The dinosaur Torvosaurus gurneyi was named in honour of Gurney in 2014. He also holds as BA in anthropology, and even has a dinosaur species named in his honor. and yet its illustrations, worldbuilding, and visuals have largely inspired both George Lucas's Star Wars (from the prequel trilogy to the present-day Disney helmship), and even James Cameron's Avatarįor those unaware, Dinotopia, or Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time, was originally a book written, and illustrated, by James Gurney, an artist who also studied archaeology and anthropology.

Project, filmed in Budapest, originally popped up on the early fall docket but was pushed back for completion purposes and replaced with second-window airings of “Monk.It seems, to my knowledge, that the work Dinotopia is relatively obscure. And neither von Detten nor Strong are edgy enough to elicit any sort of emotional response - they lack electricity and an overall presence.Ĭomplex production values are obviously the major selling point here, and the money scenes are certainly lively… and pricey. Show’s ultimate themes are acceptance, tolerance and an inner peace that one obtains from living among diversity, but the initial connection is more like something from the cheeky 1970s fave “Land of the Lost.” That’s not to say that director Thomas Wright hasn’t created an appropriate atmosphere - his approach to the material is earthy and basic rather than highfalutin or stodgy - but Raymond Khoury’s teleplay is plain.Īs for the players, there are hits (Rylance is gorgeous and mysterious) and misses (Caster is completely miscast as a Brooklyn-esque whiner). Rex, a bust that portends nonstop trouble.įor all of its visual goodies - the Halmis have revved up the special f/x motor - there’s a definite soul mislaid.

In the meantime, a hunting team on the outskirts discovers an iconic statue of a T. Throughout the municipality, sunstones that are meant to stave off the evil Tyrannosaurus Rex population have been malfunctioning, so the mayor orders an evacuation. His sib, David (Shiloh Strong), is a curly-haired do-gooder enrolled in Skybax, a military training unit meant to protect and serve.Ĭompetitive to the max, they both seek the approval of dad Frank (Michael Brandon), who feels guilty that his plane crash landed them in this mess, and the love of Marion (Georgina Rylance), a princess whose father, Mayor Waldo (Jonathan Hyde), presides over Waterfall City and whose mother, Rosemary (Sophie Ward), has earned the public’s respect.ĭebut places the Scotts in the middle of a potential catastrophe. Karl (Erik von Detten) is a squinty-eyed hunk who’s been assigned to a hatchery to look after a newborn Chemosaurus. Stranded on an island on which dinosaurs and humans peacefully co-exist, the Scott brothers must find ways to make the most of a strange situation. The cast is new, but the idea is the same.

Dinotopia movie watch