Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21125 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-06-04
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Dutch
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 63 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Ballad of Big Al manages the tricky feat of making the viewer feel concern--even sympathy--for a 10m-long, razor-fanged carnivorous predator, an Allosaurus from 145,000,000 years ago. That it does so without resorting to Disney tactics makes its achievement all the more admirable--despite the title, these creatures thankfully don't even speak, let alone sing. In fact, Big Al scores precisely because it takes a resolutely low-key, restrained and intelligent approach to a subject that can all too often end up being sentimentalised.

The programme contains two separate half-hour segments originally transmitted as Walking With Dinosaurs "specials" The first is a biopic of Big Al, the allosaurus whose remarkably complete skeleton, found in Wyoming in 1991, allowed scientists to piece together an accurate picture of the creature's life. We follow Al from his hatching out of an egg, then at regular stages through his development into an almost fully grown adult. Almost being the operative word since, since after suffering a series of injuries Al becomes too ill to hunt and suffers an arbitrary, unspectacular demise (all the more believable and touching for it) in late adolescence.

The second programme is a "making of" documentary, showing how scientists analysed Al's bones and came up with a plausible series of adventures for him. It's easy to forget that these recreations can only be educated supposition--the camerawork and narration (by Kenneth Branagh) exactly mimic actual wildlife documentaries about living species, while the computer-generated depiction of the dinosaurs is never less than utterly convincing. We're in danger of taking this kind of dazzling FX work for granted, but Big Al freshens it up by putting it at the service of a well-structured, very specific narrative.

The programme doesn't hold back on realities of the Jurassic period's harsh, kill-or-be-killed ecosystem, but while it carries an official warning about "mild wildlife horror", Big Al sensibly never dwells on the gory stuff. The most graphic section is also, strangely, the most alluring, as a hungry pack of Allosaurs patiently stalk a herd of colossal Diplodocus across a dry salt lake. The images of these enormous creatures trotting and lumbering along against a stark white background have a surreal, dreamy beauty--the spell abruptly broken when an ailing Diplodocus collapses, exhausted, and the ravenous Allosaurs quickly move in for their bloody feast. --Neil Young

Video Description
DVD Special Features:

Animated Menus
Scene Selection
Photo Gallery
Storyboard Comparison

Synopsis
This WALKING WITH DINOSAURS special uses advanced computer animation to bring a 145-million-year-old dinosaur to life on the screen. Found in Wyoming, USA, the creature, dubbed Big Al, was discovered as a nearly complete skeleton. The viewer can follow Big Al from birth to death, as he struggles to survive in a harsh environment populated by relentless predators. A second programme focuses on the amazing discovery of Big Al's remains.

Customer Reviews

The BBC pulls off another dinosaur coup!
If you enjoyed the "Walking with Dinosaurs" series you will want to buy this superb disc. The dinosaurs look great, well animated and the photography/CGI is superbly composed. Sound effects are beautifully executed and there's a great soundtrack throughout. The scene in which a pack of Allosaurs hunt a Diplodocus herd is breathtaking. The supporting documentary is very good too. All in all a great value DVD that you'll want to watch more than once or twice.

Jurassic Lions
A continuation of the BBC special "Walking With Dinosaurs." This episode depicts the life of a carnivorous dinosaur, Allosaurus [otherwise known as the lion of the Jurassic period], from its birth to its demise. This video makes a great addition to your Walking with Dinosaurs collection.

Not quite enough...
Being a fan of Walking With Dinosaurs and Walking With Beasts, I decided to buy this special as well. Even though it's quite nice and of a similar high standard as the other series, I wasn't quite satisfied by this product. The reason is just as simple as it is blunt: there is not quite enough product for your money. Considering the full Walking With Dinosaurs series retails at a similar price nowadays, you'd expect a bit more from this DVD. But having said that, I did enjoy the DVD and don't regret buying it! :)