Dinotopia - The Series
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Movie Reviews of Dinotopia - The Series
Movie Review: Dismal Treatment of Multiculturalist Utopia
Summary: 1 Stars
James Gurney's Dinotopia is a unique children's book; a Progressive utopia of cooperation and environmentalism. It's a dramatically different take on standard adventure fare that deserved to be developed, rather than dumbed down. Perhaps that's inevitable for TV. However it's sad to see the concept of a pacifistic, diverse culture communing with nature and celebrating cooperation turned into a show about a primitive society wowed by such innovations as boxing, motorcars, and rock-and-roll. The movie is equally disappointing in presenting pacifists who must be rescued by roguish rule breakers, and the tv show simply follows that line. It's a tragic waste of a great possibility to do something really different with an adventure series.
Following the film's lead we are in Dinotopia a century after the books, with stranded brothers Karl and David Scott (Erik von Detten and Shiloh Strong) and their father Frank (Michael Brandon) trying to accomodate to an island shared between humans and (mostly) intelligent dinosaurs. Cyrus Crabbe is replaced as plot driver by "the Outsiders," rebels against the Dinotopian codes who eat meat and use weapons. Their piratical nature made them more interesting to the writers than the 'boring' pacifists of Dinotopia, so they dominate the series episodes:
In the two-part series opener (MAROONED, MAKING GOOD) the Outsiders discover a magic amulet that enables them to control tyrannosaurs and the brothers must stop them from conquering all of Dinotopia.
HANDFUL OF DUST, the third episode, has a dinosaur-killing alchemist making sexy Outsider queen LeSage (Lisa Zane) even younger.
In episode 4, CONTACT, roguish Karl must choose whether to use a radio to escape Dinotopia or to rescue the dying survivors of a shipwreck.
THE MATRIARCH, Episode 5, contemplates the challenging issue of a pacifist mother whose children disappear in a tyrannosaur attack, but fudges the ending dishonestly.
BIG FIGHT was the last episode of the series to air in the U.S.; semi-pacifistic David agrees to box an Outsider bully, a situation quickly exploited both by Frank and LeSage.
NIGHT OF THE WARTOSA is at last something semi-consistent with the Dinotopian ideal and fun (although it does indeed involve some sexual innuendo); it's a GROUNDHOG DAY ripoff.
In Episode 8 LESAGE hijacks a dinosaur-load of medicine; Karl's roguery in getting it back is almost too much for Marion (Georgina Rylance).
In CAR WARS Frank invents a motorcar and ousts Waldo (Jonathan Hyde) from office on a pro-progress platform(!?!)
In LOST AND FOUND Karl's attempt to sneak a ride on a skybax leads a vengeful Frank and a courageous Waldo to the discovery of a lost city of cowboys.
In the two-part THE CURE, Karl's illness leads Rosemary (Sophie Ward) to use magic to send David and LeSage to the outside world.
CROSSROADS is the series finale; however it's a cliffhanger and not a conclusion to the series. Knowing that they can now leave Dinotopia, the Scotts must decide what they really want, while Marion must decide who she wants to be.
The acting is mostly good, although the tv Marion-role doesn't allow Rylance to compete with the movie's Katie Carr, and Hyde makes for a VERY different Waldo than Jim Carter. I also vastly preferred the movie's Lee Evans to the series' Omid Djalili as the voice of "Zipeau." The SFX aren't cutting edge, but survivable. The occasional clever ideas tend to get lost in largely formulaic plots, and the tension between the brothers that really MADE the movie has completely disappeared: Marion now seems to be "Karl's girl." The dialogue is pedestrian and characterization tends to be pretty broad.
Movie Review: not subtitled/closed-captioned
Summary: 1 Stars
Do not buy if hearing impaired. Cheap people who made the DVD did not subtitle or close-caption. Saw original show on TV and it was captioned.