Film
Walking With Dinosaurs plays out like a National Geographic special, tracking dinosaurs and their kin in the field. Wonderful CGI recreations of some of the more obscure beasts set this special apart from all other dinodocumentaries.
Synopsis
The vast worlds of prehistoric times are brought to life in a series of documentaries starting with the beginning of life in the seas and ending with the death of the final land giants. There are 6 segments: “New Blood”, “Time Of …he Titans”, “Cruel Sea”, “Giant Of The Skies”, “Spirits Of The Forest”, “Death Of A Dynasty”.
Audio
The audio is a basic Dolby Stereo track. Created with a television audience in mind, the narration is the key element of the sound field. Although nothing exciting, it is always clear. There are nice nuances in the form of animal grunts and chatters.
Video
Walking With Dinosaurs is presented in an anamorphic transfer at an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 The series was produced for TV, but is far superior to average TV fare. The CGI effects come across as realistic and the prehistoric vistas are at times stunning. Yes, there are common instances of shimmering and CGI artifact, but they do not detract from the overall quality of the picture. Colors are quite natural and come across exceptionally vivid on some of the more exotic creatures.
Special Features
You can set the DVD to allow a small picture within picture to pop up with occasional information on specific scenes. You should probably watch it without first as the pop-up can be distracting. “The Making of Walking with Dinosaurs” is a very nice special that shows how most of the magic was accomplished. There are 2 TV spots and the menu animation is a nice touch.
Conclusion
I was most taken with how effectively the series captures the idea that these scenes are real and the narration simply commentary on what was observed. It brought me back to my days watching “Animal Kingdom” as a youngster. In keeping with my own tradition of ending with a quote from the film let me just say “Grrrr!”
Special Features List
- 24 minutes of footage not seen in the American TV broadcast
- 50 Minute Documentary
