Promises are not kept. Instead, the film offers little more than, well, pep. Indeed, it's a peppy movie with a perky star that winds up celebrating cliches as much as bare midriffs while leading to a showdown at the finals of a National Cheerleading Championship. Moviegoers have seen nothing like these computer-generated visual effects and indeed, the interaction of prehistoric beasts is enough to maintain interest even when the story begins to sag under the weight of familiarity. Its message may be far from new, but the method of storytelling is an eye-popping digital process.
Action is a necessity, of course.
Even so, attention to detail goes much further than allowing beasts to kick up dust or fight waves in the sea. Rated PG for intense images Showplace 6. The bottom line is not so much that the film discovers no magic, but rather that it simply is not fun. Yes, a few laughs are shared before the picture ends. But one must thank only Jim Carrey, perfectly cast as the Grinch, and talented pooch Kelley as his dog Max.