Turok, Son of Stone

This animated action/adventure film, based on a 1950s-era comic book (revived in the ‘90s) and subsequent videogame series, reflects diverse influences (a wide variety of graphic novels and motion pictures) but maintains fidelity to the original source material. Turok is a prehistoric warrior who, seeking revenge for the slaughter of his tribe, journeys to the fabled Lost Land, where he battles man-eating dinosaurs and savage cave dwellers. That's the basic outline, although the film features some serious plot holes, and a lot of carnage. The DVD back cover warning—that the film contains graphic violence and is “suitable for mature audiences only”—is quite accurate as viewers will see limbs hacked, animals mutilated, and heads split, among other bits of grisly mayhem. Genius Products, in conjunction with Turok rights holder Classic Media, is releasing this DVD as part of a multimedia reinvigoration of the franchise to tie in with the recent release of the new first-person shooter videogame Turok. Obviously aimed at adolescent males (there's just not enough smart storytelling here to attract adults), this old-style-Saturday-morning-cartoon-level animated film is supplemented with a pair of DVD extras: an unexceptional commentary track and a background featurette on the Turok property. Not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (E. Hulse)