack of lemurs, and Land Before Time? Yes. Does it use the same technique of meshing CGI and live action backgrounds as Discovery Channel's Walking with Dinosaurs? Yes. But given it took 12 years to make this film, I would believe that it was Walking with Dinosaurs that copied from this film.

I am a big fan of CGI animation and I have to say that the first 20 minutes of this film that are set in mostly lush, tropical settings are some of the most impressive CGI / live action scenes I have seen yet. It looks so real that I found myself having a hard time trying to figure out which elements were CGI and which were live action.

Just as James Cameron's Titanic was a visual masterpiece, so is Dinosaur. If you'll remember Titanic won tons of awards for special effects, set decoration, and music. 'Best Background' if you will. The story was predictable and boring (and I'm not talking about the fact that everyone knew the ship was going to sink either) and the dialogue was flat. Same thing with Dinosaur.

Just as Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor's attack scenes were visually spectacular and the rest of the movie pretty much was a waste - the same could be said for Dinosaur. I really like the middle hour of Pearl Harbor (from where the Japanese fleet attacks to shortly after they withdraw). I don't bother watching the rest of the movie. With Dinosaur the first 20 minutes are incredible up until shortly after the asteroid hits and the last 10 minutes are also visually impressive. Skip the middle.

If you are looking for a perfect movie - this definately isn't it. But if you are looking to see some incredible animation, there's a good 30 minutes of jaw dropping visuals that every CGI animation fan must see.

Watch only the first 20 minutes and the last 10 minutes and this is a 9 out of 10. Watch it complete and the middle drags it down to about a 5.

The visuals were so good, I'm on my way to buy Dinosaur on DVD first thing tomorrow and have no intention of watching the middle hour of it.

Finally Disney has created an animation that isn't sugar-sweet!

What usually bugs me about Disney's films is the constant bursting-into-song sequences that clog up the stories, and the comic side-kicks that keep making bad jokes. No such thing in Dinosaur! It's a serious movie that is very sad and partially cruel: a wonderful tale of courage and survival, told with respect for the audience, with unpresidented animations. The dionsaurs merge seemlessly into the real surroundings, and they move and look absolutely real. Finally, computer animations have reached the stage where it doesn't look animated anymore!

I was also very touched by Aladar's attempts to save the old dinos, and although I'm a grown-up, I jumped in my seat when the carnotaurs emerged. There was violence in this film: cruel battles between carnivores and herbivores. And surging through it all there is a feeling of sadness and loss, for a world that is about to fade away into the pages of history.

Thus, it's not for the smallest children, but it's a great story that treats it's audience with respect and pays homage to that great lost Earth that was buried in the dust millions of years ago.

9/10