This disappointingly tacky entry in the "dinosaur runs amok" genre is in desperate need of a good plot. Or any plot, come to that. After the initial set-up in which our heroes unearth a Tyrannosaurus rex and a Brontosaurus (somehow surviving intact for millions of years by being buried in a frozen river under the sea - I'm not making this up), all the film consists of is people running around aimlessly, dumb comedy filler material aimed at children, and some ultra-cheap special effects which reach new levels of badness. Whilst not unwatchable thanks to the presence of the dinosaurs, this movie could have been a lot better with an original premise and some interesting characters to boot. Unfortunately what we're left with are a bunch of stock cut-outs, including not one but two macho heroes, as played by Ward Ramsey and Paul Lukather. These are the square-jawed, open-shirted hero types populated by such B-movies in the '40s and '50s and generally lacking in interest with little characterisation; Ramsey and Lukather are both wooden.
Then we have the annoying Mexican kid who gets himself in trouble all the time, the pretty but vacuous female love interest (Kristina Hanson) who doesn't fare much better, and finally the obnoxious land-owner played by Fred Engelberg. In fact the only character to root for in the film is the genuinely heroic and interesting caveman, played by Gregg Martell who looks the part in every way. The two dinosaurs themselves are a hilarious mix of cheap stop-motion and even cheaper model work for the close-ups, and the pair are never for a moment convincing. Watch out for the scenes in which director Yeaworth tries to make us believe that the kid is riding on the back of the Brontosaurus - a riot. In fact these two creations are so poorly animated that its impossible to feel sympathy for them; inevitably I find myself rooting for the monsters in these kind of films but here I was left cold.
For a film involving giant monsters being reanimated and going on a rampage, DINOSAURUS! contains hardly any action whatsoever. No buildings are destroyed, only a couple of guys get eaten. Godzilla come back, all is forgiven. In fact the only decent scene is the cheesy Tyrannosaurus rex vs. crane truck fight at the film's close and even that's only halfway good. I'm struggling to think of positive aspects for this film and I'm coming up blank. The biggest flaw is the lack of likable or interesting characters and characterisation; I know this was meant as a kid's film, but JURASSIC PARK managed it so there's no reason this didn't. I know the budget was low but a good script doesn't cost any more than a bad one, and that's the problem. Only for die-hard dino fans.
Then we have the annoying Mexican kid who gets himself in trouble all the time, the pretty but vacuous female love interest (Kristina Hanson) who doesn't fare much better, and finally the obnoxious land-owner played by Fred Engelberg. In fact the only character to root for in the film is the genuinely heroic and interesting caveman, played by Gregg Martell who looks the part in every way. The two dinosaurs themselves are a hilarious mix of cheap stop-motion and even cheaper model work for the close-ups, and the pair are never for a moment convincing. Watch out for the scenes in which director Yeaworth tries to make us believe that the kid is riding on the back of the Brontosaurus - a riot. In fact these two creations are so poorly animated that its impossible to feel sympathy for them; inevitably I find myself rooting for the monsters in these kind of films but here I was left cold.
For a film involving giant monsters being reanimated and going on a rampage, DINOSAURUS! contains hardly any action whatsoever. No buildings are destroyed, only a couple of guys get eaten. Godzilla come back, all is forgiven. In fact the only decent scene is the cheesy Tyrannosaurus rex vs. crane truck fight at the film's close and even that's only halfway good. I'm struggling to think of positive aspects for this film and I'm coming up blank. The biggest flaw is the lack of likable or interesting characters and characterisation; I know this was meant as a kid's film, but JURASSIC PARK managed it so there's no reason this didn't. I know the budget was low but a good script doesn't cost any more than a bad one, and that's the problem. Only for die-hard dino fans.