Dinosaur Cinema: the Big, the Bad and the Scary

Some reviews of the DVDs we've been watching:

Walking with Dinosaurs: "Broadcast in 1999, Walking with Dinosaurs set out to create the most accurate portrayal of prehistoric animals ever seen on the screen." That one was a little too "accurate" for both Crayons and Ponytails, or anyone else who's a bit squeamish about really mean and scary-looking dinosaurs. It's part of a three-disc set that we got from the library, and we haven't looked at the other two yet--I'm hoping they might be more Squirreling-friendly.

Dinosaur (Eyewitness DVD) I thought this one might be a bit dull or at least pretty far from a Creationist viewpoint; actually we really enjoyed it. It's very kid-friendly and includes some claymation (a Wallace and Gromit-style dinosaur), funny scenes from old movies, and interactive points called "Hot Spots" that appear on the screen and can be clicked on to give you more information about points of interest. Expect lots of evolutionary content, but if you want a general look at what kids are being taught about dinosaurs these days, this is a good one to pick.

Meet Leonardo, the Mummy Dinosaur: This one started off very slowly and without a lot of explanation, with "home movies" of the dig where Leonardo, a very special brachylophosaurus (can you say that three times fast?) was dug up in 2000, in Montana. ("Leonardo is quite a spectacular specimen. In addition to possessing rare skin impressions and being one of only four existing brachylophosaurus specimens uncovered to date, he is the first fully articulated subadult ever found.") The first part could definitely have used a bit of commentary or explanation, because the paleontologists use their own jargon (what's a jacket? why are they putting plaster bandages around the bones?) and it's a bit confusing. One suggestion, if you're using this--check out online information about Leonardo first, so that you know what's going on.

But the second part is much more watchable: it's a videotape of the 2005 unveiling of a life size, $70,000 model of what Leonardo would have looked like "in the flesh." From the website: "You will hear chief investigator, Nate Murphy, describe the new knowledge gained from Leonardo as well as the secrets yet to be revealed with further study of the dinosaur fossil. His entertaining and educational style is fun to watch." One of the points that came through clearly is that what we were taught about dinosaurs at school up through the 1980's has been changed a great deal by both the much-better dinosaur specimens being found (like Leonardo with most of his soft tissue intact), and by the computer testing that can be used on these specimens. If you were told in school that dinosaurs are reptiles, that's not necessarily true--it's obvious that they had features of warm-blooded animals as well.

It's funny--I've heard creation scientists say almost the same thing--that the last twenty years have been a time when a lot of existing beliefs (i.e. about evolution being the only acceptable theory) have been able to be challenged with any kind of intelligent--and yes, I do mean intelligent--and credible ways of looking at things. Not that most of the evolutionists will give any credit to anything a creationist says--from the comments I read on that article about homeschool science texts, the general viewpoint is that creationists are dangerous, crazy or both; that they believe in a flat earth and think leeches might be good for sick people. But that aside, I find it interesting that scientists on both sides feel that the past twenty years have been crucial ones in being able to set aside formerly-sacred ideas, or solidify others that could not be proved until recently. From any viewpoint, what we "know" about things--or realize that we don't yet know--is changing rapidly, and that's something, I think, that we need to communicate to our kids.