Verdict
Summary
Jerry Goldsmith’s score is outstanding. Kino’s new release looks better than all previous releases. On the downside it may be too scary and intense for kids. It has a grimy Eurotrash element that might appeal to exploitation fans.
Review: Touchstone Pictures released this uncomfortable jungle adventure about a trio of Brontosaurus dinosaurs living in the midst of Africa. Paleontologists William Katt and Sean Young play a married couple whose boss (Patrick McGoohan) gets wind of the existence of the Brontosauruses, and he bribes an army of cutthroats to guide him to them and capture them, stopping at nothing – including betraying his subordinates – to lay claim to the Jurassic treasures.
Emulating the winning formulas of films like E.T. and Romancing the Stone, this odd hybrid manages to be extra violent and “cute” in turn. We watch as one of the dinosaurs is slaughtered, and the “Baby” brontosaurus cries as it approaches its dead parent. Katt and Young have a mostly chaste relationship on screen, and they become overly attached and sentimental towards the treasure of the film, the “Baby” creature. What we never learn is where the dinosaurs came from or how they’ve managed a secret existence up to the time and events presented in the film, but therein lies the fantasy element. Not really an “adventure” as advertised, Baby has an unshakable Eurotrash element that dominates the proceedings: native nudity, grimy and bloody special effects, and an overall sense of oddness give the film a weird cult-ish quality. Jerry Goldsmith’s superior score doesn’t kick in until more than 20 minutes into the film, and it immensely helps to make the picture seem more mainstream. I saw it in theaters in 1985, and it scarred me as a child.
Kino Lorber’s new Blu ray is a bit more impressive looking than the previous release from Echo Bridge. New features include an interview star William Katt, and a new interview with director Bill Norton, as well as 5.1 Surround / 2.o stereo audio, and the theatrical trailer.