Summer of Magic- "Dinosaur"

When Dinosaur was released in 2000, I was a mere five years old. As you might expect, I loved everything about dinosaurs at that age, so when my parents took me to see a Disney film about dinosaurs, I was in heaven. Dinosaur quickly became one of my favorite films as a child; in fact, when I recently watched this film on my old VHS player, the picture was often fuzzy due to my overplaying of the film (I have since invested in the Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack). However, as I have revisited Dinosaur as I have grown up, my once unquenchable love for this film has been tampered quite significantly. Therefore, I am trapped in how to review it. Should I approach it with a strictly critical mindset or allow nostalgia to influence my rating? Maybe the best way to review Dinosaur is to allow both nostalgia and critiques to shine in this review simultaneously.

I'll start with the bright spots, the aspects of Dinosaur that endure from my childhood to this day. Our main character, Aladar, is the highlight of the entire film. He is truly an underrated character in the Disney canon as he exudes all the qualities one could desire to possess. Yes, he is a dinosaur, but we can all learn a thing or two from his plight about bravery, selflessness, and determination. In a character ensemble that does not make much of an impression (more on this unfortunate fact in a moment), Aladar is the unrivaled star. Furthermore, the music in Dinosaur is absolutely stellar. The score swelling during the scene showing the journey of Aladar's eggs near the beginning of the film, in particular, is spell-binding. With that standard set, the rest of the score follows suit. Bravo, James Newton Howard.

While the characters are less than superb, it is through no fault of this rather great cast in which every member does their very best in order to save this film from mediocrity. D.B. Sweeney, Julianna Marguiles, and Samuel Wright are standouts in particular with Alfre Woodard, Hayden Panettiere, and Max Casella also turning in fine performances. Additionally, Disney's first foray into computer animation is (mostly) a success. While some scenes show the infancy of this technology with the studio, most of the sequences exhibit some fantastic animation, especially the meteor scene and the revealing of the sanctuary for the first time.

Now for the critiques of Dinosaur. I have alluded to it already, but outside of Aladar, the characters are quite unmemorable, mainly because no one other than Aladar is given much to do. The lemurs shine early on, but once the meteor strikes, they are relegated to glorified cameos. Aladar's travelling companions, Baylene, Eema, and Earl, are not afforded enough screentime to make much of an impression (although Baylene does offer the film's defining moment, to her credit). Kron is our villain, but his naivety makes his villainous ways seem laughable. Aladar's love interest, Neera, is never developed into anymore than a love interest, which is quite disappointing because Marguiles provides an excellent voice for Neera. You know me: weak characters equal a weak film. Also, the story is too predictable. There are so many different ways Disney could have taken this story, but instead, they settle for something that we have seen before time and time again. Once again, I expect more from Disney in every facet of filmmaking, but especially when it comes to story. Dinosaur fails to live up to that glorious standard.

Dinosaur is not Disney's worst film by any stretch (still looking at you, The Black Cauldron), but contrary to what a five-year old version of me would say, it is also a far cry from the studio's finest hour. I will continue to watch Dinosaur in the future because of the emotional, nostalgic bond I have with it, but if that bond is ever broken, my Dinosaur viewings may become extinct.

Rating: 7.5/10

Historical Significance: In order to differentiate Dinosaur from The Land Before Time from 1988, the original plan was for the film to be completely devoid of dialogue. However, Disney chief Michael Eisner insisted otherwise, advocating for the inclusion of dialogue. Taking this idea and running with it, the filmmakers originally intended for the dialogue to be in the background with none of the characters actually moving their lips (think Homeward Bound). Luckily, that idea was amended. This act obviously raised the budget for the film as Dinosaur would end up costing Disney about $130 million, placing it atop the list for most expensive film from 2000. Factoring in worldwide grosses, the film was a moderate success, though, as it grossed nearly $350 million at the international box office.

Behind the Scenes: More people are probably more likely to recognize Aladar from the attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World than from the actual film itself. The attraction was originally slated to open at the same time as the film was released in order to provide some synchronicity among the various departments within the Walt Disney Company. However, due to the new technology being used in the film, the release date had to be changed even though the attraction was ready to debut. The attraction opened eighteen months before the film's release and was called Countdown to Extinction. After the film was released, the name was changed to Dinosaur.

Favorite Character: Aladar is the one character from Dinosaur that is a well-developed character. This is the ultimate underdog story as we follow Aladar from birth to triumph. We find ourselves cheering for Aladar even in the midst of an oftentimes predictable story. Whenever he stands up to Kron, we cheer him on; when he is assisting Baylene and Eema, we applaud his heroic actions; and when he finally leads the herd to the nesting grounds, we rejoice. The reason I keep coming back to Dinosaur beyond my nostalgic purposes is because of Aladar. The way Disney is able to humanize this massive creature is incredible and undoubtedly the highlight of the entire film.

Favorite Scene: There are not a bunch of remarkable scenes from Dinosaur, but the most impressive from an animation standpoint is the meteor shower scene early on in the film. We all know that the fateful meteor is going to strike at any moment, and when it does, it is a spectacle to behold. Sometimes in Dinosaur, Disney's unfamiliarity with computer animation shows, but not in this scene. The detail on display here is phenomenal as Disney offers a view at what may have in fact been the scene when that meteor originally struck millions of years ago. Plus, we see Aladar's heroics come out in full force during this sequence as he desperately attempts to save his family.

Updated Ranking: I am completely torn about where to rank Dinosaur. Nostalgia is telling me it deserves to be higher, but my critical side is saying that it should actually be lower. Therefore, I compromise with a ranking somewhere in the middle.

1. Beauty and the Beast
2. The Lion King
3. Aladdin
4. The Little Mermaid
5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
7. Peter Pan
8. Cinderella
9. The Jungle Book
10. Sleeping Beauty
11. Hercules
12. Mulan
13. Tarzan
14. Pinocchio
15. Lady and the Tramp
16. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
17. Alice in Wonderland
18. Dumbo
19. Bambi
20. 101 Dalmatians
21. Pocahontas
22. The Great Mouse Detective
23. Fantasia
24. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
25. The AristoCats
26. Fantasia 2000
27. The Rescuers Down Under
28. Fun and Fancy Free
29. The Fox and the Hound
30. Robin Hood
31. Dinosaur
32. Melody Time
33. The Three Caballeros
34. Saludos Amigos
35. Oliver & Company
36. The Rescuers
37. The Sword in the Stone
38. Make Mine Music
39. The Black Cauldron

One of the few bright spots from the early 2000's is on deck in our Summer of Magic! The Emperor's New Groove is next!

-Cody Fleenor