When I bought, payed for and viewed Carnosaur, I took into account its budget limitations, it was, after all, made possible by legendary 'B' movie producer Roger Corman. I also tried my hardest not to make too many comparisons between this film and the mega-budget Jurassic Park, despite more than a few nods made to the movie in the script ("It would make a great theme park!", Diane Ladd being the mother of Laura Dern, a main cast member in Jurassic Park and a cool-acting cop who seemed to be modelling himself on Samuel L Jacksons role.)
In 'B' movie standards, this film should rate quite highly (I'm sure its Oscar material compared to the later 'B' flick 'Dinosaur Island', and at least this film generates a bit of an effort, some of the supposed 'great' films out there have a far higher budget and still fare worse than Carnosaur.
The narrative is simple: a mad scientist develops mutant chicken eggs that hatch deadly dinosaurs that grow big! Small dinosaurs escape, multiply and kill whilst a suspicious virus takes its toll on a quiet town. Much of the plot is interspersed with boring, confusing and sometimes irrelevant, badly scripted dialogue between second-rate characters. Diane Ladd, who plays the crazy scientist, brings the movie up a few pegs and one wishes her part was a little larger.
The actual dinosaurs render the whole film comedic as they resemble plastic models one plays with as a child. I couldn't help thinking that a dinosaur toy was being filmed in close-up! The dreary Nevada setting doesn't add any interest to the movie and the blatant Coca-Cola sponsorship just gets annoying! For comedy, there is a giant T Rex kept amongst lasers in a basement and a scene showing Diane Ladd trying to lay an egg before attempting Cesarean section and encountering her own 'Alien' style John Hurt moment!
Overall, this film has a good idea but fails to develop it. Diane Ladd's attempt to recover a lush, earthly environment seems admirable and is far away from her counterpart Richard Attenborough's vision in Jurassic Park. If the film was made with a better script, a larger collection of good actors' and a better setting it could do a lot better. If, however, you enjoy watching opulent, expensive and technically excellent films-this movie will only serve to put you off your food...especially eggs!
In 'B' movie standards, this film should rate quite highly (I'm sure its Oscar material compared to the later 'B' flick 'Dinosaur Island', and at least this film generates a bit of an effort, some of the supposed 'great' films out there have a far higher budget and still fare worse than Carnosaur.
The narrative is simple: a mad scientist develops mutant chicken eggs that hatch deadly dinosaurs that grow big! Small dinosaurs escape, multiply and kill whilst a suspicious virus takes its toll on a quiet town. Much of the plot is interspersed with boring, confusing and sometimes irrelevant, badly scripted dialogue between second-rate characters. Diane Ladd, who plays the crazy scientist, brings the movie up a few pegs and one wishes her part was a little larger.
The actual dinosaurs render the whole film comedic as they resemble plastic models one plays with as a child. I couldn't help thinking that a dinosaur toy was being filmed in close-up! The dreary Nevada setting doesn't add any interest to the movie and the blatant Coca-Cola sponsorship just gets annoying! For comedy, there is a giant T Rex kept amongst lasers in a basement and a scene showing Diane Ladd trying to lay an egg before attempting Cesarean section and encountering her own 'Alien' style John Hurt moment!
Overall, this film has a good idea but fails to develop it. Diane Ladd's attempt to recover a lush, earthly environment seems admirable and is far away from her counterpart Richard Attenborough's vision in Jurassic Park. If the film was made with a better script, a larger collection of good actors' and a better setting it could do a lot better. If, however, you enjoy watching opulent, expensive and technically excellent films-this movie will only serve to put you off your food...especially eggs!