The greatest movie ever!

A Major Disappointment

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)Rating: 5/5 starsWho does a scientific discovery belong to: the scientists who found it, the general populace, or the government? This is the central question filmmaker Todd Douglas Miller explores in his engaging and beautifully shot new documentary, "Dinosaur 13". The film chronicles the 1990 discovery of Sue, a fossilized tyrannosaurus rex that - at 80% complete - is the greatest and most well-preserved T-rex discovered to date. Found by and named after Susan Hendrickson, a South Dakota based paleontologist, Sue was lovingly and laboriously removed from a cliff face by Hendrickson's colleague Peter Larson and the rest of their team from the Black Hills Institute - an private exhibit establishment, funded and run by a group of independent paleontologists. The institute purchased Sue from landowner Maurice Williams and brought her back to their lab with the hopes of cleaning and reassembling her, and then proudly displaying the skeleton in their South Dakota museum. Never could they have expected the FBI to contest the purchase, seize the fossil, and bring criminal charges against the institute and its individual employees.Cleverly assembled to tell a complex true story from a hugely engaging perspective, this documentary can't help but spark a sense of righteous rage in the audience. The film outlines a series of deeply unjust events involving a group of true believers who had their finest achievement stolen from them by greedy, lying neighbors and meddling politicians. Honestly, who knew paleontology was such a cut-throat business?It was the summer of 1990 in the Badlands of South Dakota when paleontologist Susan Hendrickson discovered the fossilized remains of a T-rex, the thirteenth discovered and by far the most complete specimen of such gargantuan fossil. None of the previous 12 were more than 40% complete. With her colleagues Peter and Neal Larson and Terry Wentz, Susan purchased the rights to Sue for a record US $5,000 from the landowner; then the team spent a year getting the fossil ready for exhibition at their local museum. But before they finished, the FBI raided their lab and confiscated Sue, and seven years of legal arguments followed. Even worse, the prosecutors drummed up unnecessary criminal charges against the paleontologists.Clearly all of this was about money. When Sue was ultimately auctioned off, she fetched a staggering US$7.6 million for the cash- grabbing landowner the cash-grabbing landowner and his lawyers. Meanwhile, the ragtag fossil-hunters had their lives completely derailed by legal action and even jail time. Director Todd Douglas Miller lets these people tell their story with quite a lot of detail, unveiling the plot chronologically through stills and home movies, plus some gorgeously shot new footage and re-enactments. Through it all, it's clear that these paleontologists were excavating for the love of it, and for the benefit of their small- town community. In fact, Peter felt so strongly about Sue that he kept watch over the container she was stored in for all those years - before being auctioned off - even talking to it."Dinosaur 13" is a David and Goliath tale of a small group of scientists thrust into the center of a national debate over proprietorship, as well as right versus wrong. Miller's film very clearly justifiably sides with the Institute and, most specifically, Peter Larson, who bore the brunt of the government's anger. The dedication and tenacity of these lowly scientists is seriously inspiring in the face of such overwhelming oppression. Yes, this amazing story resonates far beyond a tale about dinosaur bones: this is a vivid account of a small group of common people with minimal resources standing up to an unjust system and nefarious, duplicitous characters. And thankfully the filmmakers resist the urge to get flashy with animated versions of Sue rampaging through the landscape. Instead, they keep the focus on the people involved, highlighting the grassroots efforts to see justice prevail for Sue, as the small town rallies around their neighbors, and tries to exert pressure on the government to do the right thing. And seeing so much human compassion in the face of bold-faced greed and blatant abuse of power is remarkably inspiring."Dinosaur 13" is a compelling, curious, and thought-provoking documentary. It's hard not to feel for Larson and his team, and for the institute's South Dakota home town, which felt like it lost the dinosaur that was going to bring in tourism and put it on the map.

Dinosaur 13 is quite riveting and heart wrenching. Where to begin but to single out the nefarious behavior of the U.S. Federal government? It was mind boggling to watch the dubious legal gymnastics they performed to indict paleontologists who just made an incredible discovery contributing to human civilization. At some point you find yourself condemning all involved - from South Dakota AG Scheiffer to the FBI to the ridiculous waste of sending in the National Guard to Judge Battey's unconscionable behavior. Only the jury (except for one juror) had sense - as immoral actors who in the end had nothing to show for their mean spirited actions except to send one of the Larson brothers to prison; for an asinine two years for 'failing to fill out paper work'. Just one notch under the belt of why we should be skeptical of government not acting in good faith in the interest of the people as this can happen to anyone. Literally, they can find anything to throw people in prison for. The documentary, one could argue, essentially displayed one side as merely contributing something of worthwhile and the other as nothing more than an entity of abusing power to nobody's gain. The sad part in all this is this group of people discovered 'Sue' and will never be properly accredited. As if this wasn't enough, in one final slap to their faces, Larson wasn't invited to 'Sue's' unveiling. That said a lot about the people at the Chicago Museum. Notably, they lack a soul too. This is my opinion. See for yourself.

This is by far one of the most touching documentaries that I have ever seen. A story about the Larson family, who put their heart, sweat and blood into finding and unearthing one of the most dominant dinosaur's in the world. It goes to show that the Government can never be trusted, and for Mr. Larson to not be invited to the opening of Sue in the Chicago Museum is an absolute insult to Palaeontology. McDonald's the obesity king and Walt Disney teamed up and acquired Sue for a Whopping 7.6 Million Dollars. To know that you put everything you have into something and have it taken from you just crushes me. I hope Mr. Larson that one day you discover a 90% intact T-Rex and have it displayed in South Dakota. I wish you and your team all the best. Cheers.

***SLIGHT SPOILERS, MAINLY SYNOPSIS, NOTHING BIG**** I went into this movie with absolutely no knowledge, and how I recommend you view it also. This movie is also the best documentary I have seen so far! The movie is about a journey of a group when they discover a T. Rex, but what is special about this T. Rex, other than being the 13th one ever discovered, is the dinosaur skeleton has the most intact of any they have ever discovered. The T. Rex is soon taken by the United States Government and I will not say too much about what happens after here, but it is about the group trying to get the T Rex back and the journey they go through. A riveting movie in which I will surely view when it either gets a wide release or a digital/DVD release.