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Dinosaur |
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As seen in the theatrical trailer (which has
been creating buzz since it led off Toy Story
2 last fall), an iguanodon egg is plucked
from its nest and sent on a wild journey before
hatching in the company of primates. A lemur
family proceeds to raise the three-ton lizard,
named Aladar, as its adopted son. When a
meteor shower decimates the lemurs’ island,
Aladar and his closest kin find safety back on
the mainland. Or do they? Carnivores close in,
forcing the refugees to join a herd of dinos
trekking across barren land to reach their lush
nesting grounds. The herd is essentially a
microcosm of every grade-school playground
on earth, modeling survival of the fittest with
bullies, followers and those who just can’t
keep up. Aladar’s immediate nemesis is
Kron, the prideful, stubborn leader who rules
by intimidation and doesn’t play well with
others. Those flames of conflict are fanned by
a budding romance between Aladar and
Neera, Kron’s sister. Meanwhile, Aladar
shows concern for old and/or disabled
colleagues whose inability to keep the pace
could make them lunch for some voracious
"Carnotaurs."
Positive Elements:
Dinosaur’s noble themes may not
break new ground, but they run the gamut. The
dominant male lemur overcomes fear and
prejudice, choosing to raise the newly hatched
Aladar with compassion rather than dispose
of him. When Zini is the only male not chosen
by a female during the mating ritual (read: last
kid picked for kickball), Aladar offers him
encouragement. While Kron spurns the old
and weak in his herd, Aladar dedicates
himself to helping and inspiring those same
helpless comrades. Young dinos learn the
value of teamwork and cooperation, which is
modeled in the film’s climax as the herd
unites to ward off a predator ("If we scatter,
he’ll pick us off. Stand together"). Kron makes
a fatal decision, proving that pride really does
come before a fall. Even so, in Kron’s time of
need Aladar unselfishly rushes to his aid
despite their less-than-cordial history (a great
example of what Jesus instructs in Luke
6:27-36). Bruton, a dino drill sergeant, softens
in the face of Aladar’s kindness and ultimately
gives his own life to protect his new friends
(an illustration of John 15:13). At times when
all hope seems lost, the message to viewers
is "persist, persevere and take charge of your
destiny." Indeed, Aladar is the prehistoric
epitome of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
Spiritual Content: None.
Sexual Content: A lemur practices
pick-up lines before he and his buddies
embark on an annual mating ritual.
Violent Content: Very intense action
scenes. The meteor shower obliterates an
entire island and practically every living thing
on it (Aladar and his soggy companions look
back as their home is consumed by flames). A
nest full of eggs is crushed. Several
meat-eaters chomp down on twitching prey. In
fact, a pack of raptors pick clean the carcass
of a fallen dinosaur and a Carnotaur
overtakes
a slower beast—with a crunch. Although we
learn it was all part of a game, an iguanodon
appears to eat a lemur in a tense moment of
pursuit. A rock slide kills two creatures.
Another falls to its death from a cliff. Various
battles pit one beast against another in fights
for dominance or survival.
Crude or Profane Language:
None.
Drug and Alcohol Content:
None.
Other Negative Elements: A
twice-employed joke involves baby
iguanodons urinating while being held by a
lemur.
Summary: There’s a lot to like
about Dinosaur. The effects are
great—notwithstanding an overabundance of
crags and desert and not enough
greenery—and the messages are solid.
Unfortunately, violent moments and intense
action make it inappropriate for very young
children, while the film’s thin, familiar story
and by-the-numbers characters will give older
audiences a distinct sense of déjà vu. That
narrows the target audience to kids between 8
and 11 who, as Disney knows full well, are the
perfect candidates to buy licensed
Dinosaur merchandise. But as
eye-candy goes, Dinosaur offers
adolescents and adults with meager
expectations a reasonably enjoyable, morally
grounded 80 minutes of distraction.
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