However, you have to deal the cards you’re given, and in this case, the cards are two stiff, barely mobile dinosaurs with zero realistic features. Thankfully, the film is barely played straight, aiming young and staying there. You can’t possibly take a movie seriously when one of the main characters is called Dumpy. He must have been the lost eighth dwarf…
The T-rex munches on a few people, tries to invade a mine holding some of the key cast, and fights the brontosaurus (or here is it brontosaurusus?). Eventually, it leads to an “epic” showdown between the T-rex and Ward Ramsey inside a power shovel that doesn’t end well for the dinosaur side of things. It’s all a very forgettable, shoddy spin on a giant monster genre that was already knocking on deaths door at the time of release. At least it ended with a question mark, indicating a sequel was on the way. We’re still waiting. ![]()
Dinosaurus comes to DVD from Image Entertainment, the first time home video has delivered an accurate 2.35:1 transfer. Video is fair, with sporadic print damage, including excessive lines running through the frame in the underwater segments. Edge enhancement and mosquito noise are a regular problem.
Colors are bold, although the image carries an over-processed look. Undoubtedly some grain reduction was performed here. There is an odd encode error around the 59:30 mark, where digital white artifacts creep into the frame. It doesn’t seem to be a problem with the effects since previous shots performed fine. ![]()
Inside the restaurant, a small band bangs on some metal drums and it is quite evident here this mono track needed some extra cleanup. The soundtrack is heavily strained on the high end, although the dialogue is clean and free of distortion. The dinosaur roar also sounds tinny, although it’s not exactly the highlight of sound design to begin with. ![]()
Extras include the original trailer and small stills gallery, including some lobby cards. ![]()
The brontosaurus model apparently lived on after the shoot, appearing in an episode of Twilight Zone, “The Odyssey of Flight 33.”








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