Dinotopia
Dinotopia
TV-PG | 12 May 2002 (USA)

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SEASON & EPISODES
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  • Reviews
    Evengyny Thanks for the memories!
    Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.
    AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
    Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film
    bribabylk But no great shakes as an actor. At least not here. I remember him being a bit better in "Wonderfalls." In "Dinotopia" he's rather robotic. This mini-series is playing right now on the SciFi Channel so it's really fresh in my mind. In fact, I'm gonna go back and watch some more of it after I've finished with this. I have to say, it's rather enthralling in spite of itself. Dinosaurs are just fun to watch, no matter the context, and did I mention Tyron Leitso is easy on the eyes? But as a whole it doesn't really hold up very well to scrutiny. I have to echo some other reviewers' comments as to being more than a little uncomfortable with the way Dinotopian society is run. The cities have mayors, who I assume are democratically elected, but they also have a "Queen", who more or less controls everyone's destiny. Seems like the writers wanted to have it both ways, both modernly democratic and fairy-tale-like autocratic as well. Aside from the villain, played by David Thewlis, there was never any sign of dissent or dissatisfaction. Was there something in the water keeping the people docile? Maybe that quasi-mystical, orgasm-inducing, dino-foot-stomping rite keeps them all hyp-mo-tized. (Wentworth Miller: "There are just not words to describe it..." Good work, writers.) At least there seemed to be a high degree of gender equality, though really, this came off being more of a concession to pc'ness on behalf of the writers rather than a "realistic" depiction of a pre-industrial society. A lot of the dinosaurs seemed kind of like slaves. And no other animals except reptiles? Amphibians and small mammals and eventually birds lived side-by-side with dinosaurs for quite a while, you know. All in all, Dinotopia would be fascinating to visit, but I sure as heck wouldn't wanna live there. I found myself sympathizing with Karl (Tyron Leitso) on that point. Oh, by the way, he has a skinny-dipping scene, but you don't see anything, darn it.
    Brie9 Having just just viewed this unique mini-series on DVD from the local library I've found myself wrapped up in the fantasy world that is created in Dinotopia. The acting starts out just a bit lackluster but it picks up quickly and the characters gain personality. The female lead in my opinion is the poorer of the actors but not terrible. The special effects are excellent and I actually was surprised at the formidable quality of this whole production. I rented it just thinking oh I like sci-fi, fantasy, and dinosaurs OK so this will be easy escapism for a bit, but actually it enthralls you with the story of the lives of the people and dinosaurs of Dinotopia. The allure of wanting to experience more of the Dinotopia world drew me to internet investigation where I came to offer these comments and learned of the origin of the story in the Gurney book series and other authors. Thus, my perspective and comments come from first introduction being the movie bringing me to interest in the books. In that regard the movie is really effective....it makes you want to know more about and experience more of the adventures of Dinotopia. It's also a great family theme movie and has great themes and morals too.
    flingebunt There is a place where people can make movies and TV series by doing market research, finding out what people like, and then putting all together. This place is call Plotatopia....not far from Hollywood If you have dinosaurs, kids will love it. This is Dinatopia...a Harry Potteresque world where reality is turned not so much on it's head, but is leaning over dangerously.Dinatopia is an island where dinosaurs and humans lived together in some sort of harmony.It is a charming world, but each episode lacks a plot and a coherent reality....why is it that some Dinasours talk and smart, and others eat humans.....everyone lives in harmony, but you have people ordering each other around....and weapons are forbidden and fighting the carnivores is not allowed, but when they attack these attacks start happening....Oh well, it is for children.
    iguana1500 *may contain potential spoilers*Dinotopia was slated to be a big budget and big hit movie. After its release on ABC in 2002, it became something of a failure in the sense that it was not a smash hit. Rather, it falls into history as a unique movie based off of a memorable childhood book. It has its strengths that make it overall worth watching. Running at over four hours, it has some good plot, acceptable acting, very rich settings, comical characters, and a different ending than one would expect.The main theme that is explored in the movie offers something to think about. The idea of utopia is not a new one; adding dinos into the mix definitely makes it unique. Although we all expect every movie about utopia to have the same conclusion that all utopias fail, this one does not have the same outcome. Perhaps it is the effect of the "scalies" that minimizes the human tendency of self destruction. Still, the gravity of the theme rapidly tappers off way before the movie actually ends. Really, very few people actually care by the end of the movie whether or not the dinotopians fail in their "perfectly" created society. Still, it is something of a childish "happy" ending that will probably please younger audiences who do not wish to see all the dinos and humans perish.Children will probably find the dinosaurs amusing and fun. Yet the animation of the dinosaurs leaves something to be desired for anyone over the age of 10. Still, the character "Zippo" is one of the best computer animated characters in any movie. Although sometimes borderline dumb, he is much more comical and interesting than "Ja ja" from you know what. Oh, and little kids will inevitably find "26" cute. Dinotopia offers a solid soundtrack. Its music is memorable but not very varied in flavor. The music does fit the movie well and adds an added element that makes it more watchable. What really makes Dinotopia unique is the grand nature of the movie itself: four hours of dino and human utopia exploration. Dino lovers and enthusiasts will probably have this DVD in their collection. It has enough pluses to outweigh the sometimes egregious minuses. One of the worst parts of the movie: The mayor's hat. What was anyone thinking when they decided on a pointy hat with several red fuzzy balls hanging off the top?One of the best parts of the movie: The messenger (mail) birds. Very good animation and very comical. Overall, a fun family movie. 6.5 out of 10.