Post by Ryan_MYeah on May 24, 2022 2:12:23 GMT
I love dinosaurs. Hell, my favorite movie is sold on the gimmick of dinosaurs. And when I was a kid, I loved documentary series about dinosaurs. Walking With Dinosaurs, When Dinosaurs Roamed America, Dinosaur Planet, you name it. So hearing that BBC were producing a new series, one backed by Jon Favreau of all people, and narrated by David Attenborough, it felt right up my alley.
I just watched the first episode, “Coasts,” and I was taken in by it. Given that we never actually saw dinosaurs in action, even with all the scientific backing that the show has (and that element is rock solid), you’ll always have to contend with letting some fantastical speculation slide. That said, they treat this with the right level of pomp and circumstance, and Attenborough’s narration helps legitimize the mammoth, grandiose tone the production crew strives for.
Given that this is framed like a documentary, the main selling point is obviously the visuals, and how they represent the dinosaurs. While I’ll always have a soft spot for the epic hyper-fantasy charm of Jurassic Park, the dinosaurs here are some truly stunning creations, that even with the sense of hyper-realism given to their design, display an incredible level of personality and expression. Say it with me: “They’re not monsters. They’re animals.” And even taking a documentary approach, that doesn’t mean they can’t make some bold artistic choices, as pterosaurs take flight against warmly lit skylines, taurangisaurs dramatically raise their necks out of the ocean and to the sky, or swarms of ammonites make beautiful light displays in their mating rituals. The creatures are all lush and stunning, and given the treatment and gravitas worthy of their towering, imposing, and graceful stature.
I just watched the first episode, “Coasts,” and I was taken in by it. Given that we never actually saw dinosaurs in action, even with all the scientific backing that the show has (and that element is rock solid), you’ll always have to contend with letting some fantastical speculation slide. That said, they treat this with the right level of pomp and circumstance, and Attenborough’s narration helps legitimize the mammoth, grandiose tone the production crew strives for.
Given that this is framed like a documentary, the main selling point is obviously the visuals, and how they represent the dinosaurs. While I’ll always have a soft spot for the epic hyper-fantasy charm of Jurassic Park, the dinosaurs here are some truly stunning creations, that even with the sense of hyper-realism given to their design, display an incredible level of personality and expression. Say it with me: “They’re not monsters. They’re animals.” And even taking a documentary approach, that doesn’t mean they can’t make some bold artistic choices, as pterosaurs take flight against warmly lit skylines, taurangisaurs dramatically raise their necks out of the ocean and to the sky, or swarms of ammonites make beautiful light displays in their mating rituals. The creatures are all lush and stunning, and given the treatment and gravitas worthy of their towering, imposing, and graceful stature.
) but this simply has to win the effects award there.