Dinosaur Cove * An Enthralling Adventure Film With A Simple, Yet Sweet Plot And High-Quality Cinematography
Dinosaur Cove is a family adventure film about a boy who discovers dinosaur eggs and must protect them from a crazy scientist.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, “Dinosaur Cove is an enthralling adventure film with a simple, yet sweet plot and high-quality cinematography. It’s a superb family-friendly film and will certainly entertain dinosaur-lovers!” Maica N. adds, “Who doesn’t love a good dinosaur story? Dinosaur Cove is here to entertain you and widen your imagination. With a fun mystery, interesting characters, and a surprising twist, this movie will have you wondering… could dinosaurs still exist?”
Kendall B. wraps it up with, “Something about this film that really sticks out is the songs. I love their poetic lyrics and the melodies are great too. The scenery and cinematography is really beautiful, specifically the shots of ocean. I love the scene when the dad is driving his boat, because the water looks amazing.” See their full reviews below.
Dinosaur Cove
By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16
Dinosaur Cove is an enthralling adventure film with a simple, yet sweet plot and high-quality cinematography. It’s a superb family-friendly film and will certainly entertain dinosaur-lovers!
The film follows Riley Harrison (Brayden Eaton), an adventurous young boy. Riley discovers pteranodon eggs in the town where his grandfather lives, aptly named Dinosaur Cove. With the help of Dr. Theresa Starr (Holly Houk), he must protect them from a mad scientist named Dr. Victor Vandersaurian (James Pilachowski) and get them to safety. Throughout his journey, he strengthens old bonds, especially with his writer father Wyatt Harrison (Jared Withrow), whom he has grown distant from after his mother’s passing.
Director Daniel Knudsen hits another home run with Dinosaur Cove. It’s evident he’s coached the talented actors very well — they deliver dialogues naturally and emote organically. The script by Derrick Steele is also wonderful; there are no stilted scenes where dialogue feels unnatural. I also love Knudsen’s cameo in the film as egg expert Terrance Walker. The cinematography is incredible and I especially love the ending shot of pteranodons flying across the horizon at sunset. It’s easy for a romantic subplot to be underdeveloped in an indie film, but the subtle romance between Wyatt Harrison and Dr. Theresa Starr is one of the most heartwarming parts of the film and provides for superb character development, especially in the case of Wyatt, who is recovering from the loss of his wife just a year ago. Jared Withrow and Holly Houk do justice to their roles.
Dinosaur Cove promotes always doing the right thing, even if no one is watching. It also emphasizes teamwork and protecting the vulnerable. It truly is a film with great, family-friendly messages.
I give Dinosaur Cove 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8-125, plus adults. Dinosaur Cove released on June 1, 2022 on digital.
Dinosaur Cove
Maica N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critics, Age 14
Who doesn’t love a good dinosaur story? Dinosaur Cove is here to entertain you and widen your imagination. With a fun mystery, interesting characters, and a surprising twist, this movie will have you wondering… could dinosaurs still exist?
Dinosaur Cove is about a young boy named Riley (Brayden Eaton) who moves with his dad Jared (Wyatt Harrison) to his grandfather’s house after his mom passes away. While they are there, Jared is busy working on a book and Riley is running into trouble. After seeing something that he thinks is a dinosaur, he has to prove that what he saw was real, and then protect it from an evil scientist.
Although the CGI isn’t the best, it really helps enhance the plot of the movie. The images of the dinosaurs and the eggs allow the viewers to visualize what it would be like to live amongst dinosaurs. There aren’t many dinosaur movies aimed at younger children being released, so Dinosaur Cove is really refreshing. It’s a clean and entertaining movie that kids can enjoy. However, although its focus is younger children, there is a deeper meaning and a thicker storyline as Jared is grieving the loss of his wife and Riley’s mom. It also shows the process of moving on, and how resilience is a key part of life. This creates a part of the story that older audiences may relate to. At some points of the film, the audio track is uneven, which can be distracting. Nevertheless, Dinosaur Cove is a humorous and action packed movie that will be enjoyed by kids and families.
The message of Dinosaur Cove is that being open-minded can lead you to something amazing. If you rule something out too quickly, you could be missing out on a significant opportunity.
I rate Dinosaur Cove 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 11. Dinosaur Cove is available now on Digital, so make sure you check it out!
Dinosaur Cove
By Kendall B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11
Dinosaur Cove is an exhilarating and fun new film that younger children will love! It has great characters and a story that is equally fun. The dinosaurs add the perfect amount of fantasy to the story.
The storyline follows Riley (Brayden Eaton), his dad and his grandpa who have just moved to Dinosaur Cove! As soon as he arrives he finds a creature (a dinosaur) obviously. But the problem is, nobody except for his best friend, Savannah (Addilyn Houk), believes him. Little does he know there’s an evil scientist that wants to capture the dinosaur. Can Riley keep his new friend safe?
Something about this film that really sticks out is the songs. I love their poetic lyrics and the melodies are great too. The scenery and cinematography is really beautiful, specifically the shots of ocean. I love the scene when the dad is driving his boat, because the water looks amazing. But by far my favorite scene is earlier in the film, when one of Riley’s new friends hits a golf ball into a man’s window, hands the golf club to Riley and runs away.
The message of Dinosaur Cove is that teamwork is great. The kids work together in many different situations, but it’s not just the kids. The adults also help out in some circumstances. One thing to be aware of is the use of a tranquilizer gun and the fact that the kids go exploring a lot without telling their parents and, in a few cases, end up in dangerous situations as a result.
I give Dinosaur Cove 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 12. Dinosaur Cove is available now on digital platforms.
