The Ballad of Big Al

This special contains all of the things that made Walking with Dinosaurs so revolutionary: it's brilliant storytelling, poetic narration, exhilarating and gorgeous soundtrack, great atmosphere, exemplary animation, and amazing authentic documentary-making. As such, Ballad of Big Al is also a masterpiece, and since this was made a year later and production probably lasted longer on this special then it did for each individual episode of WWD, it looks even more polished when it comes to the visuals, having better animatronics and an improved Allosaurus model from the original series, one that not only looks more aesthetically pleasing (not that the one from the original series looked bad though) but more scientifically accurate (it's almost as if they come hand in hand...). It's easily one of the best depiction of Allosaurus in any media, and is probably one of the best reconstructions of an animal in the entire Walking with Series.

The special tells the story of the life of an individual Allosaurus known from a very complete specimen nicknamed "Big Al". We see his entire life from when he first hatched to his unfortunate young death. A standout scene is the Battle of the Salt Plains in which the Allosaurus gang up to isolate a weak and sick Diplodocus from its herd. Everything from the magnificent camera work to the incredible soundtrack is awe-inspiring and masterful. From beginning to end, Ballad of Big Al is riveting, exciting, and actually makes you sympathize with it's main character, just like the best the Walking with Series has to offer, and this definitely is among them.

This was alot of effort to make these two 30 minute episodes. Simply something we would not get anymore. Smashing documentary that any dinosaur fan should watch. Great technology on the show to make not only the TV show but to also document the fossils. A really is a must-watch show.

This sequel of sorts does the original series proud, with Kenneth Branagh as narrator. As with _Walking With Dinosaurs (1999) (TV)_, the dinos are mostly CGI, with the use of puppetry for close ups.

The advancement of Tim Haines' skill is obvious, with freer moving cameras, highlighted by Al's Fifth Year, in which a pack of allosaurs break up a diplodicus herd to get at a sick member. It's truly exciting, with a rousing score by Ben Bartlett, and excellent motion camerawork.

The discovery of Big Al, the "star" of the show, in 1999 couldn't have come at a better time, coinciding with the debut of _Walking With Dinosaurs (1999) (TV)_ in the U.K. - a follow-up was an obvious choice, especially since Allosaurs made their presence felt in the chapter "Time of the Titans" as well as "Spirits of the Ice Forest". This also gave viewers a chance to see more of Brachiosaurus, which only made a brief cameo in the original series, as well as some dinos not seen, like Apatosaurus.

Later in 2001 will see the debut of Walking with Prehistoric Creatures, and with the high video and aural quality of the Allosaurus special, it's warmly welcomed.

The DVD features an excellent documentary on the discovery of Big Al, and at a retail price of $19.99, getting both Allosaurus and the documentary is a real steal.

The Ballad of Big Al is really the follow-up that greatly increases the class of "Walking with Dinosaurs".

Big Al MUST be seen in combination with the second part of the special (The Science of Big Al). This way you at last get an idea of what clues we have on Dinosaurs and how the clues have been put together to get an idea of how the Dinosaurs might have lived.

Using the clues found within the skeleton of an Allosaurus (Big Al), the team has put together something like "This is your life", Big Al. Big Al is born, grows up, hunts and dies. Although the story is (of course) only speculation, it is very interesting and put together with a lot of love. Unlike the series (Walking with Dinosaurs), the Ballad of Big Al really tells the viewer that this is only an assumption of Big Al's life while also letting the viewer in on many of the key reasons for this assumption.

All in all this is a great follow-up. It's just too bad that "Walking with Dinosaurs" didn't have more of Big Al and the qualities of the follow-up.

This is without doubt one of the very best documentaries have ever seen. The Ballad of Big Al is a follow-up or extra episode for Walking With Dinosaurs. It describes the life of a particularly big Allosaurus, called Big Al, from the point where it hatches to it's death.

The amazing CGI seen in Walking With Dinosaurs was even better in The Ballad of Big Al. This documentary is missing absolutely nothing. It has breath-taking scenes as well as suspenseful and terrifying moments. I found myself often at the edge of my seat.

The story was well thought out and directed very nicely. The music and sound effects were top notch. Overall there are no real flaws in this documentary. There are absolutely no boring parts.

If you have the slightest interest in dinosaurs this documentary will definitely greatly satisfy you.

My Rating: 9.8/10