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Walking With Dinosaurs is a dinosaur film produced by BBC Earth named after the well-recieved 1999 TV documentary miniseries. It was released on December 20, 2013. Unlike the TV series, the dinosaurs featured in the film were voiced by actors and were fully computer animated with no animatronics. However, the sets filmed live action. The goal is to make audiences feel like "they've gone back in time".
Summary[]
Set in North America in the late Cretaceous period, the film follows the lives of three Pachyrhinosaurus named Patchi, Scowler and Juniper from infancy to adulthood. Their story is related by Alex the Alexornis who has a symbolic relationship with the trio. Their enemy is a Gorgosaurus named Gorgon, a fearless hunter.
Full synopsis[]
The movie starts with 3 people, a paleontologist named Zack and his niece Jade and nephew Ricky, driving in a forest in Alaska for a fossil hunt. Ricky the nephew stumbled upon Alex. He was a Raven that magically evolved into an Alexornis that traveled back 70 Million years to tell Patchi's story.
The story begins with Patchi being a hatchling. When he wanders to the edge of the nest, a Troodon attacks. He grabs Patchi by the frill and this is how Patchi recieves his trademark hole in his frill. Patchi's father, Bulldust, intervenes and stops the Troodon. The predator throws Patchi away and runs off. Patchi landed in a forest not far way and spent some time exploring. While he explores, he meets an Edmontonia and also Juniper. Patchi falls in love at first sight and Juniper makes it clear that she likes Patchi. But the laws of the herd makes it so that they can't be together. Patchi returns to his nest after long day of exploring.
In the next few weeks and months, Patch continues to look for Juniper while also learning the ways of the Pachyrhinosaurus. Scowler, Patchi's older brother, continues to harass Patchi for being smaller. Eventually, the herd treks south in a great migration. They make this trip a number of times and Patchi grows more and more each time.
However, the good times do not last forever. During one trip, a storm ensues and a lighting bolt strikes a tree. This starts a massive forest fire. During the fire, Patchi and Scowler get sperated from the herd. Alex tries to help, but to no avail. The brothers are eventually attacked and cornered by Gorgon the Gorgosaurus. Gorgon attempts to kill the brothers, but is attacked by Bulldust. Patchi and Scowler helplessly look on and watch as Gorgon murders Bulldust. As Alex said, "On that day, noble blood was spilled while noble blood looked on."
After the fire is over, Patchi and Scowler find the herd being led by Major, the herd's second in command. Their herd ends up mixing with Juniper's. Over the next few years, life goes on normally. Patchi and the herd continue to dodge predators and make the journer south over and over again.
Finally, after a number of years, Patchi, Scowler, and Juniper are fully grown. Scowler challenges Major to lead the herd and Scowler prevails. Due to the rules of the herd, Juniper must now follow Scowler, not Patchi. Scowler's attempts to lead the herd fail however as he nearly dooms the herd to a watery grave while trying to cross a frozen lake. Patchi saves the herd and Scowler is extremely angered by this. He and Patchi duel over the rights to lead the herd. Despite his noble effort, Patchi is bested by his stronger brother. The herd moves on and leaves Patchi to his fate.
As scavengers begin to gather around Patchi, Alex attempts to comfort his friend. After some encouraging words, Patchi musters the strength to get up and follow the herd. When he finds them, they are making their way through an area known as Ambush Alley. The spot get's it's name from the number of Gorgosaurus ambushes that take place here.
Patchi finds his brother being attacked by Gorgon and his gang. Gorgon nearly kills Scowler before Patchi gets his attention. The Gorgosaurus changes targets and attacks Patchi. Patchi and Juniper convince the herd to fight back. While most of the herd tangles with the Gorgosaurus pack, Gorgon and Patchi go toe to toe. Gorgon fights ferociously, but Patchi manages to defeat him after he breaks his arm and many of his teeth. It's one of these teeth that paleontologists find later.
With Gorgon and his pack defeated, Patchi assumes leadership over the herd. The movie fast forwards a few years. Patchi and Juniper now have eggs of their own. Life is good for Patchi and he and his family live on happily. The movie then jumps back to the present and shows the paleontologist and his niece and nephew uncovering the skeleton of Gorgon.
Companion Book[]
A companion book to the film was published in December 2013.
Reception[]
Cast[]
- John Leguizamo as Alex
- Justin Long as Patchi
- Tiya Sircar as Juniper
- Skyler Stone as Scowler
- Karl Urban as Uncle Zack
- Charlie Rowe as Ricky
- Angourie Rice as Jade
Animals featured[]
- Alexornis
- Alphadon
- Avitelmessus
- Chirostenotes
- Edmontonia
- Edmontosaurus
- Gorgosaurus
- Hesperonychus
- Pachyrhinosaurus
- Parksosaurus
- Quetzalcoatlus
- Troodon
- Tyrannosaurus rex - (mentioned & only seen in the Credits)
- Nanotyrannus - (only seen in the Credits)
- Albertosaurus - (only seen in the Credits)
- Dilong - (only seen in the Credits)
- Eotyrannus - (only seen in the Credits)
- Guanlong - (only seen in the Credits)
- Buitreraptor - (only seen in the Credits)
- Rhamphorhynchus - (only seen in the Credits)
- Pterodactylus - (only seen in the Credits)
- Utahraptor - (only seen in the Credits)
- Gastonia - (only seen in the Credits)
- Velociraptor - (only seen in the Credits)
- Protoceratops - (only seen in the Credits)
- Zuniceratops - (only seen in the Credits)
- Olorotitan - (only seen in the Credits)
- Eoraptor - (only seen in the Credits)
Videos[]
Trailers[]
Dino Files[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The Illustrated Dinosaurs seen from the credits were by Luis V. Rey & can also be seen in the 2007 published Dinosaur book called Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages.
- Evergreen Studios also worked on When Dinosaurs Roamed America and Dinosaur Planet.
Reception[]
Walking With Dinosaurs recieved mixed to negative responses. Though critics praised the movie for the visual effects and realistic dinosaurs, it was clouded by the voiceovers and the amount of "barf" and "poop" jokes.