Dinotopia (II) (2002– )

Carl and David, two boys flying a small aircraft over the ocean with their father, crash land near an uncharted island. The boys swim safely to shore, but their father unfortunately drowns ... See full summary »

Stars:

David Thewlis, Katie Carr, Jim Carter

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 5 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
David Thewlis	...	Cyrus Crabb (3 episodes, 2002)
Katie Carr	...	Marion Waldo (3 episodes, 2002)
Jim Carter	...	Mayor Waldo (3 episodes, 2002)
Alice Krige	...	Rosemary Waldo (3 episodes, 2002)
Tyron Leitso	...	Karl Scott (3 episodes, 2002)
Wentworth Miller	...	David Scott (3 episodes, 2002)
Colin Salmon	...	Oonu (3 episodes, 2002)
Hannah Yelland	...	Romana Denison (3 episodes, 2002)
Lee Evans	...	Zippo (3 episodes, 2002)
Terry Jones	...	Messenger Bird (3 episodes, 2002)
Stuart Wilson	...	Frank (2 episodes, 2002)
Anna Maguire	...	Samantha (2 episodes, 2002)
Greg Bennett	...	Dinotopia Citizen (2 episodes, 2002)
Tasha de Vasconcelos	...	Tina (2 episodes, 2002)

Storyline

Carl and David, two boys flying a small aircraft over the ocean with their father, crash land near an uncharted island. The boys swim safely to shore, but their father unfortunately drowns in the crash. On their own, the brothers explore the island and soon discover it is not only inhabited by people, but by dinosaurs as well! While the place seems easy enough to get used to, the boys must find a way of returning to their home.

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Plot Keywords:

island | dinosaur | lost world | caring | teen | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Details

Official Sites:

ABC James Gurney

Country:

UK Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 May 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dinotopia - A Terra dos Dinossauros

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hallmark Entertainment, Mat I, Mid Atlantic Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

250 min 360 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Eleventh Code of Dinotopia (previously unknown since the tablet was broken) is "Find the Light". This is the phrase written on the front of a previous matriarch's (Marion's grandmother's?) letter.

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Quotes

Karl Scott: It's a skill, honed over a lifetime.
Rosemary: It's time you honed some other skills.

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Connections

Referenced in Where Is Your Head (2010)

User Reviews

A magical delight

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.