Dinotopia (2002)

Still haven't found the Dinotopia I'm looking for

"Dinotopia", based on the best selling series of books, sounded compelling on paper. People crash land in a country where humans and dinosaurs live together in peace&harmony. It's an interesting series, with some potentially good ideas, with a pre-Prison Break Wentworth Miller and David Thewlis as a surprisingly sympathetic villain.

In "Dinotopia", Miller and Tyron Leitso star as a pair of half-brothers who crash land in Dinotopia. (To make this movie family-friendly, they describe their late father as "socially active") They are greeted by the presiding matriarch, Alice Krige. Since they are in a worker's paradise, they can't choose their own jobs. She also has them listening to dinosaurs pound their feet, getting them into polytheistic/pantheistic meditation. Furthermore, the half-brothers must abide by Dinotopia's laws. They must be vegetarian-and the kicker- they can't fight in self-defense if carnivorous dinosaurs attack. In the meantime, the half-brothers end up smitten with the mayor of Waterfall City's daughter. (In a not-so-family friendly twist, she skinny dips with one of them,but nothing results from the love triangle) They also encounter the free-thinking villain, David Thewlis. He wants the people of Dinotopia to have freedom of thought and freedom of motion,as well as the freedom to defend themselves- but he's stigmatized.

The sunstones that are defending Dinotopia from carnivorous dinosaurs are failing. The half-brothers embark on a quest to restore them. As for the love triangle, it's left unresolved.

"Dinotopia" has some good special effects and great acting. Krige is at once menacing and maternal as Dinotopia's leader. She's the organic, vegetarian Borg Queen. The script is turgid. There are aspects problematic for youngsters. "Dinotopia" isn't utopia. It's loveably bad. It has dinosaurs! So why complain? June 17, 2008

way too long

Two half-brothers and their father in a plane, crash in the sea. The brothers survive and enter the world of Dinotopia, a world in which dinosaurs live with humans... David will try to become one of the Dinotopians, while Carl wants to go back to his world.

This is quite fun - at times - though I found the CGI was not that great; the acting isn't the best either; and the dinosaurs are... well... entertaining at best.

My problem with this tv movie is that it is way too long. Those five hours could easily have been crammed into a regular feature of two hours; there was just too many scenes that weren't needed.

Enjoyable for the family. Most kids would love this!
June 5, 2008

Dinotopia (TV Miniseries

GREAT PRICE. EVERYTHING IS AS SAID. AAZON IS THE BEST INTERNET SHOPPING. PRODUCT WAS WRAPPED AND SHIPPED IN A PROFESSIONAL AND TIMELY MANNER. May 27, 2008

What the!?!?!?!

I can't understand why it seems everyone has to take "polar opposite" sides on this movie. It is simply a composite of all the episodes in the mini-series, edited into a single movie and is easily worth the price. My children love it and I wasn't expecting a "blockbuster". Regardless of what happened to the series it scores as a big hit in my household. May 22, 2008

Dinatopia Now

This was excellantly done. The animation in cojunction with the people is almost believable. Good quality, good colr and interesting theme. May 15, 2008

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