6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
In a fictional past when humans and dinosaurs co-exist, a tribe attempts to sacrifice the beautiful Sanna as an offering to their gods for protection from the carnivorous beasts. Tara, a fisherman from another tribe, rescues Sanna from the ritual and brings her to his home, enraging his girlfriend, Ayak. Tara and Sanna struggle to survive with hungry monsters hunting them for food and Sanna's tribe out for revenge.
Starring: Victoria Vetri, Robin Hawdon, Patrick Allen, Drewe Henley, Sean CaffreySci-Fi | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.75:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 1.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
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.)
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.
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.
The sole extra is the film's trailer (1080p; 1.78:1; 2:48).
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.
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