Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Blu-ray Movie Review

Akita! Osor . . . Tedak . . . Blu-ray . . .

Reviewed by Michael Reuben February 28, 2017

After scoring box office gold in 1966 with One Million Years B.C., Hammer Films attempted to return to the prehistoric well with When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth ("WDRtE"), which was shot in 1968 but not released until two years later because of post-production delays. Unfortunately, Hammer failed to secure the services of two critical talents that made One Million Years memorable: star Raquel Welch and effects wizard Ray Harryhausen, both of whom were committed to other projects. Undaunted, Hammer hired former Playboy Playmate of the Year Victoria Vetri to supply the cheesecake (in what would turn out to be the biggest role of her acting career) and Jim Danforth (The Time Machine) to provide the visual effects. The initial story outline was supplied by sci-fi novelist J.G. Ballard, but by all accounts Ballard's treatment was largely discarded in the screenplay penned by director Val Guest (The Quatermass Xperiment).

Credit the public's fascination with all things Jurassic for WDRtE's box office success, because the film itself is a laughable bore that even Danforth's stop-motion effects (Oscar-nominated) and the physical charms of Ms. Vetri cannot enliven. Still, the film clearly inspires a nostalgic loyalty, and demand has been high since the Warner Archive Collection announced the title for Blu-ray. For WDRtE's fans, WAC has gone the extra mile of providing the film's international version, which contains a few moments of extra nudity that, in the Sixties, would probably have earned the film an R rating. (Today there's more skin on late-night cable.)

In a fictional prehistoric era when humans and dinosaurs share the Earth, a blonde named Sanna (Vetri) narrowly escapes being ritually sacrificed to her tribe's sun-god. Rescued by Tara (Robin Howdon), a fisherman from a rival tribe, Sanna remains a hunted creature. She is pursued by her own kin; she becomes the object of savage jealousy by Ayak (Imogen Hassall), a brunette member of Tara's tribe who finds herself supplanted in the fisherman's affections; and she is condemned as an abomination by the tribe's spiritual leader, Kingsor (Patrick Allen). Fights, chases, narrow escapes and deadly encounters with fierce beasts ensue. Sanna flees across the sand, fishes with her teeth, nearly gets swallowed by a flesh-eating plant, tames a wild dinosaur and, at long last, mates with Tara, who is then tortured and sentenced to death for his transgression. The finale features an attack by giant crabs and a tidal wave that only a few humans survive.

WDRtE's props, costumes and makeup are so cheesy and unconvincing that Danforth's creatures look realistic by comparison (although I doubt that was the intended effect). But perhaps the most notable feature of the film is its complete omission of intelligible dialogue. Every character speaks in an invented primitive language that the viewer is left to decipher. The Blu-ray's subtitles are a hoot, because they simply repeat the lines without translation, e.g.: "Tara akhoba. Wandi Sanna?" By the end, you may or may not have mastered the limited vocabulary, but you'll certainly be sick of hearing the same words over and over.

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For this 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray of When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, the Warner Archive Collection commissioned a new scan of the international version's IP, which was performed at 2K by Warner's Motion Picture Imaging facility. After the usual color-correction and cleanup, the Blu-ray image is as crisp and clear as the film's constraints, both budgetary and technical, will permit. Colors are somewhat weak, but this appears to be a feature of the source, no doubt due to the many opticals used for creature effects. The falloff in clarity and detail is noticeable whenever an optical appears, but MPI has achieved an impressive consistency in densities and palette as the film shifts back and forth between effects and live action. The grain is pronounced (even more so in opticals), but it appears natural and undisturbed. Just as WDRtE is no one's idea of good sci-fi, the Blu-ray image will be no one's idea of demo material, but it's accurate, and fans should be satisfied. WAC has mastered the disc at its usual high bitrate, here 34.99 Mbps.

Though it should go without saying, I note that the video score reflects the accuracy of the transfer, not its prettiness.

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The mono audio for WDRtE has been taken from the optical track print master and encoded in lossless DTS-HD MA 2.0. It's serviceable but unremarkable, with a limited dynamic range that aptly matches the wan palette. The creatures roar, but after you've heard Jurassic Park's T-rex, the sound design of WDRtE can't help but underwhelm. The dialogue is clearly rendered, but, for reasons discussed in the Feature section, it doesn't matter.

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The sole extra is the film's trailer (1080p; 1.78:1; 2:48).

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

WAC is often accused of ignoring fan concerns, but the release of WDRtE is a good example of just how seriously WAC takes expressions of customer interest. Repeated requests by the film's fans are the sole reason it is now available in this new 1080p transfer (a DVD will follow shortly). For both fans and connoisseurs of stop-motion animation, the disc is recommended on its technical merits.