So, after a month of illness, we finally went on a family outing. I don’t think I have to tell you that we needed it. My son, who STILL loves dinosaurs, has been wanting to see Walking With Dinosaurs, and seeing as he selflessly watches all manner of Barbie movies with his sisters, we have really wanted to take him. But, well, we’ve been sick. All of us. So, today, we headed out to the ONLY theater that is still showing the film, and took all four of the kids to see the movie. Yes, even the 18-month-old twins because when you don’t have a sitter, you just don’t have one, right?
Anyway, I had done very little to research the movie. In fact, all I had done was ask my sister who had seen it if Dino-Boy would like it. She said yes, and that was that.
So, when I looked up and realized it was produced by BBC Earth, I was a little surprised. I must have mixed its preview up with something more…Disney. That’s not to say I was disappointed. The first thing I was struck by is the absolutely amazing scenery. “Wow” is the only word. At the beginning of the film, all I could think was “Maybe we should go to Alaska.”
I was not expecting the talking bird or the fact he suddenly turned prehistoric, but I did enjoy the story. Dino-Boy was glued to the screen. So much so, in fact, that he totally ignored me when I offered him some Raisinettes. I kept glancing at my older girl, wondering if she was enjoying it, but I shouldn’t have worried. She announced to one and all at the end that she really liked the movie. Even the twinsies paid more attention to the movie than I ever expected them to do. We didn’t have to take them out even once, though I did have to shush one of them a few times.
I loved the fact that as new dinosaurs entered the film, they were properly introduced. You see, Dino-Boy calls them by their real names around here. Also, I thought the film did a great job of showing dinosaurs as real animals, meaning they had families and herds and hierarchy, etc. I don’t often think of dinos quite like that, you know?
One thing I didn’t like was that sometimes the look of the dinosaurs skin just kind of looked gross to me. I don’t know why…I think it has something to do with those “real skin” dinosaur toys I’ve seen. They just look and feel strange, and I don’t like them so I think that just carried over to my opinion of the graphics.
Overall, though, it was a really good movie for everyone in our family. There were definitely some funny parts, and there were a few frightening ones (though not too frightening for little eyes to see). And, you definitely find yourself pulling for Pachy.
If you have a chance, see it. If not, catch it when it comes out on DVD, especially if you have a Dino-Kid of your own. Mine informed me, as we walked to the car, that he was “the Dinosaur Man” because he finds fossils and that he really should live when the dinosaurs lived so he can see them. I’m just glad this movie gave him a glimpse into what that might have been like.