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Essential Dinosaur Pack: Discovery Classics Collection
R1 - America - Image Entertainment Review written by and copyright: James Teitelbaum (2nd November 2008). |
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The Show
 This is a two-disc set from the Discovery Channel collecting a bunch of their documentaries on dinosaurs. It is a nice collection that crams a lot of fascinating information (and a lot of cheezy computer generated dinosaurs) onto two Jurassic-packed DVD's. The fact that the digital dino-mation is not exactly up to Spielberg standards is not actually a problem: these programs are filled with solid information on various dino-riffic topics, and will appeal to paleophiles of all ages. Note that most of the shows on this set were produced in the early part of the 21st century. Many of the same scientists are interviewed for the different documentaries, and a lot of the animation is reused in multiple shows. The first disc contains four complete programs: "Valley of the T-Rex" (43:25, 1.78:1). A paleontologist named Jack Horner goes in search of a complete Tyrannosaurus Tex skeleton that he suspects will be found in the charmingly named Hell Valley, Montana. As Horner is interviewed, and a narrator fills in the details of Horner's quest, speculation is made that T-Rex was actually a slow, clumsy, and ill-designed creature who was doomed to evolutionary failure. Even given the asteroid collision that likely wiped out the dinos, Tyrannosaurus Rex was probably doomed anyway. Horner goes on a solo digging mission to find little bits of fossil as his team bust out the jack hammers and start recklessly dismantling a mountain. A discussion of the iridium layer is used as evidence of the destruction of the dinos. "T-Rex: New Science, New Beast" (43:59, 1.78:1). Changing technology and advances in the science of paleontology mean that our perceptions of Tyrannosaurus Rex has changed over the years. The latest theories and facts about T-Rex are presented. "When Dinos Roamed America" (1:25:04, 1.78:1). This one is stiltedly narrated by the dinosaur-like John Goodman, and starts off on Manhattan. He explains that 225 million years ago, the land mass of the Earth consisted of a single continent, Pangaea. Pangaea, incidentally, was also the name of an early 1990's rock band in Cleveland. Goodman goes on to discuss the ubiquitous asteroid collision, and the various creatures that sprung up in the land mass that became North America in the aftermath of the lil' bang. A discussion of the iridium layer is used as evidence of the destruction of the dinos. "Utah: Dinosaur Graveyard" (44:54, 4:3). The bones of a previously undiscovered dinosaur in Utah provide clues to the link between small carnivorous dinos and the large, lumbering herbivores that came later. The second disc has three features: "The Mystery Dinosaur" (43:33, 4:3). A team of amateur paleontologists find a significant specimen in Montana. Nicknamed Jane, the skeleton instigates debate among scientists all over the world as to the nature of certain species related to the Tyrannosaurus Rex. A discussion of the iridium layer is used as evidence of the destruction of the dinos. "Dinosaurs: Return to Life?" (41:49, 4:3). An exploration of the many, many similarities between dinosaurs and birds, and of the feasibility of actually using DNA and genetic technology to recreate dinosaur species. "Dinosaur Planet" (all 1.78:1): This one is subdivided into four further features. These are a bit curious because they are structured like modern day nature shows of the sort that follow an animal around in its natural habitat, as a narrator comments on its behavior, framing the animal's life within a story. The difference is that the "Dinosaur Planet" shows are all CGI, and are completely made up by a writer. All of the footage is third-rate computer animation, and the situations depicted almost certainly never actually happened. Discovery Channel may as well have made up a nature program about beings living on a planet in the vicinity of Betelgeuse. Still, these are entertaining enough as a purely speculative take on what dino-lives might have been like. All four programs are narrated by Christian Slater. - "Whitetip's Journey" (43:08); a female velociraptor on a quest for survival. - "Alpha's Egg" (43:30); a baby Brontosaurus is born. - "Pod's Travels" (43:24); a small raptor-type dinosaur finds himself among a herd of much smaller creatures. - "Little Das' Hunt" (43:06); a young Tyrannosaurus Rex learns to hunt as a volcano erupts.
Video
These programs are presented in either 4:3 full frame or 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Some of the video on the live action segments looks a little bit low-rez and grainy, although the vistas are often spectacular. There are also some pretty serious compression issues, which is not surprising given the long runing time of each disc. The documentary footage is often fuzzy or badly color timed. But what can one expect from documentaries made for cable television? The important thing is that the educational material about life before man is presented clearly, and this is indeed achieved. Running times and aspect ratios listed above in the review.
Audio
Audio is in English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo with no subtitles. Music is minimal, and production sound effects are non-existent, with the exception of a lot of really loud roars and grunts from the CG dinosaurs. The narration voiceovers are recorded just fine; interviews conducted on-site are generally fine.
Extras
Given that there is nearly eight hours of documentary packed onto these two discs, the complete lack of any extras at all is not really a problem.
Overall
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