Dinotopia

Dinotopia is a Visual Spectacular!

Though the mini-series is corny in areas, it the good type of corny...not that crappy 'we're the best' Hollywood corny. It's a movie that's not afraid to admit that it's corny or that some of it's acting isn't the greatest at times. On the upside the visual effects are amazing. If you watch the mini-series and think that you are looking at a painting/drawing style it's really quite breathtaking. Another thing thing I must say for this movie is that it is entertaining, fun ride, action packed. I was neve bored watching this film. Overall it was just a good 4.5 hours to spend. Light hearted...good family fun...but not one of those typical family movies.

Recommendation: Read the books by James Guerny as well "Dinotopia" and the "World Beneath" =)

Dinotopia is a fantastical adventure story that the whole family can sit down and watch together. Although it isn't mind-blowing fantastic, it is very watchable and mostly enjoyable. The main cast is made up of newcomers or not-so-easily recognizable actors and some very interesting CGI and Animatronic dinosaurs ("Zippo" and "26" really stick as as super-great). The pace is a little slow and the plot is a little predictable, but that doesn't make this mini-series any harder to get into. It is an interesting story, with some stunning visual sequences, that has most definitely gotten me addicted to it. All the same, you can still feel the story's morals being forcefully instilled on you as you watch the story unfold. All in all I give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Yes, I know. It's a miniseries for kids, but some grownups seem to enjoy it. I have loved dinosaur movies ever since I saw Jurassic Park (1993) as a kid, so I decided to give it a try.

The overarching story is an exciting tale of adventure. Two half-brothers survive a plane crash. After this brush with death they discover an island where humans and dinosaurs live together. The brothers have different personalities and deal with this discovery in different ways. There are dangers ahead for the brothers and the inhabitants of the island, but I won't reveal any more about that now.

The story itself is great, but of course, it also matters how a story is told. About the script, certain things are just not explained. Maybe it has to do with limitations on the running time. An example early on is when the brothers take a bus. To get on they need a ticket. Presumably, if you need a ticket you need to buy it. They just get them from a man in a booth with no explanation. Would it had been so hard to just have someone lend them some coins in the local currency? No spoilers, but the ending was even worse to the point of being sloppy. I could see the screenwriter in front of me going: "Ops, I only have three more pages to finish this!" He would have needed half an episode.

Another important aspect in a series about dinosaurs is of course the practical and digital effects. For scenes in broad daylight, the CGI is not that impressive. It didn't look much better than a video game at the time. However, there were a few suspenseful scenes, in the dark, that mixed CGI with animatronics, and these worked much better. It's clear that great care had been taken to make the most of what they had in order to make these scenes as thrilling as possible. Of course, if you're mainly interested in realistic-looking creatures, you might as well re-watch Jurassic Park. Even if the industry had nine years to improve the technologies, you have to consider that Dinotopia is made for TV and Jurassic Park was a blockbuster, and had groundbreaking effects.

The acting wasn't always great, but wasn't what bothered me the most. Maybe it was because I half-expected it from a TV production.

I'm sorry I didn't watch Dinotopia at age ten, as I probably wouldn't have noticed the flaws as much. It's not terrible, but I suspect that the grownups who give it the most praise might be watching through a nostalgic filter.

I would recommend this if the following is true: You want something to watch with your kids. Your kids like adventure and/or dinosaurs. They can handle some scary sequences, but aren't yet ready for Jurassic Park. If you are looking for something to watch on your own, there are better options, even if you like dinosaurs.

I found this to be absolutely enchanting. There is a richness to the cinematography reminiscent of the film Babe, making it super-real, and the special effects add a layer of beauty to the film, rather than being a distraction.

There is a strong narrative thread, based around two half-brothers, washed up on the shores of the island. You have to make the leap into believing that somehow this island exists - almost undiscovered - as a haven where dinosaurs and humans co-exist.

The drama is driven along by the fact that the brothers barely know each other, having been brought up by different mothers. As they search for their father, who was with them in a plane that crashed, their differences become exacerbated.

With the exception of a lone tyrannosaurus attack, the story steers clear of the usual dinosaurs; instead it showcases some that appear less often in modern films, such as the enormous ankylosaurs, who act as acolytes and guards on the island.

I found myself caught up in the magic as the brothers take a ride on a dinosaur bus to Waterfall City. One of the lovely conceits of the films is that dinosaurs and humans work with each other in a variety of different ways. It is through the interaction with dinosaurs that the brothers each go on a journey of self-discovery and development.

There are some plot twists along the way, some love stories, and a complex villain, played very well by David Thewlis. The drama is divided up into rather lengthy sections. I find them enthralling and have watched them several times, but you really need to set a large chunk of an afternoon or an evening aside to enjoy each part.

This is a very male-centred drama, the women tend to be brought on in supporting roles and sometimes the leading characters behave quite infuriatingly. However, even though you are, like the brothers, dropped in the deep end of the story, it all makes sense, all the important plot strands get resolved and you can come out of it wishing that the island was real.

Recently becoming a Wentworth Miller fan, I found myself drawn to his earlier works and came upon this charming miniseries. It's definitely worth a look. If your into seeing cutesy fantasy films, than this a movie for you. Not only was the acting, and choices for actors/actresses great, but the special effects were phenomenal. After a while I had to remind myself that the dinosaurs were actually fake, because it's easily forgotten. The story is entertaining and moves along nicely. Also, the music and storyline overall really gave it a truly classic and magical feel. It really was a treat to see. I'd recommend it, without question.