The Dinosaur Project is Slated For August 10, 2012 Release
The Dinosaur Project first attracted me when I caught this promo poster while surfing the web. Unfortunately from the trailer that I have seen, the poster looks to be just about the only part of this movie worth praise.
The Dinosaur Project Focuses on the Legend of Mokele Mbembe
The Dinosaur Project Focuses On the Search For Mokele Mbembe in the Congo. Mokele Mbembe is a creature of legend that is long believed to have lived in the depths of the Congo and by all accounts by locals it resembles a Sauropod. (Note, the Mokele Mbembe has not been created for this movie, it is an actual creature of local legend for the Congolese.) According to African legend, Mokele Mbembe is described as having four thick columnar legs and the incredible size of a Sauropod. Unfortunately, this seems not to be something the producers of The Dinosaur Project researched because they refer to the creature as Africa’s Loch Ness Monster (a Plesiosaur like creature.) Now if you’re a dinosaur lover you don’t need to ask why this is such a big deal but if you found yourself here while looking for a movie review of The Dinosaur Project, let me explain. Plesiosaurs thrived from the early Jurassic to the late Cretaceous, they are classified as marine reptiles, had four large flippers and fed on a piscivorous diet. Sauropods thrived from the late Triassic to the late Cretaceous, they are classified as dinosaurs, had four columnar shaped legs and fed on an herbivorous diet.
The Dinosaur Project is Shot POV Style
As the movie begins it takes on a Blair Witch format with it being shot from a handheld camera point of view. While this POV type filming doesn’t really bother me, I have heard from a number of people that it is enough to turn them off seeing the movie.
The Plot Is Far From Believable
The plot for The Dinosaur Project isn’t too original or believable. I know a lot of people will complain that it’s difficult to come up with something new or believable, particularly where dinosaurs are concerned, but the idea of a lost colony of dinosaurs thriving in the Congo is just too far fetched. Entertaining? Perhaps.
The storyline tracks a group of researchers as they search for Mokele Mbembe but soon find themselves in a deserted village that has been picked over by a colony of dinosaurs. Exactly what these dinosaurs are it’s difficult to tell for two reasons. #1: the trailer shows limited footage of these creatures and #2: what it does show isn’t really distinguishable. There is what looks to be a Plesiosaur, a few Pterodons and an interpretation of a Raptor that is likely to be more irritating to a true dinosaur lover than anything else (think of the frill necked raptor of Jurassic Park.) As the storyline continues the crew of six find themselves surrounded by dinosaurs and trapped in the Congo.
I Hate to be Cynical But…
I know it’s unfair to write this movie off before it’s even released but as a true dinosaur lover (and as someone who watches far too many movies) I’m just not excited for the release of The Dinosaur Project.
