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Dinotopia

2002, Movie, NR, 240 mins

Dinotopia: Review

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Though longtime fans of James Gurney's popular fantasies may object to the fact that Hallmark's made-for-TV miniseries engages in some inevitable dumbing down, dinosaur-crazy youngsters will doubtless enjoy this lavish extravaganza. Half brothers David (Wentworth Miller) and Karl Scott (Tyron Leitso) accompany their father, Frank (Stuart Wilson), on an outing, during which their small aircraft crashes into the sea. Believing their dad has perished, both boys swim from the submerged fuselage and find themselves in the forgotten land of Dinotopia, where humans and talking dino-creatures coexist. Although bookworm David is awestruck by the kingdom's combination of modern marvels and medieval superstition, Karl the jock regards this lost world as a theme park he'd like to vacate. Sizing up the Scott boys as potential pigeons, a hiking antiquarian, Cyrus Crabb (David Thewlis), advises them to head for Waterfall City. Befriended by Marion (Katie Carr), the daughter of Waterfall City's Mayor Waldo (Jim Carter), the Scotts learn two unpleasant facts of Dinotopian life: Carnosaurs are invading local settlements outside Waterfall City's perimeter and the sunstones which generate protection for the residents are losing their potency. Forced to adopt a "when in Rome" attitude, the teens commence their Dinotopian education and make friends with librarian dinosaur Zippo (voice of Lee Evans). When Marion's mother, Rosemary (Alice Krige), enlists acrophobic David in the flight academy and relegates macho Karl to the dino-chick hatchery, both brothers feel their natural abilities are being wasted. Karl retaliates by helping Crabb escape in a submarine, only to find himself left behind. As the T-Rex horde closes in, David and Karl must join Marion in a perilous journey to an underground temple that houses the life-giving sunstones. Like all grand exercises in make-believe, this elaborate telefilm creates a unique environment and convinces viewers of its existence. The civilized dinosaurs are captivating, the airborne stunts are breathtaking and the life-lessons absorbed by the Scott brothers will bring nods of recognition from the young at heart. leave a comment --Robert Pardi
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