Name The WORST Dinosaur Movie You've Ever Seen . . .

[Gwangi]

So dumb characters are popular?

With children especially, yes. And not just dumb but odd goofball characters. I can handle characters like Sid when they're minor characters that are toned down but then Hollywood sees how popular they are and gives them more screen time (or their own movie even) and makes them twice as bombastic as they were before.

[stargatedalek]

I think there are two ways to make a dumb character done well; one is you can provide important reasons why they are dumb or use it to develop the character/lore, and two is you go all out with it and make it a comedy.

One of my favorite characters from any franchise is Utsuho Reiuji from Touhou Project, and she is definitely a character based around her own idiocy. But at the same time it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb from the setting or general lore and the humour is still very well done and doesn't go into low brow territory. They manage to make her character traits/faults work and not only build her as a legitimate character but also fit into the general style of the series (lighthearted atmosphere with more serious/darker lore behind it).

Whereas an example of the latter would be something like Jack Black's character in Kung Fu Panda, where the characters faults are the driving source of the programs humour.

Going either or has risks and if it's not done well it can leave a bitter taste with the audience. When you end up with something in the middle like Jar-jar from The Phantom Menace where the character doesn't fit the series you end up with a negative audience response (although in the case of Jar-jar it was revealed just recently that Lucas had originally planned on subverting the idiot trope, but instead cut Jar-jar from the main plot due to backlash).

[Halichoeres]

Going either or has risks and if it's not done well it can leave a bitter taste with the audience. When you end up with something in the middle like Jar-jar from The Phantom Menace where the character doesn't fit the series you end up with a negative audience response (although in the case of Jar-jar it was revealed just recently that Lucas had originally planned on subverting the idiot trope, but instead cut Jar-jar from the main plot due to backlash).

Really? I thought that was just a fan theory! If that's true, what a bummer that he caved.

[HD-man]

And yes, "Ice Age" is from Blue Sky/Fox Studios. It does occur to me that DreamWorks is responsible for the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise so I guess they're not that bad.

Don't forget about the "Kung Fu Panda" movies (which have a few dino characters, including 1 of my favorite villains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A89raehoAJc ).

With children especially, yes. And not just dumb but odd goofball characters.

That explains a lot about the newer Dr. Seuss movies.

I think there are two ways to make a dumb character done well; one is you can provide important reasons why they are dumb or use it to develop the character/lore, and two is you go all out with it and make it a comedy.

That reminds me of "Admirable Animations #23: Land Before Swine [Gravity Falls]": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPHV5QvQJIw

[Gwangi]

I've never seen the "Kung-Fu Panda" movies so I really cannot judge their quality. I'm sure I'll get around to it someday.

[stargatedalek]

Going either or has risks and if it's not done well it can leave a bitter taste with the audience. When you end up with something in the middle like Jar-jar from The Phantom Menace where the character doesn't fit the series you end up with a negative audience response (although in the case of Jar-jar it was revealed just recently that Lucas had originally planned on subverting the idiot trope, but instead cut Jar-jar from the main plot due to backlash).

Really? I thought that was just a fan theory! If that's true, what a bummer that he caved.

Jar-jars voice actor all but out right confirmed it just a few weeks ago. A bummer indeed, the idea had real potential behind it.

[Plasticbeast95]

Also, I've hated the Ice Age films since the first one.

I get the sequels, but what's wrong w/the 1st 1?

I liked all the Ice Ages, except for the last one. It just felt like a cash grab, hopefully the new one coming next year can get the series back on track.

But back to dinosaur movies, I think that the "dinosaur project" is a special kind of bad. It combines one of my least favorite movie gimmicks (found footage) with a complete disregard for even the most basic research.

[TomWToyForum]

My problem with Dinotasia is the godawful 'artsy' narration by Werner Herzog.

Eden does not exist here. Although coincidence has no soul, it can provide a kind of mercy.

Can anyone guess what scene in the film this is from?

[HD-man]

Can anyone guess what scene in the film this is from?

The old Protoceratops?

[tyrantqueen]

My problem with Dinotasia is the godawful 'artsy' narration by Werner Herzog.

Eden does not exist here. Although coincidence has no soul, it can provide a kind of mercy.

Can anyone guess what scene in the film this is from?

Just a guess: is it from the "Watering Hole"?

Though to be honest, the American narrator from DR (don't know his name) isn't much better.

[TomWToyForum]

Just a guess: is it from the "Watering Hole"?

Though to be honest, the American narrator from DR (don't know his name) isn't much better.

HD-man got it. That one line is honestly the thing I remember best from the movie, it's so meaningless but so pretentious that it just got me cracking up.

While not as painful as Walking With Dinosaurs (the movie), the narration is still holding me back from ever watching it again. If narration adds nothing informative, it's not worth having.

I can't remember the Dinosaur Revolution narration. I didn't have cable and it never came out on DVD.

[Tyrannosauron]

As long as we're on this subject, the A.V. Club has something to say about it: http://www.avclub.com/article/bad-dinosaurs-14-regrettable-works-dino-themed-ent-228491.

[CityRaptor]

Primal Rage is on that list. I'm pretty sure that there is a lot stuff that deserves to be there more than Primal Rage. Or The Last Dinosaur for that matter. ( Still not a good movie, but entertaining )

[Plasticbeast95]

My problem with Dinotasia is the godawful 'artsy' narration by Werner Herzog.

Eden does not exist here. Although coincidence has no soul, it can provide a kind of mercy.

Can anyone guess what scene in the film this is from?

Just a guess: is it from the "Watering Hole"?

Though to be honest, the American narrator from DR (don't know his name) isn't much better.

I might not be remembering right, but didn't he say EVERYTHING that was going on on-screen?

[HD-man]

I can't remember the Dinosaur Revolution narration. I didn't have cable and it never came out on DVD.

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v95958511zeDSrqjq

[SBell]

As long as we're on this subject, the A.V. Club has something to say about it: http://www.avclub.com/article/bad-dinosaurs-14-regrettable-works-dino-themed-ent-228491.

I just saw that!

Still, without King Dinosaur or Future War, no list of terrible dinosaur movies is complete.

[suspsy]

Primal Rage is on that list. I'm pretty sure that there is a lot stuff that deserves to be there more than Primal Rage. Or The Last Dinosaur for that matter. ( Still not a good movie, but entertaining )

y

Primal Rage was, and still is one of my all-time favourite video games. I will never forget the time I finished it for the first time in an arcade at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas in March of 1996 (back when video arcades were everywhere). I used Sauron and I kicked ass. I'm betting the writer of that article never bothered to check a strategy guide.

[tyrantqueen]

Growing up I loved Primal Rage but looking back at it as an adult, I realise once you take away the cool factor (the dinosaurs) it's not that great of a fighting game. It's definitely no Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat (I have played both).

I always hated how difficult the moves were to do, and I could never perform them. I do love the motion captured dinosaurs however, and how campy/retro the whole thing is, like a bad Harryhausen movie.

Not saying I hate the game (it was a childhood favourite after all) but I'm looking at it without the rose tinted glasses.

[CityRaptor]

The point is however that Primal Rage is on the list, while many worse things aren't.

[stargatedalek]

I think I can say that I like Primal Rage in general. I love the art style and the ideas behind it, but as a fighting game its mechanics are somewhat unintuitive and repetitive. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who doesn't play a lot of fighting games, mostly just Skullgirls and the Touhou fighter spin-offs (both of which are fairly unique as fighting games go, Skullgirls being especially easy to pick up and the Touhou fighters using a lot of ranged mechanics).