The Last Dinosaur

The Last Dinosaur was one of those "out of nowhere" movie-of-the-week films in the 1970's that was pretty exciting for the time especially to fans of Japanese Tokusatsu films. Originally slated for a theatrical release (around when the Dino King Kong was out in the previous December) it was suddenly pulled and made into a Friday Night ABC Movie of The Week. Rankin Bass-who were no strangers to Japanese co-productions were the guns behind this production, co-produced with Tsuburaya Productions of Japan-the people who brought us Ultraman in various forms. Starring mostly an American cast including the late Richard Boone, Joan Van Ark and the late Steven Keats, it told the tale of a prehistoric pocket of time in what was a superheated volcanic caldera somewhere at the frozen arctic circle, containing dinosaurs. It plays a lot like the films The Land Unknown(1956) and The Land That Time Forgot(1975) in feel and pace. Sure the dinosaurs were guys in suits(A Triceratops with front knees!) but they were filmed in such a way, the music and score was so well done, and the cast did a fine job that this didn't matter much to many of us brought up on Godzilla. The film has a lot of class to it, from the opening score by Nancy Wilson "The Last Dinosaur" to the overall "big" feeling of the film-the locations at hot springs in Northern Japan were excellent and lush- and the undeniable feeling of Kaiju Eiga to it. There are some amazing set pieces-the T-Rex's "bone yard" and a tracking shot that takes us deep into the jungle to see the T-Rex eat a giant fish from a stream. Tsuburaya's FX people did their job in style here and aside from a few dodgy matte shots, they do their job well. This film is considered the best 1970's "kaiju" film from Japan, even over the five Godzilla films made during that decade. Rankin Bass did several other co-productions with Tsuburaya providing the creatures or miniatures- The Bermuda Depths(1978) and The Ivory Ape(1980)-but neither measured up to the epic look of this film.

The same year that George Lucas and his team developed groundbreaking special effects to bring audiences bizarre alien creatures and dramatic space battles in Star Wars, this US/Japanese co-production settled for far less advanced techniques to bring its dinosaurs to life, making it an embarrassingly clunky, yet still rather charming addition to the Lost World genre. Rivalling The Land That Time Forgot (1974) for worst movie dinosaurs of the decade, The Last Dinosaur features Tokusatsu-style men-in-rubber-suit monsters that are wholly unconvincing, but which will undoubtedly hold much appeal for fans of all things kaiju (the film's T-Rex even sounds like Godzilla).

Richard Boone stars as Masten Thrust, the wealthiest man in the world (but still unable to hire a decent graphic designer to make his company a decent logo), who leads an expedition to a lost world in the polar region, where he hopes to find a living Tyrannosaurus Rex. Joining him on the journey into the unknown are geologist Chuck Wade (Steven Keats), scientist Dr. Kawamoto (Tetsu Nakamura), photographer Francesca Banks (Joan Van Ark) and brave Masai tracker Bunta (Luther Rackley). After navigating their way to the prehistoric land in a laser borer craft, the team are attacked by a tribe of savage cavemen and face danger from a T-Rex that steals their transport and stomps their camp.

Entertaining for its sheer silliness, The Last Dinosaur features unrealistic miniatures, a laughably bad Pteranodon that endlessly circles the sky, and a triceratops that somehow conceals itself in a rock face to launch a surprise attack on the T-Rex. Other dumb moments include Francesca unknowingly standing on the back of a giant turtle, the T-rex stealthily sneaking up on its victims unheard, Masten ordering Bunta to find 200 yards of tough vine (that's 600ft, or 182 metres, but the ever resourceful Bunta comes through), the T-Rex being yanked off its feet by a tumbling boulder (attached to the dinosaur by that tough vine!), the speedy construction of a massive medieval-style catapult (I'm still not sure where that axe came from), and Chuck and Francesca miraculously transporting the steel (so presumably extremely heavy) borer over land to re-launch it in a lake.

5/10 - it's silly, it's stupid, it's technically inept, but it's also quite fun as a result.

Stupidly beautiful. This movie epitomizes the 'so bad it's good' genre of films.

The only two talents in it are Richard Boone and Joan van Ark, and only Boone is any good. It's kind of sad that the man who rose to fame as Paladin should wind up in this ugly pile of celluloid. While he turns in a fantastic performance, I couldn't help but feel that he so outclassed all his fellow actors in this piece that he shouldn't even have been there.

The effects in this film are laughable, but fun. The idea of a dinosaur being buried in the wall of a cave and suddenly coming to life is B-movie gold. When the 'triceratops' gets killed, watch how it falls. It's clear that the stunt performer in the FRONT of the costume knows the timing best. He falls to the ground, well before the back half of the dinosaur follows suit.

Speaking of 'suits', there is nothing good to say about the purple tyrannosaur, in this flick. It seems to have some kind of stealth technology, since Bunta (reputed to be the best tracker in the world) twice fails to notice it until it's within biting range of him. I don't know how all the prints are, but in the version I own, the Tyranno's roar contains Godzilla's trademark bellow.

This is loads of fun, to watch, if you like bad movies. I love them, and especially bad monster movies, so I consider this the gem of my collection. If bad movies are your thing, definitely get this one.

This one is just impossible to rate. I liked it; but I don't know why.

The dinosaur effects work is mostly terrible, and Tsuburaya should be ashamed of that T-Rex; although the man-in-a-suit Triceratops is ambitious and interesting, and the charge of the primitive mammal is beautifully done.

So why did they put those big, puppy-dog eyes on that T-Rex?

The overall story is above average for a 70s made-for-TV. I really liked Richard Boone as the world's wealthiest man. He was playing a kind of cross between Hugh Heffner (in later years) and Teddy Roosevelt! The writing actually manages a rather poignant touch at the film's close. It was an unexpected ending.

i was 9 when i first saw this on TV. on a Friday night. i remember the full page ad in the TV guide with the picture of the Rex. amazing how some things stick in your mind after 30 years. Anyway if your a kid who likes monster movies this one is entertaining enough especially with boone and Keats raging at each other. Special effects are no harryhausen but its worth the hour and a half if you find it somewhere on late night TV. Haven't seen it in a few years for some reason these classics fade from cable TV. If you do catch it on late night don't be too critical just grab some snacks and enjoy it. it might be cheesy but i thought it was a lot better than the kong remake that came out in the theaters a year before.