Review of Dinosaur (2 disc set)

Introduction

When I saw the trailer for Dinosaur at the cinema last year, it looked very impressive, and whilst not a film I would go and see on the big-screen, the lure of Disney’s two-disc DVD set was too much.

The plot follows the life of the dinosaur Aladar, from birth to the desperate struggle for survival following a meteor strike. What is special about Dinosaur are the visual effects that make Jurassic Park look prehistoric – this is as much a film as it is a technological showcase.

Video

Disney have created this DVD directly from the digital source which provides probably the best picture quality I’ve yet seen on DVD – this process makes sure that there’s no chance of any dirt or grain polluting the image.

The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen video is staggeringly crisp and detailed and very colourful. The detail on the various animal’s skins and faces is perhaps the best demonstration of the resolution.

Visually, Dinosaur is quite something, the CGI animation will blow you away – it is far better than anything else I’ve seen and makes the Toy Story movies look like PlayStation games. There are so many notable scenes that it is difficult to single any out for praise, but the now famous opening sequence is breathtaking, as is the meteor shower and the final panning shot across the valley.

Audio

Audio comes in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 flavours and the disc also features a descriptive audio track for the visually impaired.

I watched the film with the DTS soundtrack, which is impressive and makes good use of the channels and range available for music and effects. During the opening sequence, the viewer is given a taste of what is to come when the Carnosaur chase produces effects, bass and music – coming from everywhere.

Throughout all the mayhem, the dialogue is always clear and easy to understand.

Features

After having scored almost perfectly so far, will the extras keep up the good work?

Well, there are numerous featurettes, deleted scenes, storyboard comparisons, two commentaries, a game, dinosaur facts, alternative ending, isolated effect track and DVD-ROM materials. Many of these features can also be viewed whilst watching the film – similar to the Matrix’s white rabbit.

However, that lot is all on the first disc! – there’s also a second which contains even more, including the development of the movie, animation tests, design featurettes, concept art, designs, effects featurettes, 3D workbooks, progression reels, music and sound design, audio mix demos, more deleted scenes, trailers, TV spots plus numerous easter eggs.

It’s actually hard to imagine a more comprehensive set of extras.

Conclusion

Overall, Dinosaur is a technological masterpiece, both in terms of the film itself and the DVD. The stunning CGI is presented by the best picture quality I’ve seen on DVD, and wrapped up in a superb DTS soundtrack.

The film runs for 82 minutes and whilst aimed at children will keep adults entertained throughout (even my dad had a smile on his face during the bit he watched) – especially as they’ll be spending a great deal of the time marvelling at the effects. This has far more appeal for me than usual Disney fare as there are no songs – it’s action all the way. There’s quite a bit of dinosaur violence as well – so the PG rating is probably about right – this may not be suitable for really young children.

Add one of the most comprehensive collections of extra material ever assembled and you’ve got a winning package.

Warning: Dinosaur suffers from compatibility problems on several players - it worked fine on my Pioneer DV525 but wouldn`t play properly on my DVD-ROM drive (i.e. I couldn`t turn off the "white rabbit" type feature so had to watch all the featurettes during the film).

I suggest that you check with your retailer before ordering.