Last May, ABC captured the imagination of viewers with the "Dinotopia" miniseries, which presented dinosaurs as still in existence and able to speak English. Now brothers Karl and David are back with their dino-sidekicks Zippo and Twenty-six in the new weekly series "Dinotopia."
The series begins with Karl claiming he's had a weird dream. He tells David of how they were in a plane crash and washed ashore an uncharted island where dinosaurs freely roam and help run a utopian society. David quickly reminds him that it wasn't a dream, but their life for the past several weeks. The dream is supposed to remind viewers of everything that happened in the six-hour miniseries that aired in the spring.
Those folks who missed the miniseries, though, might be a a little confused by the many characters and the lifestyle in Waterfall City.
The dinosaurs are fascinating to watch and seem very real. Some are frightening and may be too much for small children to watch. Others, like Zippo, appear to be almost cuddly. Like the miniseries, the dinosaurs are the best part of the show. Unfortunately, they have to share the screen with humans.
New actors have been hired to play the brothers. Erik von Detten takes over the role of Karl while Shiloh Strong portrays David. Both look very young, almost too young to be a Skybax pilot and compete for the attentions of Marion (Georgina Rylance), the mayor's daughter.
The brothers are well-known throughout Waterfall City for their exploits in saving the precious sunstones, which are the force of life in Dinotopia. They are adjusting to life in the strange city, although their father, Frank (Michael Brandon), dreams of returning home
Not everyone on "Dinotopia" is a genteel peace-lover like Marion and her family. A group of Outsiders stumble upon an abandoned cave as they try to escape the jaws of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. They find a mysterious green pendant that one of them decides to keep, which wreaks havoc on the rest of the island.
Apparently, the pendant overrides the sunstone powers and allows the T-Rex to roam freely into the cities. It is up to the brothers to stop the Outsiders and return the pendant before the man-eating T-Rexes devour the civilians.
"Dinotopia" offers an interesting view of a foreign civilization. The quaint society prefers a dress style reminiscent of the Middle Ages, and fights with primitive weapons, although they prefer not to resort to violence. The lack of guns and car chases will be a change for viewers who are used to more violent fare. Viewers are even spared the sights and sounds of dinosaurs eating people. You know it's happening, but thankfully, you don't have to watch it.
For an action-adventure series, there's not much action and the stories are predictable. The brothers will always be heroes and their dad will always be trying to scheme his way off the island.
Hopefully, the dinosaurs will play more of a role in future episodes. After all, they are what separates "Dinotopia" from other dramas and why people will watch the show.
"Dinotopia" premieres Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. on ABC
