Walking With Dinosaurs parents guide

Walking With Dinosaurs Parent Guide

If your child can spew facts about Gorgosaurus or Quetzalcoatlus, then "Walking with Dinosaurs" is for them. If they prefer dinosaurs to be purple and sing, maybe wait for the home video.

Overall B

In this computer animation/ live action mix, audiences will feel like they are Walking With Dinosaurs. The story follows the lives and challenges of some of the prehistoric creatures and their struggle to exist in a hostile environment.

Release date December 20, 2013

Violence B-
Sexual Content B+
Profanity A-
Substance Use A

Why is Walking With Dinosaurs rated PG? The MPAA rated Walking With Dinosaurs PG for creature action and peril, and mild rude humor.

Run Time: 87 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

Disneynature brought animals like flamingos, chimpanzees and African cats to the big screen. But the BBC does one better. In 1999, the company aired a six-part television miniseries about dinosaurs. Using computer animation and animatronics, they recreated the huge, extinct beasts in a nature-style documentary. Now the series producers are behind a 3D film based on the television program.

Walking with Dinosaurs attempts to make the BBC’s educational programming more entertaining for kids. Don’t get me wrong, as a big fan of The Magic School Bus, I appreciate programs that educate while entertaining. Unfortunately, I don’t know that the BBC has found that magical balance between the two. The film opens in present day Alaska (a location chosen because of its similarity to dinosaurs’ surroundings in the Late Cretaceous period). Ricky (Charlie Rowe) and his sister Jade (Angourie Rice) are stuck with Uncle Zack (Karl Urban) while their parents are away. Piling the kids in his beat up vehicle, Zack takes them out for a day of dinosaur bone hunting. But all Ricky can think about is the lack of cell phone reception—at least until he meets a talking Alexornis named Alex.

As soon as the talking bird shows up you know this film will have a different flavor than the miniseries it is based on. While Kenneth Branaugh narrated the UK version of the documentary and Avery Brooks voiced the North American version, John Leguizamo (who voiced Sid the Sloth in Ice Age) lends his vocals to Alex, a prehistoric bird who talks with a Spanish accent and cracks jokes. The film includes some brief educational information about each dinosaur it introduces, but the story line is more reminiscent of Land Before Time —kids get lost, parents die, animals migrate. Much of the dialogue is made up of silly banter, some of which includes potty humor and mild sexual innuendo, along with sibling rivalry between dinosaurs Patchi (voice of Justin Long) and his brother Scowler (voice of Skyler Stone). While it’s meant to make the dinosaurs more kid-friendly, they end up sounding like Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

Patchi’s first escapade begins when a hungry Chirostenotes snatches him from his nest. Luckily Dad steps in to save his offspring but not before the little runt of the litter gets a chance to see the world outside of the sand pit where he lives. It is filled with danger and wonder as well. Soon afterwards, the herd of Pachyrhinosaurus begins their migration south. The arduous journey takes its toll on the herd and introduces the young dinosaur to all kinds of new creatures, some of which prefer meat dishes to greens.

The degree to which your child enjoys this film will likely have a lot to do with how much he or she likes dinosaurs. If they can spew facts about Gorgosaurus, Quetzalcoatlus or Edmontosaurus, then Walking with Dinosaurs is for them. If they prefer their dinosaurs to be purple and sing, you might want to wait for the video version.

Although the scenes are sanitized to the point that little blood is shown, animals either attack or are eaten in this movie, depending on their place on the food chain. Some fall through the ice on a frozen pond as well. Yet there’s no hint of what happens to the unfortunate beasts. The film also depicts several moments of peril for the young brothers and their friend Juniper (voice by Tiya Sircar).

With few other kid-oriented films releasing during the 2013 Christmas season, Walking with Dinosaurs should have little competition at the box office. However it’s hard to know if these talking reptiles can get audiences to stampede to the theater, or if they’ll get trampled in the holiday rush.

Directed by Barry Cook, Neil Nightingale. Starring Charlie Rowe, Angourie Rice. Running time: 87 minutes. Theatrical release December 20, 2013. Updated

Walking With Dinosaurs
Rating & Content Info

Why is Walking With Dinosaurs rated PG? Walking With Dinosaurs is rated PG by the MPAA for creature action and peril, and mild rude humor.

Violence: An animal is attacked and bitten, leaving a hole in his head plate. Siblings argue and make mean comments to each other. Numerous animals are attacked, captured and eaten (with no blood shown). Animals are caught in a forest fire and some die off-screen. A father dies defending his offspring. Male dinosaurs engage in a fight to lead the herd. Animals fall through the ice while crossing a frozen lake. Young dinosaurs become frightened after being separated from the herd. Two animals fight and one is caught under a fallen tree. An animal’s “arm” is broken during a fight and several teeth are knocked out.

Sexual Content: The script contains some mild, veiled sexual innuendo.

Language: Brief name-calling is heard.

Alcohol / Drug Use:None noted.

Other: A small animal is defecated on. Other infrequent jokes with mild potty humor are included. A mother dinosaur vomits up pre-chewed food for her babies.

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Walking With Dinosaurs Parents' Guide

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Home Video

The most recent home video release of Walking With Dinosaurs movie is March 25, 2014. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Walking With Dinosaurs

Release Date: 25 March 2014

Walking With Dinosaurs releases to home video in the following packages:

Deluxe 3D Combo Pack (Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD)

- Feature film in high definition, standard definition and 3D

- Ultimate Dino Guide

- Interactive Map

- Match the Call game

- Brainosaur Trivia Track

- Cretaceous Cut (the movie in its “natural” version)

- Nickelodeon Orange Carpet Dino Rap

Blu-ray Combo (Blu-ray,DVD, Digital HD)

Feature film in high definition and standard definition

- Ultimate Dino Guide

- Interactive Map

- Match the Call game

- Brainosaur Trivia Track

- Nickelodeon Orange Carpet Dino Rap

DVD

- Feature film in standard definition

- Dino Files

- Match the Call game

Related home video titles:

What would it be like to live amongst dinosaurs? Dinotopia depicts an idealistic world where the giants co-exist peaceably with humans, while Jurassic Park looks at the rather fearsome consequences of having the beasts in your own backyard.

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