Planet Dinosaur: Blu Ray Review

Planet Dinosaur: Blu Ray Review

Rating: G
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Entertainment

What is it with dinosaurs?

We've been fascinated with them for years - from Jurassic Park to the BBC Walking with Dinosaurs series.

So this six part doco series was always likely to be a hit.

Narrated by John Hurt, it concentrates on some 50 different species of dinosaurs throughout the run. Using computer generated visual FX, it takes a look at a whole bunch of creatures, hitherto unexplored on the screen. From the likes of spinosaurus to brontosaurus through to the famed T Rex, this series doesn't shy away from populating the ancient world with a menagerie of animals.

But it's presented in a somewhat curious way with shaky camera work and electronic monitors detailing where the bones were found. Ultimately, a lot of the sequences exist simply to showcase the stunning work of the Visual FX team as they pit creature against creature in 3D fight arenas.

The result is this is more of a visual spectacular than an examination of science and archaeology (which sounds like a silly thing to say) but Planet Dinosaur is more about the fighting than the exploration of the world as it unfolded around us billions of years ago.

Don't get me wrong, Planet Dinosaur is nothing less than a spectacle but it's not quite the standard educational series you've come to expect from Auntie Beeb.

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