PREHISTORIC PLANET

[bone crusher]

Very nice, 13 meters long and 10 tons confirmed for the latest figures on T.Rex. They probably based these from Scotty if not from Sue, truly the most massive theropod dinosaur the world has ever seen.

[Duna]

New trailer released.


LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mtaXP2Nar0

That's not a trailer, is the "Uncovered" or the science behind each episode and there will be one released with each one. It seems that they decided to put that part for free viewing on Youtube. Nice of them. At the end of the episode, David Attenborough suggests to watch that part in Appletv.com if you want to know more about the evidence. I wish that part would have been longer! Super interesting.

And about the episode, I think they have made one of the best looking model with the Tyrannosaurus. "Hank" moves as the 10 ton beast he was and looks like a real animal distributing his weight. In many dino documentaries, dinos look like "floating", but this is properly balanced and heavy.
The rest of the episode is incredible (and it is the episode with less interest for me because of the species shown). Subscribe (free for a week) at appletv.com and enjoy it too! I'll watch it again on the tablet tonight.

Spoiler

My favourite part is the Tyrannosauruses in every scene. When I saw they were 5 at the beggining (but in trailers only appeared 4) I just knew what was going to happen to the fifth. The pterosaurs part is absolutely amazing, I loved how the little chicks gathered for the first flight over the cliff like some albatross do).
As a reef fish tank owner I almost died with joy after seing some extant corals, fish and shrimp and real reptile skin. The CGI fish were some of the best CGI in the whole episode. One could mistake that species as a real one. The wobbly movement of the new born Tuarangisaurus towards the surface is super well done, just like newborn cetaceans do. I thought plesiosaurs were born tail first, not head first and in a curled ball (I don't think there could be enought dilatation for the size they were to be born that way - like Boas give birth)

[close]

[GojiraGuy1954]

New trailer released.


LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mtaXP2Nar0

that's the bonus episode not a trailer

[dragon53]

Sorry, the original article said it was a new trailer.

[Faelrin]

So I had a lot written here, but my laptop decided to blue screen for no particular reason, and I lost it all.

I'll try to keep this shorter then before. Anyways this was definitely the successor to Walking With Dinosaurs I've waited so many years for. Everything looked real, not just from being so up to date, and good cgi, but also good animation with appropriate weight to it. I loved the fresh takes on pretty much everything shown with in too. While I haven't read All Yesterday's yet, something about these takes gave me similar vibes to it, from what I know of it. Considering Naish worked on this I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about that.

Spoiler

Such as the T. rex sequence showing it swimming to an island, being hunted by a mosasaur, and then afterwards getting food with an Archelon. Definitely a breath of fresh air for this animal, usually shown hunting other dinosaurs all the time. Definitely the best T. rex has ever looked in any documentary or to screen for that matter (and I'm saying that with nostalgia for JP in mind). Gets me more excited for the BotM one coming out at the end of the year, because like this one also has lips, and is appropriately hefty. Also Rebor's too.

I think the pterosaur sequence was great. Loved the diversity and some fresh faces this time around. Watching the hatchlings take flight was incredible, and it reminded me of that pterosaur embryo or something discovered a few years back. Didn't it shed light that they could fly earlier on then previously thought? Unless I'm misremembering as it has been a while back.

It was nice seeing the plesiosaurs brought into a modern light as well. The end sequence reminded me of WWD's Cruel Sea's, but worked out better for the prey this time around.

The mosasaur sequence was possibly the highlight of the episode for me. I loved seeing this big and terrifying animal just relax and look adorable for once (when it was rolling over). Of course that came to end pretty quickly, with the brutal fight to the death that followed right afterwards.

The bioluminescent ammonite sequence was great too, and a bit sad as well at the end of it. I really loved seeing that, since I love modern extant deep sea animals that do that. It reminded me of that scene from that one nature doc from a few years back that went over I think bioluminescent algae and fish (don't know if it was Blue Planet II or Our Planet). It also satisfied something I've thought about from time to time, such as wondering if any extinct life has features like today's fauna, or what the equivalent to modern day whale falls would be with those giant prehistoric marine reptiles.

[close]

Anyways I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's episode with the sauropods, Mononykus, etc.

[GojiraGuy1954]

Same. I can't wait to hear what Hans is gonna do for the score of the Dreadnoughtus fight scene.

[Carnoking]

Same. I can't wait to hear what Hans is gonna do for the score of the Dreadnoughtus fight scene.

This begs the question, when will we get an album of the soundtrack??

[Brocc21]

Finished the first episode, and I loved it! 

Spoiler

David Attenborough is truly a God send, certainly the perfect anyone else doing a documentary like this (sorry Kenneth).  The cinematography was fantastic, and of course the dinosaurs were beautiful.  The incorporation of live action fish and other animals was very well done.  And it made for better eye candy than the last Jurassic World film.  Hans Zimmer's score didn't disappoint.  The swelling of the music was very beautiful and worked well with the majesty of the subject matter.  The low and suspenseful music during the scene with the Barbaridactylus really stood out.  This also the first documentary in a while where I really learned something new, which you'd think would be a little more common.  This was my first time hearing of taxon like KaiKaifilu, Tuarangisaurus, or Phosphotodraco (At least that I remember).  I really liked seeing stuff I'd never seen before in a dino doc.  Like swimming Tyrannosaurs.  Plesiosaurs that lived in family groups and actually fought back against predators instead of being dispensable mosasaur fodder.  Mosasaurs being peaceful goofballs while getting trimmed by little fish.  Or bioluminescent ammonites.  My only real complaint was that it had to end.  Very excited to see what's next!

[close]

[DinoToyForum]

So I had a lot written here, but my laptop decided to blue screen for no particular reason, and I lost it all.

I'll try to keep this shorter then before. Anyways this was definitely the successor to Walking With Dinosaurs I've waited so many years for. Everything looked real, not just from being so up to date, and good cgi, but also good animation with appropriate weight to it. I loved the fresh takes on pretty much everything shown with in too. While I haven't read All Yesterday's yet, something about these takes gave me similar vibes to it, from what I know of it. Considering Naish worked on this I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about that.

Spoiler

Such as the T. rex sequence showing it swimming to an island, being hunted by a mosasaur, and then afterwards getting food with an Archelon. Definitely a breath of fresh air for this animal, usually shown hunting other dinosaurs all the time. Definitely the best T. rex has ever looked in any documentary or to screen for that matter (and I'm saying that with nostalgia for JP in mind). Gets me more excited for the BotM one coming out at the end of the year, because like this one also has lips, and is appropriately hefty. Also Rebor's too.

I think the pterosaur sequence was great. Loved the diversity and some fresh faces this time around. Watching the hatchlings take flight was incredible, and it reminded me of that pterosaur embryo or something discovered a few years back. Didn't it shed light that they could fly earlier on then previously thought? Unless I'm misremembering as it has been a while back.

It was nice seeing the plesiosaurs brought into a modern light as well. The end sequence reminded me of WWD's Cruel Sea's, but worked out better for the prey this time around.

The mosasaur sequence was possibly the highlight of the episode for me. I loved seeing this big and terrifying animal just relax and look adorable for once (when it was rolling over). Of course that came to end pretty quickly, with the brutal fight to the death that followed right afterwards.

The bioluminescent ammonite sequence was great too, and a bit sad as well at the end of it. I really loved seeing that, since I love modern extant deep sea animals that do that. It reminded me of that scene from that one nature doc from a few years back that went over I think bioluminescent algae and fish (don't know if it was Blue Planet II or Our Planet). It also satisfied something I've thought about from time to time, such as wondering if any extinct life has features like today's fauna, or what the equivalent to modern day whale falls would be with those giant prehistoric marine reptiles.

[close]

Anyways I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's episode with the sauropods, Mononykus, etc.

Don't forget to save a draft if you are writing long posts. Once saved as a draft, it will auto-save every 60 seconds.

By the way, I saw episode 1 today, great!

[Carnoking]

Also, that episode was incredible. Too many highlights to choose from, and on a technical level, just wow!

Spoiler

Perhaps a minor nitpick would be that there wasn't really a central "story" guiding us through these various sequences.

What I always liked about WWD is that there was usually an anchor animal or group of animals whose main stories organically introduced new creatures and events (I.e., the Ornithocheirus traveling across continents and encountering new animals as he made his way to a mating ground)

You could say the Tuarangisaurs were those focal creatures, as there was a narrative through line with the mother and calf, but it didn't feel like we were "following" them so much as we were popping between animals and situations at random points.

Obviously this is a very minor complaint, perhaps non-sensical. I'll admit to not seeing many full documentaries outside of the Walking With franchise, so perhaps this is more standard.

[close]

[ceratopsian]

I don't know anything much about ammonites.  I wonder what the evidence for bioluminescence is?  (And I had no idea that ostrich and emus could swim.)

[Duna]

I don't know anything much about ammonites.  I wonder what the evidence for bioluminescence is?  (And I had no idea that ostrich and emus could swim.)

Oh, yes, they can swim and very well indeed, even in the ocean.

[Faelrin]

@dinotoyforum Thanks for the reminder. I'll try to keep that in mind for any other long post I write.

@Carnoking I agree with you. Would have better if there was but well I'm fine with this too. I think docs like Planet Earth and stuff were done like this but been a while since I watched any.

I really hope this opens the doors to a future series in the Triassic, Jurassic, and maybe the early Cretaceous (I mean how cool would it be to see Yutyrannus and other fauna brought to life with this level of detail. Edit: Acrocanthosaurus, Deinonychus, etc too would be another great pick).

[GojiraGuy1954]

Also, that episode was incredible. Too many highlights to choose from, and on a technical level, just wow!

Spoiler

Perhaps a minor nitpick would be that there wasn't really a central "story" guiding us through these various sequences.

What I always liked about WWD is that there was usually an anchor animal or group of animals whose main stories organically introduced new creatures and events (I.e., the Ornithocheirus traveling across continents and encountering new animals as he made his way to a mating ground)

You could say the Tuarangisaurs were those focal creatures, as there was a narrative through line with the mother and calf, but it didn't feel like we were "following" them so much as we were popping between animals and situations at random points.

Obviously this is a very minor complaint, perhaps non-sensical. I'll admit to not seeing many full documentaries outside of the Walking With franchise, so perhaps this is more standard.

[close]

This documentary is more similar in style to Planet Earth or Blue Planet than Walking With Dinosaurs.

[GojiraGuy1954]

@dinotoyforum Thanks for the reminder. I'll try to keep that in mind for any other long post I write.

@Carnoking I agree with you. Would have better if there was but well I'm fine with this too. I think docs like Planet Earth and stuff were done like this but been a while since I watched any.

I really hope this opens the doors to a future series in the Triassic, Jurassic, and maybe the early Cretaceous (I mean how cool would it be to see Yutyrannus and other fauna brought to life with this level of detail. Edit: Acrocanthosaurus, Deinonychus, etc too would be another great pick).

Kem Kem beds

[Concavenator]

I don't know anything much about ammonites.  I wonder what the evidence for bioluminescence is?  (And I had no idea that ostrich and emus could swim.)

Some extant squids have the ability of displaying bioluminescence thanks to light-producing organs in which there are symbiotic bacteria (usually belonging to the Vibrio genus) which have an enzyme called luciferase which has the ability of producing light (spending energy, ATP, in the process). Squids are molluscs, and ammonites are molluscs as well. Bioluminiscent ammonites are speculative, but as you can see, not impossible.

[ceratopsian]

Thank you @Concavenator.

[edu]

I am really thankful to all the people that have been involved in making this, and the companies that have spent their money. This first episode has been terrific!

[Faelrin]

@GojiraGuy1954 Silly me that I forgot my beloved Spinosaurus and contemporaries, but yes definitely those too.

Edit: Granted those are more middle/late Cretaceous then early per se.

[Darko2300]

Same. I can't wait to hear what Hans is gonna do for the score of the Dreadnoughtus fight scene.

This begs the question, when will we get an album of the soundtrack??

Anže Rozman said on Twitter "The plan is to release the soundtrack. No date yet " Hopefully he's actually in the loop and we do get to see it released. Preferably on disc, too...