When Dinosaurs Ruled: The Real Jurassic Park

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Movie Reviews of When Dinosaurs Ruled: The Real Jurassic Park

Movie Review: Prosaic Parasaurolophus, Tedious Tyrannosaurs
Summary: 3 Stars

Most viewers are sure to be disappointed in the production values of When Dinosaurs Ruled and will have much greater expectations. It also suffers as a result of the overly enthusiastic reading Jeff Goldblum gives the superlative-filled script and in the rather odd choice of music--almost like the sound track to a soft-porn movie. At one point there is a discussion of the use of Parasaurolophus's crest as a resonating chamber (now a widely accepted theory). During a demonstration of the sound it likely could have made (based on computer simulations and CAT scan research) the music doesn't even stop!

Other, less important inconsistencies: hadrosaurs are first claimed to be "up to 30 feet long", but later Parasaurolophus (a hadrosaur) is cited to be 30 to 45 feet long; we are told that Tyrannosaurus Rex's name means "terrible lizard"--every schoolboy knows that is incomplete, and that the "rex" part means "king". Granted, these are minor points, but indicative of the sloppiness of the whole.

On the positive side, there are some interesting facts and theories mentioned. Among these are a consideration that Tyrannosaurs may have groomed their mates and children; a mention of how the evolution of flowering plants may have affected the evolution of dinosaurs, and some minor consideration of theories that a massive comet striking the Earth may not, in fact, have been the ultimate cause (or at least the sole cause) of the dinosaur's extinction. Here again, though, the show lets its viewers down--one paleontologist states unequivocally that a single comet would not cause the extinction patterns he sees, but is given no further chance to explain himself. The comet theory has displaced all other theories of extinction in the popular view, but increasingly scientists are considering a comet strike as only one of a series of events causing that decline. This would have been a wonderful place to explore some of those alternative causes, but it was an opportunity missed.

Abrupt endings can leave audiences with an unfulfilled sensation. Tthe ending of this show was very abrupt, just like this.

Summary of When Dinosaurs Ruled: The Real Jurassic Park

The third in a five-part series, this DVD focuses on dinosaurs found in North America. The DVD's special features include direct scene access where you can jump between thematic sections such as Nomadic Dinosaurs, Small Dinosaurs, and Disaster in Tunisia, a trivia quiz to see how well you remember the information presented, and spotlighted dinosaurs where you can jump to the specific dinosaurs presented--Majungotholus, Rahonavis, Kirky, Carchardontosaurus, Deltadromeus, Spinosaurus, Brachiosaurus, and Massospondylus. Expert or novice, kid or grownup, this DVD will appeal to anyone interested in learning more about what the earth was like When Dinosaurs Ruled. --Tara Chace

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