Review: THE LAST DINOSAUR (1977)

If I keep adding movies to THE LIST, I don't know how we'll finish.

This rewind is to The Last Dinosaur (1977).



(Note: GIF may not be from The Last Dinosaur.)

I'll go first:

A co-production between Rankin/Bass (yes, the classic Christmas special people) and Tsuburaya Productions, Last Dinosaur is pretty straightforward.  At first. 

A crazed millionaire big-game hunter also happens to be an oil baron thanks to polar exploration.  One such expedition finds dinosaurs and we're all set to think that this guy is ready to go hunting for a Tyrannosaurus. 

It takes a turn, though, and not one I saw coming.  Yes, they find dinosaurs, pterosaurs and a large extinct mammal, but their capsule goes missing and they end up living there.  For months. 

It's a twist, but it gets boring.  Sure, there are some cavemen to scare off a few times and the tyrannosaur shows up a few times, but it's just dull.  Then a couple of the people decide to leave once they find the capsule.  But not the rich hunter guy.  He decides to stay to kill the "last dinosaur," and, thanks to Nancy Wilson's singing, we understand that he, too, is the "last dinosaur." 

Because it's a Japanese co-production, the dinosaurs are realized thanks to guys in suits.  Yes, they look goofy and cheap.  What did you expect?   

Complaints?  For a wartime photographer, Joan Van Ark's character seems awfully prone to cliché accidents and she doesn't take many pictures.  The cavemen don't pose much of a threat.  The borer capsule seems mighty small and light.  Richard Boone (Have Gun, Will Travel), who plays the rich hunter, seems prone to vocal volume control issues and bursts of anger for no apparent reason.  My biggest problem with the movie is actually part of his character: they can't seem to find a pair of sunglasses that fit his face: 

 

The Last Dinosaur ... this was probably a waste of time.  0.5 out of five atomic breath blasts.

My son's turn:

Well, this one is Horrible because there are multiple Dinosaurs,so it's not The Last Dinosaur.  And the special effects suck.  And the charcters are annoying. 

So, rating wise i'll say 1.22234 out of 5 Atomic Farts of Awfulness

Here's the whole dang movie (at least kick it up to the 2:30 mark so you can hear Heart's Nancy Wilson sing the title song):



Up next, Garuda.

(GIF from foodlegs)