Walking with Dinosaurs 3D

[Brontozaurus]

To be honest, as a kid, I really dug Disney's Dinosaur. I thought it was incredibly amazing and fun to watch. It's only as I got older that I really started to understand all of it's problems, and got irritated by the fact that they talked. If I watch it now, I see it more as a failed experiment by Disney, that is still interesting to watch. The first five minutes are still worth it alone, especially since they are accompanied by the wonderful music score by James Newton Howard, that really sells the whole film. It's got to be the best dinosaur film score next to Jurassic Park and the original Walking With Dinosaurs, and probably my favorite by that composer.

It's just fascinating to me that Disney invested SO MUCH money into making the dinosaurs look very real (for their time), and then, at the last minute (apparently), decided to make them talk. It was such a simple story, made more evident by the dialogue, that it really just needed a narrator. But of course, they didn't trust their audience at all, or the filmmakers. And while the film apparently did well at the box office, I still consider it a failed but fascinating concept, mucked up by Disney, not the original creators.

However... that Carnotaurus is still one cool-as-hell design that is still impressive to watch on the screen. Disney was at least wise enough to not let that guy talk (or the raptors... I guess the carnivorous dinosaurs are too "evil" to speak, haha!). I'm still hoping Jurassic Park 4 finally brings these guys into it's tale, like the novel did, with their chameleon-esque color changing skin. Otherwise, until then, this is coolest Carnotaurus brought to film.

So I actually am hoping this will be just as good as it looks, as Dinosaur did. With no talking dinosaurs. Or humans... dreaded humans...

Like you I loved Dinosaur as a kid. When I rewatched it again a few years ago my biggest problem was that it was incredibly boring. First five minutes were grand, but afterwards it just didn't engage me at all.

WW3D looks pretty good. I'm not amazingly excited for it (most of my enthusiasm has been spent gushing over Pacific Rim) but I'll definitely see it when it comes out.

[Takama]

I loved dinosaur as a kid as well.   Though the one thing I downright hated from the film was thoes lemers.  What in darwins name made them decided to put some talking primates that were never alive at the age of dinosaurs in a dinosaur movie?     With a name called Dinosaur. I expected dinosaurs not primates.

My guess is that they were afraid that there audiance was dumb and scared of all these reptilian cretures. So they put some human like lemers in for there comfort

[Takama]

As for that trailer for WWD3D. I must say I'm excited. And I hope and prey. There is no talking dinos.

[scallenger]

I loved dinosaur as a kid as well.   Though the one thing I downright hated from the film was thoes lemers.

YES! I agree completely. The talking dinosaurs were one thing... but those guys sent the movie over the cartoonish edge. Especially with dialogue like "the love monkey" and "it comes with a pool!". Really, Disney? REALLY?

[tyrantqueen]

I'm guessing the lemurs were used to bring a kid-friendly, more human element to the film. They also probably provided comic relief and softened the emotional blow of the fact that Aladar was the only one of his kind.

What's the big deal about talking dinosaurs? I don't really care so much if the film is fantasy based. The Lion King had talking animals, but I don't see any complaining about that. If it's a strictly fact based documentary, then I could understand that talking would be a big problem.

I also remember a documentary where they mentioned that the producers were considering making a sequel if the original was sucessful enough. They didn't outright say it, but the hint was obvious enough.

"Dinosaur 2, will it happen?"

"Y'know, never say never in Disney"

or something along those lines.

Also, I just realised that the oviraptors were the inspiration for the Papo figure.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

There were more Iguanodons though.  My guess is the lemurs were used to place these ideals of love, family, and cooperation ( " modern " ) in Aladar's mindset so he wasn't raised by the old standards of the rest of the dinosaurs, abandonment, survival of the fittest, take care of yourself first.  I'm not sure if there is another reason there or not..maybe saying mammals are better than dinosaurs ? lol It's probably more monkeys are kind friendly and cute..more relate-able. Especially to more female fans of the film I noticed.  I think we easily could have had something else there..maybe very small dinosaurs that raised him.  It's odd..The Land Before Time tread a similar path but didn't require any mammals. The lemurs really  did take away from the dinosaur element I thought.

It's not exactly the talking I think, but how they alter the anatomy to do it, making it unrealistic if I recall.

With Pixar's new dinosaur film coming out I doubt Disney will do another DINOSAUR..I have wondered if they will re-theme the DINOSAUR Ride aka Countdown to Extinction with this new film somehow.

[tyrantqueen]

There were more Iguanodons though.  My guess is the lemurs were used to place these ideals of love, family, and cooperation ( " modern " ) in Aladar's mindset so he wasn't raised by the old standards of the rest of the dinosaurs, abandonment, survival of the fittest, take care of yourself first.  I'm not sure if there is another reason there or not..maybe saying mammals are better than dinosaurs ? lol It's probably more monkeys are kind friendly and cute..more relate-able. Especially to more female fans of the film I noticed.  I think we easily could have had something else there..maybe very small dinosaurs that raised him.  It's odd..The Land Before Time tread a similar path but didn't require any mammals. The lemurs really  did take away from the dinosaur element I thought.

It's not exactly the talking I think, but how they alter the anatomy to do it, making it unrealistic if I recall.

With Pixar's new dinosaur film coming out I doubt Disney will do another DINOSAUR..I have wondered if they will re-theme the DINOSAUR Ride aka Countdown to Extinction with this new film somehow.

Not at the beginning of the film, there wasn't.

There's also the fact that some people think monkeys are inherently funny and therefore that concept probably lended itself to humour well. Like I said, they were there for comic relief, to balance out the darker parts of the film (like Aladar's mum getting probably killed by a carnotaurus, their home being destroyed by a meteorite etc etc)

[Takama]

I'm guessing the lemurs were used to bring a kid-friendly, more human element to the film. They also probably provided comic relief and softened the emotional blow of the fact that Aladar was the only one of his kind.

What's the big deal about talking dinosaurs? I don't really care so much if the film is fantasy based. The Lion King had talking animals, but I don't see any complaining about that. If it's a strictly fact based documentary, then I could understand that talking would be a big problem.

I also remember a documentary where they mentioned that the producers were considering making a sequel if the original was sucessful enough. They didn't outright say it, but the hint was obvious enough.

"Dinosaur 2, will it happen?"

"Y'know, never say never in Disney"

or something along those lines.

Also, I just realised that the oviraptors were the inspiration for the Papo figure.


[\quote]Papo also got there pacyrhinosaurus figure from the film as well

[Gwangi]

The lemurs really were the worst part of "Dinosaur" and I'm not sure why they felt inclined to include them. If "The Land Before Time" and it's thousands of sequels have taught us anything it is that you can make a children's movie about dinosaurs without mammals.

[krentz]

I loved dinosaur as a kid as well.   Though the one thing I downright hated from the film was thoes lemers.

YES! I agree completely. The talking dinosaurs were one thing... but those guys sent the movie over the cartoonish edge. Especially with dialogue like "the love monkey" and "it comes with a pool!". Really, Disney? REALLY?

  Oh yes, that was a dark day when they brought in a bunch of TV writers to make a "funny pass" on the dialog.  I still wince in pain at those lines.

D

[scallenger]

LOL! Poor David. I feel for you.

Not that this is really close to how it was for you... but I once tried to make a film for some friends about a guy who kidnaps a girl by impersonating someone she knows to meet him somewhere via Myspace. They wanted a cheap horror movie scenario, and I gave them one, lol. But I had a nice ending where both the killer AND the girl die, and it had a real reason and meaning in the story for it to happen. Long story short, my friends took my idea and did one of the worst things you can do in a film (unless handled in some insane creative way): they made the whole movie be ALL A DREAM! Worse... they added a moment where you see the killer walk in the background afterward as if to *WINK WINK* *NUDGE NUDGE* to the audience. On top of that, the "fight scenes" and action I came up with looked like something out of a bad wrestling music video.

Why did they change it? "Oh... it was too dark of an ending." The thing is, by making it a dream, and removing the actual reason behind the struggle of the characters, it makes the story be nothing more but a tasteless, pointless, THING.

So... I know the feeling of having your hard work get raped upon by other people. It's BEYOND cringeworthy. It almost makes you want to take your name off of it. In my case, I did. Not that it wasn't anything more than a low budget thing, LOL.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

That's why fear the touch of the Mouse I guess..unless your ready to just cash out and forget your work. heh

[ChrisLikesDinos]

I'm hearing there will not be Humans nor talking Dinosaurs, but Im not certain yet. It would be a bold move to release a narrated film, thats for sure.. and I would like it (as long as its interesting). I could even take talking Dinosaurs.. as other have said, Land Before Time, Lion King, etc. show films can be done well like that. But please no humans.

[scallenger]

I'm really hoping for a narrated film. I would say I'm hoping for even a non-narrated film, but yeah right.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Scott Hartman said no talking dinosaurs..but he did mention some kind of narration..not sure exactly what yet :

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Looks-like-I-can-talk-about-the-WWD-movie-now-369698940

[Takama]

Maybe it will be like Milo and Otis. Were the Narrator says what the characters are saying despite being animals

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Could be. Hard to say at this point.

Mr. Hartman had this to say :

" I have to say that I have no idea where the IMDB-esque description and human actor rumors came from, as there was nothing like that discussed when I was working on it. That said, they were not obligated to reveal the entire story to me, and perhaps there are parts at the beginning and end that involve human actors (to be honest, tieing the whole thing into a present day fossil locality or something like that isn't an altogether bad idea).

And I've been told that there would be some narration, and that it's pretty minimal. As the trailer shows there are some major "time passes" moments between when the young Pachyrhinosaurus grows up, so they may have felt it was warranted to have some narration in those moments to help with continuity."

Check out the post of his on DA for more.

[SBell]

Maybe it will be like Milo and Otis. Were the Narrator says what the characters are saying despite being animals

It will only work if the narrator is clearly drunk most of the time..

[DinoToyForum]

Having recently rewatched the original WWD series, it's easy to forget how wooden some of the animation was back then. The fluidity and quality of animation in the WWD3D trailer is miles ahead, superior to the original series in every way. Except for the story, which looks a bit uninspired and predictable. I hope I'm wrong on that.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Maybe they want to keep it simple for younger audience members.

But even if we arrive at the same ending as past films, it's the journey to that ending that I hope is more unique.