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Thursday, April 18, 2024
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HOLLYWOOD WALKING WITH DINOSAURS 3D
EDITOR'S PICK
`Walking
With Dinosaurs` - a visual delight for kids
Rating: *** 1/2
From the hearth of BBC Earth Films, `Walking The Dinosaurs` is an edutainment
film that educates the audience about animals, particularly the dinosaurs that
wandered on the surface of the planet, about 70 million years ago, during the
Creataceous period.
This is not a documentary film. In fact, it is a charming love story bordered
around the hero's journey of existence. It exposes the dinosaurs' survival
instincts in a truthful and convincing manner.
The film starts off with a present-day scene, where Paleontologist Zack (Karl
Urban) tugs along his niece Jade (Angourie Rice) and disinterested nephew Ricky
(Charlie Rowe) to the Alaskan hinterland to excavate and study a dinosaur tooth
in his custody.
On the outskirts of the forested land, Ricky encounters Alex (John Leguizamo), a
talking crow who tells him, "Every fossil tells a story. It opens a window
to the ancient past."
With this, Alex morphs into an Alexornis, or a sort of prehistoric parrot and
zooms into the sky teleporting the audience to the prehistoric period.
Here, Alex introduces the audience to Patchi, (Justin Long) a baby
Pachyrhinosaurus and his tribe. The Pachyrhinosaurus is a strange choice for
heroism. This dinosaur, which looks like a rhinoceros, has a thick skin, a
bulbous nose and several horns, one of them growing from a tuft of flesh that
blooms on its head like a thick leaf.
Patchi, who is the weakest among the litter, lacks in size but makes up with his
courage. During one of his early adventurous exposures, he acquires a hole in
his crown thus making him unique. He often stumbles along behind the herd,
occasionally being tormented by his older alpha sibling Scowler (Skyler Stone).
Apart from the Pachyrhinosaurus, there are a plethora of dinosaurs and other
wildlife creatures that keep you glued to the screen. The most prominent and
magnificent of the lot are the lizard hipped dinosaurs, the two and a half
tonnes, fierce looking Gorgosaurus and the duck-billed Edmontonsaurus.
The film shows the rugged and harsh realities of nature's survival dispositions.
To make the film palpable, the plot involves family bonding, romance between
Patchi and Juniper (Tiya Sircar), a Pachyrhinosaurus from another tribe, and
team spirit.
John Collee's screenplay is simple and uncomplicated, keeping in mind that it is
targeting kids. But, unfortunately, the narration is verbose and continuous, and
thus one tends to be attentive in order to ensure that you do not miss a vital
link.
Dialogues like, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." or
"They are going to have a dinner party and you are going to be the main
course," bring in the wry British humour.
The images provided by director of photography, John Brooks are life-like and
real. The animated, computer generated images seem so authentic that it makes
you believe you are in that era. The wide-angled images capturing the migrating
herds look amazingly naturalistic.
The 3D effects are very effective especially in the scene where Patchi shrugs
off the crab or when the omnivorous squirrel jumps to catch its prey. These
scenes are out of the ordinary.
The background score too is engaging. The vocals are lively and especially the
last number "Live like a warrior," invigorates a sense of heroism.
Directors Neil Nightingale and Barry Cook's "Walking With Dinosaurs"
is indeed a gorgeous visual feast that would delight kids.
