Walking with Dinosaurs by a Dino Geek

SPOILER ALERT!

I grew up on dinosaurs. These prehistoric creatures hold a special place in my heart. So when my son discovered that Walking with Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie was in cinemas, I jumped on it like a Compsognathus on living tissue (little dino geek talk there... hehe).

Anyhoo, the review.

Let's start off with the movie title. Not too hot about it. Seriously, it can be any dinosaur movie. And saying that it's 3D (like they've just discovered the technology) made me snicker a bit.

The animation is cool! The details from the lush landscape to the leathery skin to the foggy breath in the middle of a full-blown dino wail are awesome! Just look at that! *frantically points to the image above this paragraph* The editing is good, too. I mean, like, Hollywood good. With appropriate zooms and unexpected slo-mos. The kind of thing you don't expect in a kiddie movie.

The plot is another story though. It's all about a power struggle between a tough herd leader and an underdog (just like in Disney's Dinosaur) during migration (just like Disney's Dinosaur) with the platform of sibling rivalry (a Walking with Dinosaurs original idea) and young love (just like Disney's Dinosaur). Oh and there was also a buddy thing happening here between 2 breeds (just like in Disney's Dinosaur) and an an unexpected prey revolution against a much-feared predator tyranny (just like in Disney's Dinosaur).

Another novel touch is using the Pachiosaurus as the stars of the film. Usually these bulky guys only serve as backdrop. The protagonist even has a unique hole in his head. Oooh...

The script... well, I'll be honest... is cringe-worthy. The jokes are painful. A bird as a narrator makes it even more painful.  But that's just me.

Another downer for me (and this is a personal thing) is that the T-Rex --the King Lizard himself-- is again labeled as a not-so-tough-after-all dino. The movie introduced the Gorgosaurus, as huge as the T-Rex, but more ferocious and fast. Aargh! Being a full blown T-Rex fan, this really boils my beans! But at least they didn't do a New Dino vs T-Rex fight scene which ended with a very dead King Lizard (just like in Disney's Dinosaur). That would've definitely got me on geek frenzy.
Buuut... they still went over the line when the film said the Gorgosaurus teamwork and attack skills can be likened to military precision. Hello! THAT skill belongs to the Velociraptor! Yeeeah... I'm a raptor geek, too.

Ok, so do I recommend you watch this? Yes! But... on DVD. Or maybe when it starts showing on HBO Hits or in National Geographic. It's good. But, for me, it's just not quite up there with expensive plush movie seats and overpriced popcorn.

*Photo creds to the Walking With Dinosaurs website

We give '9' a 10

Sadly, this movie didn't enjoy much fanfare here.

Simply because it's a computer-animated release presumably made for kids, but with a storyline that has nothing to do with kids.  It started gloomy and ended gloomy.  And I'm not talking about The Corpse Bride-gloomy.  There is absolutely nothing --and I mean, nothing!-- funny about '9'.

Set in the apocalyptic era after the war of man and machine, this 'cartoon' had no slapstick character who served as the running joke or the comic relief.  The characters were all eerie-looking rag dolls with souls, feelings, guilt, and a hunger for survival.

And your connection with them is borne out of fear, mystery, and empathy.
The whole plot feels real in its surrealism.  The story --a veritable, beautiful goldmine of knowledge and awakening.

I guess that's why my boys loved the movie so much.  Apart from having a yen for the Dark (well, you can blame me for that), it gave them a chance to think.  Miro even said, "I'll be more careful when I invent robots in the future, Mimi.  I don't want them destroying humans.".  And Kenji mused, "Even little things can fight big things." --referring to the part when the numbered dolls finally defeated the Machine Overlord.

There are lessons learned.  And I don't mean a peashooter lesson like Play Nice With Your Toys or Ogres Have Layers.  This is way beyond that.  There's Strength In Numbers (pun unabashedly intended) being one of them.

'9' is a must-watch for children and adults who feel like seeing an animated flick to be able to think and feel, rather than just laugh.   Luckily, it's available on DVD.  We have 3 copies. :)

'9'.  Directed by Shane Acker and produced by Tim Burton.
Tim Burton... why are you not surprised?