Prehistory Docs Ranked
This list ranks all the dinosaur (or prehistory in general) documentaries I’ve seen from worst to best.
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27 titles
- StarsKenneth BranaghAvery BrooksThe first half of this special is a recreation of Al's life, from birth through his death in adolescence.A believable and tragic look into the life of an average dinosaur based on fossil evidence brings the Walking with… franchise to it’s high point.
- StarsNikolay DrozdovKenneth BranaghAvery BrooksDocumentary-style series about the era of the dinosaurs, mixing real locations and CGI.A groundbreaking look into the world of dinosaurs in the format of a traditional nature documentary, presenting these magnificent animals at their most spectacular.
- StarsDavid AttenboroughTravel back 66 million years to when majestic dinosaurs and extraordinary creatures roamed the lands, seas, and skies.Combining the voice of David Attenborough with spectacular visuals, Prehistoric Planet brings you the closest to real, living, and breathing dinosaurs.
- StarsChristian SlaterScott SampsonBeau van Erven DorensA four-episode animated series charting the adventures of four dinosaurs - each on a different continent in the prehistoric world: a lone female Velociraptor in Asia; a young male Daspletosaurus in North America; a South American female Saltasaur; and a young adult Pyroraptor in Europe. Narrated by Christian Slater and hosted by paleontologist Scott Sampson.Taking Walking with Dinosaur’s formula and updating it with the anthropomorphism seen in Raptor Red, Dinosaur Planet is a finely crafted anthology of both nature and adventure from the creators of When Dinosaurs Roamed America.
- StarsKenneth BranaghStockard ChanningLarry AgenbroadUsing the latest digital technology, the era between the dinosaurs and man is superbly recreated by the BBC and Discovery Channel in another winning production from the coalition.Wild, touching, and even thought-provoking, Walking with Beasts concludes the Prehistoric Earth saga as spectacular as ever.
- StarsRobert WinstonAlec BaldwinAndrew SachsThe great follow-up to 'Walking with Dinosaurs' and 'Walking with Beasts', presented by Professor Robert Winston, explains the story of human evolution.No look into the world of our ancestors has ever came close to matching the scope and wonder Walking with Cavemen has to offer.
- DirectorPierre de LespinoisStarsJohn GoodmanKaren ChinPhilip CurrieThe life of American dinosaurs is seen in amazing detail. The Feathered Dromeosaurs (Raptors) debut on this film along with the bizarre Therizinosaur. Each story is compelling and well-written. From a Coelophysis exploring the world around him to a teenage Tyrannosaurus learning from his mother how to hunt and even a love story between two Stegosaurus. This film also shows audiences real fossil finds and museum displays to show the researcher's work. This is educational, thrilling, and is a well-executed Discovery Channel response to BBC's ground-breaking "Walking with Dinosaurs" miniseries.…it was a spectacular time, filled with excitement and thrills that even rivals Walking With Dinosaurs, with John Goodman’s narration adding to its spectacle.
- StarsRod ArthurSuzanne McNabbNigel MarvenNigel Marven travels back in time to rescue exotic creatures on the brink of extinction. CGI is used to create animals no longer seen on earth, from woolly mammoths, and T Rex, to dinosaur-eating crocodiles.Nigel Marven’s prehistoric safari works as both an educational and exciting experience for school students and general audiences alike.
- StarsNigel MarvenChristopher CookKaren HayleyAdventurous zoologist Nigel Marven embarks on an underwater expedition through time to explore the seven deadliest seas in Earth's history, coming face to face with strange and dangerous prehistoric sea monsters.Nigel Marven takes us on a thrilling and frightening dive into the deadly seas that we have only imagined in our worst nightmares until now.
- StarsNigel MarvenThis two-part series, a sequel to Walking with Dinosaurs featured Nigel and his "team of fellow explorers" encountering prehistoric life over a large range of time, and seeing creatures not featured in the original series.The mere idea sounds like a BBC gimmick at first, but Nigel Marven manages to make this further look into the world of Walking with Dinosaurs a recommendable one.
- DirectorSean MacLeod PhillipsStarsLiev SchreiberJennifer AguilarMichael AshcraftBrings to life some of the most bizarre, ferocious and fascinating creatures to ever inhabit the ocean. Combines animation with recreations in a prehistoric adventure. A journey to the bottom of the ancient oceans dramatizes awe-inspiring creatures.Monstrous as they may seem, these sea monsters also have amazing stories to tell as shown in National Geographic’s IMAX hit.
- DirectorBarry CookNeil NightingaleRichard DaleStarsBenedict CumberbatchA group of young pachyrhinosaurs face the trials of growing up in a prehistoric world.Held back by an awkward screenplay, Prehistoric Planet continues the BBC classic’s legacy through some vivid visuals and an epic story told in the fashion of Dinosaur Planet.
- DirectorMatthew ThompsonStarsStephen FrySimon KerrSet 70 million years ago in the Cretaceous period in North America, this animated documentation/drama follows the journey of a young Edmontosaurus named Scar and his herd as they migrate south for the winter. This film depicts recent findings about Dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurs with feathers.Plagued only by dull animation, March of the Dinosaurs nevertheless tells an incredible story as high standards reached by few others.
- StarsJohn HurtBased on the latest paleontological discoveries from all continents, veteran actor John Hurt narrates the gory, bleak stories of the brutal relationship between the ancient apex predators and their gigantic herbivorous prey.John Hurt’s narration and some well crafted animation brings this new generation of dinosaurs to television in the most awe striking light.
- DirectorDavid ClarkStarsChristopher PlummerTrevor S. ValleChristoph WalterExplore the Pleistocene through archaeological discoveries, reenactments, and CGI.Titans of the Ice Age gives school students a vivid look into the once forgotten world, with Christopher Plummer’s guidance also being something worth writing home about.
- StarsKenneth BranaghEdward GeroThe final installment in the "Walking with" series is a 90-minute documentary about the evolution of life before the dinosaurs.While not at standards set by its predecessors, Walking With Monsters nevertheless still serves as a worthy prequel to Walking With Dinosaurs both in scientific and story presentation.
- DirectorMarc FafardStarsDonald SutherlandRodolfo CoriaIf it weren't for a series of cataclysmic events, a comet impact being first on the list, our planet could well still be the domain of dinosaurs. Following Pr Rodolfo Coria, a world-reknown Argentinian paleontologist, we visit sites of major discoveries he has contributed to in Patagonia and travel back in time to see these amazing beasts come to life in 3D. Patagonia has given us the largest living animal to ever walk the Earth: the titanesque plant-eating Argentinosaur, and its nemesis, the Giganotosaur, a bipedal carnivore that could easily challenge the famous T-Rex.Held back only by awkward CGI, Giants of Patagonia brings the great titans of prehistory to life with breathtaking cinematography and a poetic narrative read aloud by Donald Sutherland.
- DirectorDavid KrentzErik NelsonDavid E. DuncanStarsWerner HerzogLorànt DeutschA collection of vignettes presenting possible experiences in the lives of dinosaurs during various periods.Awkward at worst and a work of art at best, Dinotasia presents Fantasia for a new generation, with poetic narration from Werner Herzog adding to the experience.
- StarsKim Do-hyunFollow the journey of a young Tarbosaurus named Patch as he faces the challenges of growing up in what will one day become the Korean Peninsular.Created with the right ideas, Tarbosaurus is unfortunately brought down by an awkward presentation and laughable narration, though it’s engaging story might just be enough for some.
- DirectorRichard DaleTim GoodchildMark HedgecoeStarsBill MondyProposes a minute-by-minute chronology of the Chicxulub impact and its effect on the dinosaurs and other animals around the world.What could’ve been a morbidly vivid look at the last day of the dinosaurs ends up being an hour long Clash of the Dinosaurs episode with weak animation and looped sequences, though the science might make it okay on the educational side.
- StarsJ.V. MartinThomas HoltzAndrea LeanzaLong-extinct giant beasts and the strange world they once inhabited areresurrected through fossil evidence and other scientific data in this Discovery Channel program that reveals how these creatures once lived and flourished.The facts and intentions are all in the right place, but Monsters Resurrected unfortunately squanders from poor-quality animation and exaggerated re-enactments that distracts the viewer from learning anything.
- StarsRick RoblesThomas HoltzScott HartmanA documentary series following various prehistoric creatures, depicting their way of lives as well as their lust for survival.Creative Differences put a lot of effort into creating the ultimate prehistoric anthology. The Discovery Channel also put the same effort into throwing in an out-of-place educational angle that makes enjoying the experience difficult.
- DirectorHan Sang-HoStarsLee Hyung-sukGoo Ja-HyeongSin Yong-wooA lonely Tarbosaurus named Spekles grows up into a world surrounded by dangers and must fight the One-eye'd monster that once orphaned him.Inconsistently dubbed, clumsily animated, and filled to the brim with blatant plagiarism, Dino King’s awkward narrative fails as both an educational and entertaining experience for all but the average dinosaur enthusiast.
- DirectorBarry CookNeil NightingaleStarsCharlie RoweKarl UrbanAngourie RiceSee and feel what it was like when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, in a story where an underdog dino triumphs to become a hero for the ages.Walking with Dinosaurs offers a visual spectacle when it comes to what is presented on the screen. It is the last-minute juvenile voice dubbing coming out of the speakers that leaves it strictly for those under the age of 10.
- CreatorKreg LauterbachGeorge BlasingStarsErik ThompsonGeorge BlasingThomas HoltzJurassic Fight Club depicts how prehistoric beasts hunted their prey, dissecting these battles and uncovering a predatory world far more calculated and complex than originally thought.A Jurassic Fight Club would work if it was a commercial for some dinosaur action figures, not a documentary that isn’t even trying to make sense.
- StarsJason HildebrandtRichard CoyleKen CarpenterDinosaurs were the ultimate prehistoric survival machines, ruling the earth for 120 Million years. Until now we've seen them as skeletons and robotic models. Dino Body takes a new look at dinosaurs -- from the inside out. Combining cinematic photo-real 3D graphics and leading-edge anatomy and paleontology, we peel back their skin, their muscles, even their brains to reveal the unique inner workings of the greatest beasts that ever lived. Hidden inside dino bodies are the anatomical secrets to surviving prehistoric Planet Earth for millions of years.Repetitive, lazy, and dull, it is hard to imagine anyone can watch Clash of the Dinosaurs without falling asleep. It doesn’t help that the editor made the experience for the interviewed palaeontologists quite unpleasant.
- DirectorReuben AaronsonJames McQuillanPierre de LespinoisStarsJack HornerStephen KembleJimmie WoodPaleontologist Jack Horner questions the assumption that Tyrannosaurus Rex was a predator. He thinks there is a reasonable chance it was a scavenger that had little ability to hunt or even run. He's out in the field looking for evidence to try to settle the debate.The idea of challenging the popular image of T. rex sounds interesting. Unfortunately, Jack Horner’s illogical to absurd arguments that reject their criticisms make this come off more as a propaganda than a documentary.