Dinosaur (2000)

Directors:

Eric Leighton
Ralph Zondag

Writers:

Walon Green (earlier screenplay)
Thom Enriquez (story) ...

Release Date:

19 May 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Thriller

Tagline:

You have never seen anything like this.

Plot:

An orphaned dinosaur raised by lemurs joins an arduous trek to a sancturary after a meteorite shower destroys his family home.

Plot Keywords:

Dinosaur | Lemur | Meteor | Egg | Nesting Grounds

Awards:

4 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

D.B. Sweeney	...	Aladar (voice)
Alfre Woodard	...	Plio (voice)
Ossie Davis	...	Yar (voice)
Max Casella	...	Zini (voice)
Hayden Panettiere	...	Suri (voice)
Samuel E. Wright	...	Kron (voice)
Julianna Margulies	...	Neera (voice)
Peter Siragusa	...	Bruton (voice)
Joan Plowright	...	Baylene (voice)
Della Reese	...	Eema (voice)
Matt Adler	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Sandina Bailo-Lape	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Edie Lehmann	...	Additional Voices (voice) (as Edie Lehmann Boddicker)
Zachary Bostrom	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Cathy Cavadini	...	Additional Voices (voice) (as Catherine Cavadini)

MPAA:

Rated PG for intense images.

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #37293) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-8/6 | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:I | Mexico:A | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG | Norway:7 | Philippines:G | Singapore:G | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | Greece:K

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Feature Animation

Trivia:

The attraction called Dinosaur (previously called Countdown to Extinction) at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park was originally to be created/opened at the same time as the movie's release as part of the company's "synchronicity" between branches of the WDC, but due to the overwhelming technology development required to begin production, the film's opening was delayed. Even though it was started after the film was in-production, the theme park ride opened first (by almost 18 months) before the movie's release; hence, the ride's name change later.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Carnotaurs seen in the film were much bigger than their real life counterparts. In realty the were smaller than Iguanodon's (Aladar's species) whereas here they are made as large as some of the biggest Dinosaur predators (like Tyrannosaurus). This is presumably done for dramatic effect and wouldn't be the first time such a change has been made (the Velociraptors from Jurassic Park).

Quotes:

Zini: This "monster"'s got no teeth! What's he gonna do? Gum us to death?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: Troldspejlet Special: Disneys Dinosaurerne (#24.11)" (2000)

Wonderful

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