Search - When Dinosaurs Ruled: The Real Jurassic Park on DVD

Consider the complete set instead

09/02/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of a 5-part Learning Channel series narrated by Jeff Goldblum exploring dinosaur remains found in a generally specific modern location, in this case North America. If you're looking for great CGI dinosaurs, you'll have to look elsewhere, such as Walking With Dinosaurs. Actually, there are very few of these to complain about. Almost all of the show consists of various exterior shots of the region with very little having anything to do with fossil finds or excavations.It's quite clear that the Amazon.com reviewer didn't feel it important enough to write an individual review of each of the five parts in this series, but instead wrote a generic review and then changed a couple of items to cover each of the five parts of this series. For instance, I have trouble finding Tunisia on my map of North America. And the species mentioned are only presented in The Land that Time Forgot, another part of the series. I doubt that she even took the time to watch this video. The direct scene access is nothing like that described. The "thematic sections" are very general at best, and you cannot access specific dinosaurs in any way, not that there is much to access. Taking the information from the box is in no way what I consider a review.I'm going to risk your displeasure. You'll find my review also somewhat generic, as it's virtually the same as those I've written for the other four in the series. (But at least I've actually WATCHED them!) The reason for this is simple: each of these five videos is essentially the same with the exception of regional location and the content of Goldblum's narritave. However, if you'll take the time to read my review of When Dinosaurs Ruled (the complete set), you'll find a complete review that should be helpful.The Real Jurassic Park does not rely on the other parts of the series - it can easily stand on its own merits. Of the five parts, I found this the most interesting. If you like it, you're going to want the complete set. If the cost of the set puts you off, I highly recommend Walking with Dinosaurs."

Prosaic Parasaurolophus, Tedious Tyrannosaurs

Dr. Christopher Coleman | HONG KONG | 04/12/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When Dinosaurs Ruled: The Real Jurassic Park's subtitle refers to North America as the home of the largest, most spectacular dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus Rex. Unfortunately this subtitle also invites comparisons with Stephen Spielberg's blockbuster movie, and in those comparisons it does not fare well. Although released 7 years after the fictional story of the return of the dinosaurs, this documentary has significantly poorer production values. This is, of course, a natural result when a production comes from the Learning Channel instead of a major Hollywood company, or even the BBC (Walking With Dinosaurs), and certainly a documentary can and should do more than just present animation. But if you are going to use the name "Jurassic Park" in your title, you should certainly give the viewer more than the scant seconds of mediocre animation, repeated over and over, and shots of shaking foliage implying that the dinosaurs are running through the trees. Most viewers are sure to be disappointed in the production values of When Dinosaurs Ruled and will have much greater expectations. It also suffers as a result of the overly enthusiastic reading Jeff Goldblum gives the superlative-filled script and in the rather odd choice of music--almost like the sound track to a soft-porn movie. At one point there is a discussion of the use of Parasaurolophus's crest as a resonating chamber (now a widely accepted theory). During a demonstration of the sound it likely could have made (based on computer simulations and CAT scan research) the music doesn't even stop! Other, less important inconsistencies: hadrosaurs are first claimed to be "up to 30 feet long", but later Parasaurolophus (a hadrosaur) is cited to be 30 to 45 feet long; we are told that Tyrannosaurus Rex's name means "terrible lizard"--every schoolboy knows that is incomplete, and that the "rex" part means "king". Granted, these are minor points, but indicative of the sloppiness of the whole.On the positive side, there are some interesting facts and theories mentioned. Among these are a consideration that Tyrannosaurs may have groomed their mates and children; a mention of how the evolution of flowering plants may have affected the evolution of dinosaurs, and some minor consideration of theories that a massive comet striking the Earth may not, in fact, have been the ultimate cause (or at least the sole cause) of the dinosaur's extinction. Here again, though, the show lets its viewers down--one paleontologist states unequivocally that a single comet would not cause the extinction patterns he sees, but is given no further chance to explain himself. The comet theory has displaced all other theories of extinction in the popular view, but increasingly scientists are considering a comet strike as only one of a series of events causing that decline. This would have been a wonderful place to explore some of those alternative causes, but it was an opportunity missed. Abrupt endings can leave audiences with an unfulfilled sensation. Tthe ending of this show was very abrupt, just like this."