By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
November 13, 1998
The three-dimensional Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs in “T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous” look like they could throttle the dickens out of the ones depicted in “Jurassic Park.” The visuals in “T-Rex” are so amazing that a story line isn’t even necessary. But the screenwriters came up with a plot that – while not totally original – works as an effective tool to educate viewers as it entertains.
Our heroine, Ally Hayden (Liz Stauber), yearns to go on a real dinosaur dig with her paleontologist father (Peter Horton of “thirtysomething”). Instead, she has to be satisfied guiding museum tours.
One day, she drops what could be a Tyrannosaurus egg, cracking it. When fumes start rising, she franctically searches the museum for her father. But as she walks around, Ally becomes immersed in another world where the exhibits come to life.
Finally she gets to experience firsthand the world of an extinct era.
It doesn’t matter whether Ally is just a nervous kook or highly imaginative young woman. Each delusional experience leads her from one adventure to another – each more exciting than the other.
The beauty of an IMAX 3-D experience is that theatergoers get caught up in the drama, even though they know it’s only a movie. Once we strap those high-tech 3-D goggles onto our heads, we become part of the experience. So when a piece of stone appears to hurl toward us, we instinctively flinch. And when one of the stars gets lost in a forest, we reach out to “touch” the tree branches that aren’t actually there.
This movie is rated G, but some of the footage may startle youngsters. Simply put, they are the most realistic, in-your-face creatures to hit the screen.
