Dinotopia

Seems like I'm one of the few that liked the miniseries better than the actual TV series...

Gripe One: Complete change of cast for the main (human) characters. BAD idea! The original actors showed enough potential in the miniseries that I would have liked to see them grow into their roles.

Gripe Two: Only minimal tie-in with, or continuation of, the story put forth in the miniseries.

Gripe Three: The replacement "actors" couldn't act to save their own lives.

Gripe Four: The writing stank.

I think it would have been a much more interesting story if the island's location had been revealed somehow (perhaps by the ELT -- Emergency Locator Transmitter -- in the plane going off), and the lead characters had to -- somehow -- convince whoever came tracking the thing not to expose the place to the world. Granted, you could only do that in one or two episodes, but I still would have liked to have seen it.

Sorry, gang. I have to give this one two thumbs down, and breathe a sigh of relief that it was put out of its misery after, what, about six episodes?

Dinotopia the series was a short lived TV show that followed the 6 hour mini series. New actors portrayed the characters from the MS, and what a good call. It was a refreshing show for me to watch. Decent story lines, and Dino FX and good acting from actors that had solid experience in the industry, made this show slightly addictive. Shame it was cancelled after only 13 episodes. We have so many police dramas and reality TV that it was good to get lost for an hour or so. It reminded me slightly of Land of the Lost, and as I have a fascination with dinosaurs, I was hooked. Lisa Zane as LeSage was sexy and so much fun. Why cant shows like this last for a few seasons? Have we lost our innocence and imagination that much?

I was glad to see the human story is as prominent as the Scifi/Fantasy element in this continuation of last season's miniseries. The cast has been replaced for the weekly series, apparently to good effect. I especially like Shiloh Strong as David, the more responsible of the two brothers. There's an unreal quality to the effects--though I don't know the degree to which it can be explained by my own knowledge of the processes involved or whether my senses are reacting to direct evidence. Special effects are both better and worse since they have come to depend so heavily on computer-generated images.

If the creative forces behind the series have mapped their strategy carefully, this could become a classic; unfortunately, it has little chance to last beyond its maiden season. An effects-laden show like "Dinotopia" is much more expensive than a typical series, and it's highly unlikely to attract blockbuster ratings which would be necessary to justify the expense.

Dinotopia is a fun and new series. It is not another knock-off like so many of the other programs broadcasted today. Dinotopia's premise supports the idea that a multi-cultural society can live and thrive in harmony. The eclectic scenery and costumes really support the multi-cultural aspect of Dinotopia. I was originally worried about the change of the cast from a miniseries to a regular series but I feel the actors have secured their own places in their Dinotopia roles. I have not read the books yet but after seeing the series, I'm interested in reading them. I would like to address the other users comments about the possible doom of this series. Dinotopia's doom will not be from the shows lack of success. It will be because the local stations have pigeonholed the program. Dinotopia in our area was repeatedly exempted for sporting events and Christmas specials.

Beautiful production and striking set pieces do little to raise this clumsy drama to any level of worthiness. With a laughable script and cheesy acting, so much visual inventiveness has been squandered. How unfortunate that the hackneyed and stilted story centres on the two bratty brothers rather than the rich and well conceived culture in which they find themselves.

All a bit of a wasted opportunity I'm afraid. Effects do not validate an otherwise tedious experience.