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If you liked this mini-series, may we suggest buying the novel: 

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Nice idea; so why is it on opposite Friends? Dinosaurs in a series? Been there, done that. However, this is based on a popular book series, and the concept of a dramatic, action perspective of such a show might appeal to both kids and young adults alike. However, if they liked it enough to make it into an actual series for the fall, why put said series opposite Friends, Survivor, and must see TV galore? This series clearly costs millions to create; putting it against such fare is network programming blunders to the worst degree. That's a shame, because at the very least a few VCRs should be programmed to tape this show. In fact, if this is indeed Friends' final season, all Dinotopia must do is cruise control through season 1, only to hopefully take command of Thursday nights next year. Stay tuned...

Dinotopia

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A Review by Techtite

There is no originality in saying that the epic mini-series has gone the way of the dinosaur. The concept of wasting fresh TV show ideas, for just a few nights of original TV, is not looked at in the same light anymore. After all, if a book series is good enough, it can be used for a real TV series (Sex and the City), or better yet, a film series (James Bond in particular). However, Disney always tries to bring back a nice tradition, so they offer us Dinotopia for May sweeps; a grand "mega-series," based on the novels by James Gurney. The question is, can Disney succeed where so many earlier mini-series have failed? Furthermore, will this mini-series do what ABC hopes, and give enough publicity to Dinotopia's actual series, this fall?

If you've never heard of the Dinotopia books, it's easy to get started. There's an official website run by the author himself, and as for the mini-series (at least, for the time being!), a separate web site is offered, called "Visit Dinotopia." If the overall grandeur of these sites grabs you enough to read the books, be prepared; there are at least 33 or more Dinotopia related book releases, in any standard book search online! As you can surmise, there's a lot of this tale to tell already. What can the mini-series tell us, for starters? Good question...

While the original stories involve the exploits of Will and Arthur Denison, circa 1862, this mini-series apparently wanted a pair of more contemporary heroes. So, we are introduced to the two "newest" castaways to the island; a rebellious young man named Karl Scott (Tyron Leitso), and his more accepting half-brother, David (Wentworth Miller). They are stranded on the island during a plane crash, where their father Frank (Stuart Wilson) is apparently swept to his death at sea. Upon reaching the shores of Dinotopia, David is tickled pink at the thought of exploring this strange new land where dinosaurs and humans live in peace, while Karl is adamant to find a way to leave. This may be difficult, because as the Mayor muses, nobody has ever heard of Dinotopia, so obviously, nobody who ever left made it, did they?...or did they?

Episode 1 of the mini-series introduces the brothers to the town librarian, a kindly dinosaur named Zippo, who takes them in until permanent lodging for the boys can be found. They also meet the Mayor's daughter, Marion (Katie Karr), who leads to an intriguing love triangle that assists in driving the young men apart...not that they weren't feeling animosity already. At the same time, Karl meets Cyrus Crabb (David Thewlis), an older chap whose wooden leg was the result of ticking off the wrong dinosaurs, making him more than willing to help Karl find a safe route off the island. This is great news to Karl, who feels insulted that the Mayor asked the boys to go back to school to learn the ways of Dinotopia...with little kids as their classmates! Sure, Marion turns out to be their teacher, though you can imagine how embarrassing that must feel.

By episode 2, not all is as it seems, as is usually the case. The sunstones that protect the city from the predatory dinosaurs nearby are beginning to dim. Then, no sooner do the boys "graduate," then they're given jobs that neither one appreciates: David goes to flight school (riding the backs of 30-foot-wingspan Pterosaurs), while Karl is asked to baby-sit a new hatching at the nursery. David locks horns with flight instructor Oonue (Colin Salmon), while Karl must watch over his mischievous hatchling like a hawk. In time, the brother who wanted to leave wants to stay...and unfortunately, vice-versa.

Who was stupid enough to send both boys to their most ill-suited of jobs? Answer: Marion's mother --and the town's matriarch-- named Rosemary (Alice Krige). If Krige was meant to play this character as an annoying pain in the you-know-what, she succeeds, as she talks down to the men as if they're 5 years old. She gets snippy to Karl, then when Karl gets snippy right back, David tries to explain Karl's resistance of authority, only to have Rosemary snip, "I wasn't talking to you, David!" If this wasn't "family TV," I can imagine the number of colorful responses a typical man would say in this situation. Oh heck; forget TV; David really should've told her off. The fact that he didn't even try is just totally unbelievable, and quite frankly, more than a bit female chauvinist in tone.

By Episode 3...well, I won't give that much away here, though suffice to say, this mini-series didn't handle its storylines well enough. What was merely alluded to in 4 hours must suddenly be resolved in the 2-hour finale, making the finale clearly rushed, though nonetheless the best night of the three. However, there's no denying there are many more (and better) stories to tell here. No surprise, then, that ABC has given the greenlight to make this into a real series come fall. However, it's scheduled opposite Friends and Survivor. D'oh!

Only the best miniseries leave you wanting more. I guess it speaks volumes, then, that this mini-series did just that. This miniseries knows when to give us the right amount of details, and when to bow out gracefully, with class and style. On the other hand, one can't deny that the events of night #3 seem a bit crunched, and should've been spread out among episodes, or perhaps given a fourth night entirely. Thankfully, there's the series to look forward to...though what if there wasn't?

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