Dinotopia - Quest for the Ruby Sunstone
Quest for the Ruby Sunstonetakes its inspiration from blockbuster miniseriesDinotopia(and the James Gurney books behind it). Rather than Karl and David, Kex (Alec Medlock) is the modern-day boy stranded on Dinotopia, where people and (herbivorous) dinosaurs co-exist. (The 12-year-old washes ashore when an attempt to flee his orphanage goes awry.) While there, he befriends preteen dino 26 (Alyssa Milano) and battles the evil Ogthar (Malcolm McDowell). This lively, if predictable animation is designed for a younger audience than the original series, which is to say it's moreLand Before TimethanDinosaur. As with the former, the look is flat and stylized rather than realistic, like a cross betweenSpeed RacerandPocahontas. While the story may be familiar--orphan saves the day by banding together with new friends--the dinos are plentiful enough that small ones are likely to overlook such shortcomings. (Ages 2 to 7)--Kathleen C. Fennessy