A Disappointing Continuation

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

When I was 6 I received Walking with Dinosaurs, The Ballad of Big Al, and Walking with Beasts on VHS cassette tapes. It was the kindling for my fascination with dinosaurs and prehistoric life, and now, 12 years later, I still am as crazy about them as I was back then, thanks to this.Most documentaries featuring prehistoric animals are composed of about 75% talking scientist heads and shots of paleontologists digging in the desert, and 25% brief and repeated clips of CG dinosaurs. Walking with Dinosaurs takes this one step forward – and beyond. It chooses to portray the dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures in the same format as a documentary about animals one would expect to find on Animal Planet (or at least that's how it used to be, before it turned into Pets and People Planet). Using spectacular (for its budget and time it was shot) CGI and animatronics and puppetry, it brings these long-extinct creatures back to life as realistic flesh- and-blood animals. The focus of each episode is on the dinosaurs, and the dinosaurs only, with no inclination of modern-time influence, with the exception of a well-written narration by Gilderoy Lockhart (Kenneth Branagh), who delivers the lines in a soothing, professional voice, flawlessly articulating complex dinosaur names with impeccability. Six episodes make up this series, covering different times in the Mesozoic from the genesis of the dinosaurs, to their inevitable extinction. The behavior of the animals (did I say animals? I meant computer graphics and puppets – I forgot they were fake) is so realistic and confidently portrayed one would think the filmmakers were actually there. If I had any qualms with this, it's that sometimes the CGI can look a bit hokey, and it's (sometimes) painfully obvious when puppetry is utilized in placement of special effects (the puppetry is reserved for heads and necks 99% of the time, so that can be a bit jarring too) . I can let this pass because this was made in 1999, and for television.Another thing I may mention is that the dinosaurs are portrayed as actual living animals, and it is a documentary format, so there is a lot of blood and violence and killings and the spilling of guts, and yes, dinosaur coitus. And a particularly bizarre scene where a sauropod lays her eggs Alien Queen-style. Walking With Dinosaurs is a fantastic example of a television documentary, plain and simple. 10/10

"Walking with Dinosaurs" is absolutely brilliant in every regard. Kenneth Branagh narrates in a way that really makes you want to listen. The script for the documentary really sounds as though the researchers and writers had done their homework, it is so insightful and it does get you hooked and never lets go. The music is also brilliant, very dramatic when it needs to be. But the visual effects and scenery are what makes this documentary work so well. The scenery is breathtaking, and the dinosaurs look so real, thanks to the simply astounding effects. This is so informative with such a good concept and attracts not only adults but kids too.In conclusion, this is a must watch. Not only did I love this, but this is quite possibly the best documentary I have ever seen. If anything, it could have done with being longer, other than that this is perfect. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is about the most convincing animation possible. One thinks that one has somehow been transported to a world that Man could never have evolved into. One is among nasty beasts, amimals even more ferocious than those that we humans warm up to -- dogs, dolphins, whales, and cats. One may never know exactly what dinosaurs were like, but this is the most convincing description yet of them and their world. Sure, the behavior of other animals, typically birds, is imputed to the most menacing of the carnivores. Then again, who would want to meet an oversized, flightless eagle? This treatment of dinosaurs is very different from the anthropomorphism that one associates with Disney fare. This is Nature red in tooth and claw, which their world was to the extreme. (Then again, it is unlikely that some series that reconstructs our world by some intelligence creatures 80 million years after our human demise will see much cute or cuddly in dogs, cats, dolphins, or whales -- let alone us.This documentary is gory -- as gory as a typical war movie or western at times. Do not show this to small children; show them instead the animated "Land Before Time" series of Disney-style anthropomorphism. Better yet, show them "Dumbo", the most successful anthropomorphism of an animal in the Disney pattern (elephants approach human intelligence, have a human life span and social structure, and have human-like emotions -- and they are almost dinosaurian in size). When the great rock fell into the Yucatan Peninsula, the remarkable era of the dinosaurs came to an end -- and ours became possible. Tragic as that collision was for the dinosaurs, that catastrophe made our world possible.

Today computer-generated special effects are used quite frequently. In my opinion, seeing 3D animation on screen has lost its novelty. Everything has been done. It is very hard to find something that is truly unique these days and I was very pleasantly surprised to come across a copy of Walking with Dinosaurs at the video store. The box describes this documentary special to be truly unique so I decided to give it a shot. I was very happy with what I saw and I would strongly recommend this production to those film buffs out there that have lost all faith in the integration of 3D animation and live action.Walking With Dinosaurs magnificently captures the feel of the typical nature documentary shown on the Discovery Channel today. In fact I actually have forgotten numerous times that I'm watching a bunch of 3D polygons modeled and animated by a team of artists and animators! The dinosaurs have a very realistic feel about them and they were very well animated to look like they were really caught in the wild by wilderness videographers. Another thing I enjoy about this film is how it has a tendency to look very unscripted. It all seems like they have captured these dinosaurs living the way they would have lived millions of years ago not knowing what to expect next.This film does have its weaknesses however that one should take note of. The producers for some reason decided to film silicon models for the close up shots. I feel that they made a very poor decision here because these silicon models were, in my opinion, very unrealistic and using them actually takes away from the realism of the film. Also the opening sequences are very poorly made. They could have done a lot better here, but it only takes away 30 seconds of your life so I wouldn't let that ruffle your feathers too much! :-)Anyway, I encourage you to check this one out.I give this an overall score of 7/10.