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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 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
Product Description
Join the action-packed adventure of a group of dinosaurs overcoming enormous challenges through courage, loyalty and hope in Disney's DINOSAUR, a special effects phenomenon! Set 65 million years ago, DINOSAUR tells the compelling story of Aladar, an iguanadon who is separated from his own kind and raised by a clan of lemurs, including the wisecracking Zini and the compassionate Plio. When a meteor shower destroys their home, Aladar and his family follow a herd of dinosaurs heading for the safety of the "nesting grounds." along the way, Aladar befriends Baylene, an elderly brachiosaur; Eema, an unstoppable strachosaru; and Neera, a feisty fellow iguanadon. Together, they must stand strong amidst food and water shortages, the threat of carnotaur attacks, and Aladar's run-ins with the herd's stubborn leader, Kron. A landmark in filmmaking technology, DINOSAUR's theatrical quality is fully captured in this DVD, which features a digital-to-digital transfer that ensures the best possible picture and sound quality!
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