<br /><br />Apparently, Disney has the technology and the money to make the most digitally enhanced movie we have ever seen. In the first five minutes of "Dinosaur," Disney tries to impress us by showing everything they can do with their computer generated effects. And let's face it, that's the only reason we saw this movie in the first place (at least those of us without kids).<br /><br />But it's not the special effects that make a great "special effects" movie, and in the long run, "Dinosaur" will be forgotten among such landmark films as "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Star Wars," "Jurassic Park," and "Toy Story." These movies combined creative ideas with special effects, and are now lodged in our cultural memory.<br /><br />"Dinosaur" exhibits no creative thought. It's pretty much the same story as "The Land Before Time," only this go-round we're dealing with digital dinosaurs. Beyond being unoriginal, the story is weak: it's about a herd of dinosaurs trying to find their "nesting area." Everything that happens along the way has been done before and done better. Even the celebrity voices suck (D.B. Sweeney?). Particularly bad is the comic relief, which comes in the form of horny, yet unattractive monkey (I know it sounds funny, but it never is). The movie is oddly short (about 75-80 minutes), for which I suppose we should be thankful.<br /><br />One comment about the special effects: they're great, but are they any more "realistic" than "Jurassic Park's" dinosaurs? Spielberg wanted to show us what dinosaurs actually looked like millions of years ago. In "Dinosaur," we see a bunch of generic dinosaurs who make ridiculous facial expressions. The monkeys also make crazy faces from time to time. My point here is that while the animals certainly don't look like cartoons, they don't look "realistic" either.<br /><br />Bottom line: "Dinosaur" is as interesting and creative as its title. Most people won't like it, with the exception of kids who get caught up in the craziness. Parents should note that this is not a traditional family movie (it's rated PG for violence). Hopefully, in the next couple of years, studios will use the technology of "Dinosaur" to make quality movies that we'll enjoy after the first five minutes.