A visually stunning film, Walking with Dinosaurs is done in by a paper-thin story and low-brow dialogue. The film is based on a popular 1999 documentary series produced by the BBC and narrated by Kenneth Branagh. Using what would now be considered fairly primitive CGI, and live-action cinematography, the series sought to put viewers directly into the world of dinosaurs. The program spawned a stage show that regularly wowed audiences. Given all that success, it makes perfect sense that someone would see a potential goldmine in an animated film. It’s unfortunate that the final result is rather insulting.

On their way to an Alaskan dig site, Uncle Zack (Karl Urban) is trying to convince his nephew Ricky (Charlie Rowe) to join in on the fun, offering him a dinosaur tooth in hopes of getting him excited. No matter what, only Zach’s niece Jade (Angourie Rice) seems excited by the whole thing. When they arrive at the trailhead, Zack and Jade take off, while Ricky stays behind. Soon, he finds himself accosted by a bird named Alex (John Leguizamo), who whisks the teenager back to the Late Cretaceous period to meet Patchi (Justin Long), the runt of a Pachyrhinosaurus litter trying to build up as much courage as his much larger and tougher brother Scowler (Skyler Stone). Despite his small stature, Patchi is eager to explore the world beyond his nest. Patchi’s eagerness gets him in trouble in various ways, including getting pooped on by a huge dinosaur.

Patchi develops a crush on another Pachyrhinosaurus named Juniper (Tiya Sircar), even though she belongs to another herd and soon migrates south. Luckily, Patchi’s father, and leader of the herd, decides that moving South would be a good idea. However, tragedy strikes, leaving Patchi and Scowler to fend for themselves. While Patchi does find himself reunited with Juniper, a selfish decision by Scowler ends up putting Patchi and his girlfriend in temporary danger. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the last egotistical decision Scowler would make.

For some odd reason, Alex and the dinosaurs don’t even move their mouths when speaking. Apparently, they communicate telepathically. It’s interesting to note that only four characters actually speak, the others simply growl and grunt. If there’s anything that rescues Walking With Dinosaurs, it’s   the visuals. The CGI is very well done, with excellent characterization and good attention to detail. The integration with the live action backgrounds is also handled expertly, recreating a world that often looks real. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t support the grand visuals.

Presented in the 2.39 aspect ratio, 20th Century Fox has done a fine job with the 1080p presentation. Colors are bright, bold and well saturated. The CGI is incredibly detailed, and the live action footage is perfectly blended with the animation. The image is solid throughout, with some minor camera shaking when the camera pans across large swaths of land.

Walking With Dinosaurs‘ lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is fantastic when it comes to score and effects, but slightly less effective when it comes to voiceovers. Several scenes, particularly dino on dino battles are quite immersive, and dialogue is quite clear. However, since none of the characters mouths move, it seems weird.

English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Estonian, Greek, Latvian, Lithuanian, Romanian, Russian, and Ukrainian subtitles are included.

The following extras are available:

  • Ultimate Dino Guide (HD, 1:07) is a brief introduction which then brings up secondary menu choices where more information on various species can be accessed. These include:
    • Pachyrhinosaurus (1080p; 4:03)
    • Gorgosaurus (1080p; 1:57)
    • Hesperonychus (1080p; 1:18)
    • Troodon (1080p; 2:05)
    • Pterosaur (1080p; 1:39)
    • Ankylosaur (1080p; 1:09)
    • Edmontosaurus (1080p; 1:55)
    • Parksosaurus (1080p; 1:08)
    • Chirostenotes (1080p; 1:10)
    • Alphadon (1080p; 1:23)
    • Alexornis (1080p; 2:18)

These video elements are just the beginning, however. There’s other information available, both textual and audio, about each of these species which is accessible through ensuing pages.

  • Match the Call is a game where a variety of dinosaur sounds play and you need to identify which beast makes them—all before a puzzle assembles and you run out of time.
  • Interactive Map is a map with icons identifying various species. Clicking on those offers additional information about the beasts.
  • Dinosaur Trivia Track is an optional set of subtitles that provide additional information about dinosaurs as the film plays.
  • Nickolodeon Orange Carpet Dino Rap (HD, 1:01) stars Benjamin Flores, Jr. from The Haunted Hathaways.
  • Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:23)
  • DVD Copy of the film
  • UV Digital Copy
  • Digital Copy (as download)