We have come to the second film which I had to watch for the first time for this blog and Dinosaur was not quite as terrible as I was imagining, though definitely not great. This film was very unique for 2000 in that the backgrounds are all live action, but the characters are CGI. Dinosaur is still considered to be an animated film but I find it interesting that the same concept nowadays is considered to be live action. I tried my best to identify the different dinosaurs and correctly name them, but there are no guarantees all are accurate. Apparently watching Jurassic Park and riding past Primeval World on the Disneyland Railroad does not make one a dinosaur expert.
Premiered on: May 13, 2000 at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood
Directed by:
Ralph Zondag
Eric Leighton
Produced by: Pam Marsden
Based on: Original Story
Sequels: none
Cast:
D.B. Sweeney – Aladar
Alfre Woodard – Plio
Ossie Davis – Yar
Max Casella – Zini
Hayden Panettiere – Suri
Samuel E. Wright – Kron
Peter Siragusa – Bruton
Julianna Margulies – Neera
Joan Plowright – Baylene
Della Reese – Eema
Frank Welker – Url
Supervising Animators:
Mark Anthony Austin
Mike Belzer
Eamonn Butler
Bill Fletcher
Gregory William Griffith
Tom Roth
Atsushi Sato
Trey Thomas
Larry White
Dick Zondag
Music by: James Newton Howard
Academy Awards: none
The Story:
Dinosaur begins inside a dinosaur egg. The baby inside is looking out his parents’ outlines through the shell. A voice says that somethings start out big and somethings start out small, but it is the small things that usually make the biggest changes. The scene zooms out from the egg and shows the nest. The title card appears.
The mother Iguanodon nuzzles the egg. She is suddenly on alert and spots birds flying off in the distance. A curious Parasaurolophus sniffs the eggs and the mother shoos him away. He runs away and scurries by many other dinosaurs and then chases a bug into a nearby forest. Suddenly there is a pool of drool by him and a Carnotaurus pops out of the bushes. He chases the Parasaurolophus back towards the herd of dinosaurs and this causes a stampede. The mother Iguanodon tries to protect her nest but the Carnotaurus tramples it and crushes all of the eggs except for one. The Carnotaurus kills a Pachyrhinosaurus and the other dinosaurs are able to escape.
The scene zooms back on the lone surviving egg. An Oviraptor steals the egg and runs through the forest. He is about to eat it when the egg is stolen by another Oviraptor. They fight over the egg and then it falls into a river below.
The egg travels through the water and a Koolasuchus eats it but then spits the egg back out. The egg travels past many other curious dinosaurs until it is picked up by a Geosternbergia. She soars over a field filled with dinosaurs and then down a cliff and over the ocean. The Geosternbergia heads to her nest but then some birds attack and the eggs drops before it can be feed to the babies.
The egg falls and lands in a lemur tree as a storm starts. The lemurs are all very curious about the egg and Plio cautiously approaches it. The lemurs have no idea what it is and the other lemurs tell Plio to stay back. She ignores them and sniffs the egg. The egg starts to hatch and Plio peers inside it. She tells her father, Yar, to come over to it and he asks what it is. Plio says that it was an egg and then she turns around and is holding a baby Iguanodon. Yar calls the dinosaur a cold-blooded killer from across the sea. The other lemurs come closer and Yar scares them away by saying the baby will eat them. Plio asks what they should do about the baby and Yar says to get rid of him. She apologizes to the baby and hands him to Yar, making her father be the one to get rid of him. Plio turns to leave and Yar holds the baby out over the ground, ready to drop him. But Yar can’t because he thinks the baby is too cute and hands him back to Plio. The lemurs all gather around.
In the next scene, Aladar is grown and is chasing the young lemurs around. He catches one in his mouth and then the lemur shouts at Aladar to let him out. Aladar does and jokes that he has a hairball. The lemur thinks that was great and wants Aladar to do it again. The lemurs jump onto the dinosaur’s back and Aladar pretends like they are defeating him and they all laugh. Plio is watching and laughing as well. She then stops them and says to get ready for the courtship. She tells Aladar to find Zini who is practicing his pickup lines.
Zini is practicing his lines on a rock on the beach. Aladar comes and tells him that they need to get going because they don’t want to miss Yar’s annual pep talk.
Yar has gathered all the young male lemurs and in a tree and Plio has gathered the females nearby. She tells them not to fall for the first cute boy to do a backflip and to keep them guessing. Then Yar tells the males that if the cute backflip doesn’t work, guess. Plio says that this will always be a day that they remember and Yar says that they won’t remember this day. Aladar comes to get everyone and the males all climb on his back. He brings them over to the other tree and the courtship begins. Zini keeps messing up and can’t keep up with the dance. The lemurs all pair up and climb to the top of the tree to watch the sunset together, all but Zini who is alone. Aladar goes to comfort him and Yar comments that they still have one bachelor. Plio corrects him and says that they have two. Plio goes to Aladar and comments that if only there was someone on the island for him but Aladar brushes her off. He doesn’t think he needs anything more.
Everyone looks up as meteors go flying through the sky above them. Aladar and the lemurs are in awe at the sight but they have no idea what they are. Birds are starting to fly away from the falling meteors and Yar tells everyone that something is wrong. A large meteor hits the water close to where they are and the lemur family starts to run away from the large wave coming towards them. Aladar grabs Suri out of the tree and he runs away with Suri and Plio on his back. There are many meteors falling onto the island now.
Aladar jumps off a cliff and into the sea. He is fighting the waves and calling for his family. He finds Yar, Zini, Plio, and Suri and brings them out of the water and onto a burning beach. They are all very tired. The family is on the shore opposite of their island and are watching their home being burnt up from across the sea. Aladar tells them that they can’t stay and the lemurs all climb on his back and they walk away.
It is daytime and they are walking through a desert wasteland. The family thinks that they saw something and start looking closer for whatever it was. It turns out to be a group of Velociraptors! The raptors surround, chase, and attack the family. Suddenly, they are surrounded by a huge herd of many different species of dinosaurs. The raptors have been lost in the crowd but Aladar keeps getting trampled through the dust storm that the herd is creating.
Aladar and the lemurs get to the end of the herd and are all alone again. Suddenly the raptors appear and so Aladar runs to rejoin the herd.
The herd strops and Kron decides that they will rest there for the night. The herd scurries around to find their spot to sleep. Aladar starts talking to a group of stragglers. There is Baylene the Brachiosaurus, Eema the Styracosaurus, and Url the Ankylosaurus. These dinosaurs find out that the lemurs think that they are the last of their kind and tell them that Baylene is also the last of her kind. The lemurs inquire about the nesting grounds that the herd is heading to and wonder if there will be anyone there who looks like them. Eema says that animals of all shapes and sizes could be there but the hard part is getting there. They are being driven mercilessly by Kron but everyone is too scared of him to stand up for themselves.
Aladar goes up to Kron to talk to him and tell him that there are dinosaurs who are falling behind. Kron’s right-hand dinosaur Bruton tells Aladar to get lost. Kron asks Aladar who he thinks he is and is about to ask Aladar why he isn’t with the other Iguanodons when he sees the lemurs waving from his back and gives them all a surprised look. Aladar says that he was back talking to those who are having a hard time keeping up but Kron does not want the weak to set the pace. Aladar argues that they need help and Kron tells him to watch himself. He then walks away.
Neera tells Aladar that is how her brother welcomes all the newcomers, no matter how charming they are. She walks away as well. Zini comments that Aladar has caught Neera’s eye but Eema says to leave her alone. It is best to keep their head down and do as Kron says. Yar is very upset with Kron being a big bully but Aladar says that Eema is right. They need to keep their heads down so they don’t get bitten off by a raptor. Eema says that they are lucky that is all who is following them.
The dinosaurs are all resting at night and then at sunrise, they start to wake up and get going. Zini wakes Aladar up, who is still asleep with the stragglers, and Zini says that something is up. The herd is gathering and Bruton is rudely getting everyone up because Kron has decided that it is time to go. Zini then points out Aladar’s “girlfriend” and teases him about Neera. Aladar sarcastically says that he made a great impression on her. Zini just responses that he needs help from the “love monkey.” Zini then starts making screaming sounds at Neera and she turns around and says to the children near her “that is what you call a Jerkosaurus,” thinking that Aladar made those sounds. Zini is proud of himself that he broke the ice.
They hear a trumpeting and Kron and Bruton are calling everyone. Kron then tells Bruton quietly that there are a lot of newcomers so to make sure that they get it. Bruton announces that if this is anyone’s first time crossing, there is no water. They need to keep up and they are on their own against any predator. It is time to move out! The herd starts to move as the rest of the lemurs and the stragglers join Aladar and Zini.
During the crossing, the stragglers are really struggling because it is so hot out. But Kron thinks that they are moving too slowly and makes everyone pick up the pace. It is nighttime and the herd is still going. Some of the dinosaurs are collapsing and the raptors catch up and feast on the fallen. The next day, Eema falls but Aladar helps her back up.
The raptors are just finishing off a carcass when a pair of Carnotaurus appear.
The herd reaches a hill where they know a lake is just on the other side. Everyone is very excited but when they get to the top of the hill, they realize that the lake has dried up. There are only bones in the dust. Kron tells Bruton to take a scout and search for water elsewhere. Two children are whimpering and Kron yells at them to stay strong. He then tells everyone that they need to keep moving.
Neera tries to convince Kron that if they keep going, they will end up losing half the herd and Kron argues that they will then save the half that deserve to live. The stragglers are very upset that there is no water and that the herd is moving on already. Eema goes out onto the dry lake is desperation and the others follow. When Baylene walks, she causes cracks in the lake and water starts to seep through. Aladar calls the rest of the herd back as the stragglers drink the water. Kron charges towards the water and bellows at the rest of the dinosaurs and lemurs to back away from it. He wants to keep it all to himself. There is a stampede as the rest of the herd heads to the water and Aladar tries to stop them in order to not trample Eema. Kron just keeps growling at everyone to stay away from his water.
Bruton and the scout cannot find water. Bruton sense something and tells the scout to keep quiet. A Carnotaurus is lurking and they spot him. They try to run but the scout is killed.
The herd is sleeping on the dry lake and Aladar hears Suri trying to coax someone out from their hiding place. He sees that it is the two children that Kron yelled at and they are too scared to try and get some water. He helps Suri coax them out.
Neera sees this. Aladar shows the children how to get water through the cracks of the lake bed but they start fighting over it. Aladar tells them that they need to work together. He then asks them where their parents are. Neera answers that many of them are on their own now. She then comments that Aladar must like kids and he jokes that some of them are a little chewy. He then introduces himself. Plio wakes up and watches. Neera asks Aladar why he is helping the others and Aladar responses that he can’t just leave them. Neera says that it happens all the time; they can’t survive if they are not strong enough. Aladar asks if that is her or her brother talking. Neera responses that everything is so different now and she doesn’t know what to believe. Aladar still thinks that everyone will need to work together to reach the nesting grounds. He then shows her how to get water from the ground and they accidently touch and start giggling. Yar comments that is “one down…” he looks at Zini and leaves it at that.
Kron is watching as well but is not happy about it. Bruton suddenly appears and says that there are Carnotaurus! Kron argues that they never come this far north but the fires must have driven them here. Kron is very mad that Bruton lead them right to the herd and he tells the herd to move out at double time! Neera asks what is going on and Kron tells her Carnotaurus. Aladar doesn’t want the stragglers to be sacrificed and he tries to stop Kron from leaving them behind if they can’t keep up. Kron stops Aladar and says that he will kill him for interfering. He then tells Neera to stay away from Aladar.
Aladar hurries back to the stragglers and tries to help them keep up even though the herd is leaving them behind.
By nighttime, the Carnotaurus have reached the lake.
The stragglers are complaining about their blisters but then they think they hear the Carnotaurus, though it could also be the herd so they check it out. They find Bruton, who is still badly hurt from fighting off the Carnotaurus the first time. He was left behind by Kron. The stragglers are discuss if they should leave him or not but Aladar wants to help. Bruton refuses their help. A thunderstorm starts and so they all hide in a nearby cave. Aladar tells Bruton that if he changes his mind, he can join them. Bruton does try but he collapses just outside the cave. Aladar encourages him to come in and he does.
Plio brings Bruton a plant that she knows will help heal him. The group starts to talk about hope verses accepting one’s fate to die. But the lemurs argue with Bruton that it is a choice, not a fate.
The Carnotaurus appear outside in the storm when the group is asleep. Aladar wakes up and sees the dinosaur outside. Bruton tells him to be quiet and to wake the others. They are trying to sneak away but the Carnotaurus come inside. They start to chase Aladar and he tells the others to run. Bruton steps in to fight them off and in the processes, a rock slide happens. Bruton gets smashed by the rocks. Aladar tries to save him but it is too late. One Carnotaurus survives but the other one is killed by the rocks. The survivor leaves the cave.
It is daytime and the herd is still moving. One of the children collapses and the other cries for help. Everyone ignores them except for Neera. She helps the child up. Neera then sadly looks behind her as there is no Aladar or his friends following the herd.
Back in the cave, the lemurs are playing eye spy as they make their way deeper into the cave. But they soon come to a dead end. They smell something on the other side and the lemurs try to dig out the other rock slide that is blocking their way out. This only causes a further rock slide. Aladar is very mad that they came so far only to reach another dead end. Plio and the others encourage him not to lose hope and Baylene starts to stomp the rock slide to try and break through. Eema and Aladar help and they are able to break through. There is daylight on the other side.
They have reached the nesting grounds, which has been untouched by the fires. The nesting grounds are a beautiful meadow surrounding a large lake. They are all very excited. Aladar wonders where the herd is and the others tease him that he is really wondering where Neera is. Eema assures him that the herd will be there soon but then she sees that the route that the herd should take to the nesting ground has been filled in by another rock slide.
Aladar does not think that the herd will be able to make it over the slide and he rushes off back through the caves to find them. Eema comments that she hopes Kron is in a listening mood.
The herd has reached the rock slide form the other end in a ravine. Neera tells Kron that they need to find a way around the slide but Kron says that in the morning, they will climb over it.
Aladar is running through the night, trying to find the herd. He does find the Carnotaurus and hides behind a rock. He is able to flee when the Carnotaurus is distracted by a carcass but the predator catches his scent.
The next day, Kron is giving a speech about their future over the rock slide but the others are all very hesitant to climb over. Aladar finds them and tells the herd that they need to run and get out of there because a Carnotaurus is coming. Kron just tells the herd to start climbing. Aladar says that he knows a safer way to get to the nesting grounds but Kron won’t listen. Aladar thinks that he is going to kill the herd and he takes off and tells the herd to follow him. Kron demands that the herd stays and he attacks Aladar. Neera helps Aladar up and she follows him out of the ravine. Kron starts yelling at her but the rest of the herd follows as well.
Suddenly they hear a cry and the Carnotaurus appears between the herd and the way out of the ravine. Kron says that Aladar led the predator right to them and that they must hurry over the rocks. Aladar tells everyone not to scatter and that they can defeat the Carnotaurus by working together. The Carnotaurus charges and everyone does stand together. They start bellowing at the predator and are able to scare him enough to get past him. But Kron stays behind and is still trying to climb the rocks. The Carnotaurus charges towards him and they fight. Aladar and Neera go to help and they push the Carnotaurus off the cliff. Kron was badly injured in the fight and he dies.
Aladar then leads the herd back through the caves and to the nesting grounds. He says “Welcome Home.”
A nest filled with eggs is shown. Aladar and Neera are the proud parents looking down on their eggs. The stragglers and the lemurs have gathered together. One of the eggs starts to crack and Plio helps the baby come out of the shell. Zini finds new lemur neighbours, who are all female, and he is very happy. Aladar bellows.
The end credits roll.
Trivia:
- Dinosaur was the only Disney film to be produced by The Secret Lab, a division of the Walt Disney Animation Studios that shut down in 2001.
- There are no songs with lyrics in the film.
- Most of the background scenes were filmed in California, Arizona, and Venezuela. Angel Falls can be seen in a shot, which are the falls that inspired Paradise Falls in Up (2009).
- Carnotaurus were actually smaller than Iguanodons but were animated as much larger for a better villain.
- Harry Gregson-Williams was offered the chance to compose for the film but he turned it down because he was working on the music for Shrek.
- The official list of Disney Animated films in the U.K. does not include Dinosaur (nor the 2011 Winnie the Pooh). It does, however, include The Wild (2006) which is not included in the U.S. list.
- The film is set in the Cretaceous period, though has received criticism about the accuracy of that timeline.
Representation in the Disney Parks:
Countdown to Extinction opened with the rest of Disney’s Animal Kingdom on April 22, 1998. It was later renamed to Dinosaur to promote the film. Scenes from the film appear in the pre-show and the ride also features Carnotaurus and Iguanodons.
Check out the other films of Disney’s Post-Renaissance Era:
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