Disney's Dinosaur

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Though an important part of dinosaur film history, it is somewhat forgotten.

## Plot

The film is one of many movies that take a Land Before Time plot, in which the end of dinosaur's time seems neigh when a giant asteroid hits, volcanoes erupt, drought settles in, and the earth shakes as a result of impact and the magnitude is high enough to change the landforms dramatically. As a result herds and swarms of herbivorous dinosaurs must find a valley filled with greenery.

The movie stars an "iguanadon" (muzzle changed) named Aladar, who was raised by what seem to be lemurs. After the asteroid hit; he, his surviving lemur family, and many other dinosaurs decide to make their way the the fabled Nesting Grounds, a place that managed to survive the impact. The herd of herbivores is followed by raptors and carnitores. The story is strongly based off of the Land Before Time.

## Cultural impact

The film helps introduce dinosaurs like iguanadon, styracosaurus, and carnotaurus into the public. These were already known well by paleontologists and are important dinosaurs to paleontology. Iguanadons especially, being one of the first dinosaurs to ever be recognized. Kronus and Bruton's physical features are both based off of the original build of iguanodon skeletons; where the early paleontologists thought that the thumb-spike was a nose-horn. Some dinosaurs, like brachiosaurus, were already well known to the public. However, due to the pushing of the most famous dinosaurs, Baylene, Emma, and the carnotaurs act as a sort of subversion of the species trope. Instead of an apatosaurus, triceratops, and tyrannosaurus, they use their relatives instead. Thus the film is rebellious in a way, trying to encourage the use of other dinosaur species in dino-media. To make an imaginary comparison, it's a bit like, instead of using a giraffe, a rhino, and some lions; it's like they used a camel, a tusked boar, and a leopard. Though maybe those are shown too often in media, but maybe they're just right, since brachiosaurs and styracosaurs are also in the background and games of some shows. But not so often as important characters as maybe all of those animals are. But I tried.

The lemurs were remarked by several dinosaurs as appearing to be parasites upon Aladar's back. Them riding him is a reference to humans riding horses. This is both noting that and perhaps suggesting that humans are horse parasites to some viewers. But it's also supposed to be ironic, as primates are known for grooming lice on each other. And they're they are, seemingly like fleas on a dinosaur. It may also be remarking on the humorous way a human could look riding a large dinosaur, as they are way too small. More like parasitic bugs then riders.

The film also helped pave the way for more CGI films, including realistic looking ones. Some of the CGI in this movie looks more real and moves more naturally then what I've seen in modern movies.

As a kid it also taught me how to find water underground. I played with this a lot in less drought-settings and it works. Dig and press.

There is also a Disney World ride featuring Disney's Dinosaur. It's fun. You go on a safari ride back in time to the end of the dinosaurs and watch or help them get back to their valley, if I remember right.

## Creatures featured

A lot of people online say that the lemurs are sifika lemurs, but this is incorrect. Their looks are similar to them, but they are inconsistent. For one thing, the males and females have different colors. Not so much the old male, who closely resembles his daughter and grandaughter; and not Zenni who might be a hybrid or a mutant, but the other background males. They appear much darker, possibly in breeding plumage or, as some other monkey species have, permanent different colors based off of their sex.

* Ankylosaurus
* Brachiosaurus
* Carnotaurus
* Geosternbergia
* Icthynornis
* Iguanodon
* Koolasuchus
* Longisquama
* Microceratus
* Oviraptor
* Parasaurolophus
* Styracosaurus
* Other dinosaurs and creatures not yet listed
* Unknown species of ancient or fictional primate

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Dinosaur\_(movie)?oldid=287793