Dinosaur George's Guide to Prehistoric Life

As the DVD jacket says “old bones that have been stuck in the ground for millions of years can get a little dry,” but Dinosaur George's Guide to Prehistoric Life brings them to life. Beginning at the dawn of time, Texas paleontology expert "Dinosaur George" Blasing explains that life on our planet started in a sort of primordial soup (which is followed with a shot of a soup line filled with his colleagues on the bone dig) about three billion years ago and eventually evolved into all sorts of wonderful living creatures, including us humans. In quickly-paced, interesting, and scientifically accurate vignettes, Blasing illustrates the relationships between the fossil record and contemporary lifeforms, pointing out that some plants and animals (including horseshoe crabs, sea urchins, frogs, and some turtles) are virtually unchanged from their ancient origins. Of course, the main attraction here is the Jurassic-era giant dinosaurs, such as the 10-ton plant eater diplodocus, and the 45-foot-tall (and anything but slow--its birdlike anatomy indicated a fast-moving killing machine) T-rex, which boasted foot-long teeth (George describes the carnivore as a “six-ton bird with an attitude”). DVD extras include a blooper reel, slideshow, and host biography. Sure to be a huge hit with dino fans young and old, this informative and entertaining production is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: E, I, J, P. (C. Block)