Allosaurus: A Walking with Dinosaurs Special (2000) User Reviews

We've had fun, now comes some information - without being boring.

[Gullytrotter · 9/10 · 10 May 2003]

The Ballad of Big Al is really the follow-up that greatly increases the class of "Walking with Dinosaurs".

Big Al MUST be seen in combination with the second part of the special (The Science of Big Al). This way you at last get an idea of what clues we have on Dinosaurs and how the clues have been put together to get an idea of how the Dinosaurs might have lived.

Using the clues found within the skeleton of an Allosaurus (Big Al), the team has put together something like "This is your life", Big Al. Big Al is born, grows up, hunts and dies. Although the story is (of course) only speculation, it is very interesting and put together with a lot of love. Unlike the series (Walking with Dinosaurs), the Ballad of Big Al really tells the viewer that this is only an assumption of Big Al's life while also letting the viewer in on many of the key reasons for this assumption.

All in all this is a great follow-up. It's just too bad that "Walking with Dinosaurs" didn't have more of Big Al and the qualities of the follow-up.

Walking with dinosaurs episode 7

[tankace · 9/10 · 10 May 2016]

Big Al Ballad is basically an extra episode of the Walking with Dinosaurs mini-series and it focuses on the life time of an Allosaur named Al, the originality in the name just kills me!! Anyway it is a great time revisiting the Late Jurassic and seen in a sense from the point of view of a predator, how was this environment. I love this documentary , because it feels like a 30 short movie with dinosaurs as the main characters and the fact that they made Al just an animal ,which it was and we still rooted for him ,is a sign of how well-made is this episode. Keep in mind that this, about 30 minutes long episode, makes you feel emotions for a creature ,which is dead for about a hundred forty five million year and there are directors today who can not achieve that with trained humans for the job! In the end just add it in your dinosaur documentary collection and show it to your kids.

One of the best out there!

[jurassicsean · 9/10 · 6 June 2018]

This was a staple of my childhood. I watched it just asmich as I did the Jurassic Park and Land Before Time films. It's not just nostalgia that's the reason I like this documentary so much, but it's just a good spinoff of Walking with Dinosaurs.

It has the same style and structure as any episode of the original series would have, which is terrific. It feels like a slightly longer episode of the series, but makntains the feeling of being its own thing.

Unlike the show, this follows only one specific animal throughout. While the show did this as well, it also mixed that in with presenting a lot of other creatures, which is fine, but I'm glad that this one doesn't stick to that formula. This is the Ballad of Big Al, and Big Al is the central focus throughout.

The documentary also does a great job of making you feel simpathetic toward Big Al, which often does not happen since we like to depict carnivorous dinosaurs as ruthless killing machines, and not simpathetic animals. Once Big Al gets injured at the end, and dies just before the wet season returns, you really feel sad for this animal not able to make it long enough.

Overall, this program is a very nice addition to the "Walking with" franchise. It's one of the programs that made me not only love dinosaurs, but made Allosaurus my personal favorite dinosaur.

Amazing

[Terrordar · 10/10 · 7 June 2005]

I was honestly touched by this show, really. Both parts of it, how they entirely made the show in part 2, and the show itself in part 1.

Big Al is an amazing insight into the life of this creature, and what amazes me even more, was that I felt for the creature. I felt as though I was watching its life, and when Al died, I honestly felt bad for how it all ended for him.

I thought it was greatly done, just all in all. visually stunning, extremely informative, and it really does tell a story, a story that seems real.

For making me actually care about this, and for just such beautifully work (scientifically and story-line, which is also technically science :P) I give Big Al a 10/10.

And I'd like to say. Rest in Peace Big Al.

Excellent follow-up

[Jonah14 · 10/10 · 13 May 2001]

This sequel of sorts does the original series proud, with Kenneth Branagh as narrator. As with _Walking With Dinosaurs (1999) (TV)_, the dinos are mostly CGI, with the use of puppetry for close ups.

The advancement of Tim Haines' skill is obvious, with freer moving cameras, highlighted by Al's Fifth Year, in which a pack of allosaurs break up a diplodicus herd to get at a sick member. It's truly exciting, with a rousing score by Ben Bartlett, and excellent motion camerawork.

The discovery of Big Al, the "star" of the show, in 1999 couldn't have come at a better time, coinciding with the debut of _Walking With Dinosaurs (1999) (TV)_ in the U.K. - a follow-up was an obvious choice, especially since Allosaurs made their presence felt in the chapter "Time of the Titans" as well as "Spirits of the Ice Forest". This also gave viewers a chance to see more of Brachiosaurus, which only made a brief cameo in the original series, as well as some dinos not seen, like Apatosaurus.

Later in 2001 will see the debut of Walking with Prehistoric Creatures, and with the high video and aural quality of the Allosaurus special, it's warmly welcomed.

The DVD features an excellent documentary on the discovery of Big Al, and at a retail price of $19.99, getting both Allosaurus and the documentary is a real steal.

Outstanding Documentary

[EugeneandSasha · 10/10 · 3 December 2005]

This is without doubt one of the very best documentaries have ever seen. The Ballad of Big Al is a follow-up or extra episode for Walking With Dinosaurs. It describes the life of a particularly big Allosaurus, called Big Al, from the point where it hatches to it's death.

The amazing CGI seen in Walking With Dinosaurs was even better in The Ballad of Big Al. This documentary is missing absolutely nothing. It has breath-taking scenes as well as suspenseful and terrifying moments. I found myself often at the edge of my seat.

The story was well thought out and directed very nicely. The music and sound effects were top notch. Overall there are no real flaws in this documentary. There are absolutely no boring parts.

If you have the slightest interest in dinosaurs this documentary will definitely greatly satisfy you.

My Rating: 9.8/10

Excellent Documeterary..

[Rattrap007 · 4 February 2002]

I have seen all 3 series of the "Walking with..." specials. They are all high quality and add more of a wild life nature show feel to it than they do a typical boring special on dinos.

Some really cool shots are in this film. For example:

When the baby Al and his siblings are feeding near a creek, we see them jumping up to try and catch dragonflies. One falls into the water. The scene is really cute. Yet also in on scene have a baby Al nip at the camera. This little touch makes this series so well done. Gets you out of the mind set of you are watching fake dinos and for a second makes you feel as though they are real.

Watch all of the Walking With series if you can get the chance.

A+

Time of the Titans: Part 2 - Allosaurus Gets to Step Into the Spotlight

[japamo · 10/10 · 26 June 2012]

As another reviewer has already mentioned, "Allosaurus: A Walking with Dinosaurs Special" (hereafter "Allo") is essentially the seventh episode of that magnificent pseudo-documentary series, and maintains that series lofty production and narrative standards (including retaining Kenneth Branaugh as solemn narrator). I think "Allo" was created in response to some ineffable clamor for carnivore balance. In other words, T-rex had his own episode on "Walking with Dinosaurs"; now it's Allosaurus's turn to shine.

The first 30 minutes of "Allo" chronicles the relatively short but painfully eventful life of an Allosaurus, christened "Big Al". We follow his life from a tiny hatchling to a nearly full-grown subadult. He encounters stegosauruses. He participates in a rousing diplodocus hunt with others of his kind. He attempts to woo a much larger, more mature,and definitely more ferocious female allosaurus. Throughout his life, BigAl was basically the carnivorous dinosaur's answer to Evel Knievel. He suffered bites, scratches, lacerations, and bone dislocations, especially to his feet and legs. The litany of injuries finally takes its toll on Big Al, eventually losing his hunting ability and succumbing to starvation and thirst.

As I was watching "Allo", I was astonished by many things. For example, how did a hatchling the size of a pigeon grow to be a 3-4 ton apex predator? Also, where did Big Al's mother get her maternal instinct, enabling her to protect her brood like a mother crocodile from predators, including, unsuccessfully, against a cannibalistic male allosaurus? How many of Big Al's nest mates survived along with him (probably not too many; allosaurus chicks, like crocodile babies, probably had a very high mortality rate)? Did Allosaurus really cooperate to take down gigantic prey like Diplodocus? Did sexual dimorphism really exist among allosaurs, meaning size differences among the sexes, in this case females larger than males? Some of these questions are addressed in the second 30-minute half of "Allo", where fossil analysis speculates upon Big Al's life and provided inspiration for the first half.

One thing stood out prominently in "Allo": Big Al and his ilk may have been at the top of the food chain during the Jurassic, but their lives were far from easy. Despite their size, allosaurs must have had a tough time against the larger herbivores. As I recall, Big Al meets two stegosauruses but decides not to attack them, probably because of their sharp spiked tails and aggressive posture. During the thrilling diplodocus hunt on the salt flats, it takes three(!) allosauruses, including Big Al several hours to bring down even a sick, overheated member of the herd. Even after they start to consume the multi-ton carcass, a bigger female allosaurus arrives and threatens to claim the kill as her own. Speaking of females, Big Al's clumsy attempt to woo a female allosaurus literally ends in crushing failure. Most importantly, an allosaurus's feet and legs were its fortune; any serious damage to either could spell doom. Big Al breaks one of his middle toes while chasing one of the bipedal, relatively small Dryosaurs - a fatal wound for any hunter, but especially a two-legged one.

Both halves of the "Allo" disk provide intriguing scientific, paleontological, and zoological information about Big Al and his world. Of course, some of this information is speculative, which may put off some viewers, just as it may have done with the "Walking..." series. Also, a few viewers may disapprove of giving a dinosaur a name, as if he were a harmless pet, because it may lessen his dignity. Phffft! I think chances are you will enjoy learning about Big Al's life and death in "Allo". After all, T-rex has had enough press.

Restored my faith in the infamous "terrible lizards"

[walkingwithprimeval · 10/10 · 14 February 2023]

After years and years of being desensitised and not actually caring all that much about dinosaurs anymore, mainly due in part to the mind-numbingly corporate overexposure of them in everyday commercialism living (i.e. Films, books, TV, toys and a heap load of other merchandising content), rewatching this self-contained one-off special of BBC's Walking With... documentaries from 2000 - respectfully titled "The Ballad of Big Al" in honour of the individual - has honestly reminded me why I loved dinosaurs to begin with in the first place; it's because I always enjoyed seeing them when they're naturally portrayed simply as realistic animals, and not movie monsters (might sound weird to some, but it's just my own personal preference).

Despite my resentment of the blockbuster industry meeting consumer demands for manufacturing fictionalised bloodthirsty beasties, it's refreshing to go back and see an actual attempt at producing a dinosaur-themed project that's both accurate and has high-end production values. To put it bluntly, The Ballard of Big Al is topnotch quality in every single way imaginable. It's literally chocked full of enriching educational knowledge regarding natural history and has immensely entertaining scenes that'll leave a lasting impression on you long after your initial viewing (see, this is how "edutainment" SHOULD properly be done). Sure there're a few wonky moments of poor CGI and some of the facts haven't help up as well over the years, but those are just very minuscule nitpick that aren't even worth mentioning (they're petty, really). It's so cram-packed with idealistic displays of everyone's fan-favourite recognisable dinos which are actually appropriate to this specific geological/temporal range (Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus and Stegosaurus) that you could almost describe it as a "Best of the Jurassic Period" complication, if you wanted.

I love how the intro sequence for the beginning has the perfect setting to start things off, located within the exact same natural history museum where the real Big Al specimen is actually housed. It allows you to get a genuine up-close and personal feel for the very essence of this once magnificent creature in action, especially with his majestic presence being felt via witnessing a ghostly image wandering about the place (this is genius atmospheric stuff for putting you in the right mood). And here on out, we see this fine specimen's journey as he grows from a clumsy-weakling babe to an accident-prone teen, perfectly presenting a myriad of notable bumps-&-bruises (a supreme collection of the absolute best skeletal wounds preserved in the fossil record). The speculative scenarios that serve as a likely explanation for how Big Al may have gotten these types of hindering injuries are immensely fascinating, to say the least. This captivating aspect engrosses you to keep on learning more by fully sticking with the programme until it's eventual conclusion (sure gives this colossal fossil poetic justice, putting it eloquently).

Of course, the standout sequence of pure spectacle in the whole entire thing (in regard to its technical filmmaking details; cinematography, effects shots, editing, pacing, sound design and musical score) would without a doubt have to be the sauropod hunt that Al joins in with midway through (not a major spoiler!), as numerous other Allosaurs try and breakup the hurrying herd of beautiful long-necked behemoths (I tend to favour these portrayals the most). I simply adore how for once in a story they don't demonise, vilify or antagonise the meat-eating theropods but instead, feature one as a central character, which only makes me want to root for the big guy even more. But alas, things don't always go swimmingly as life can deal you a bad hand at the worst of times and Al's no exception to this rule because he somehow managed to stumble his unlucky way into more hazardous blunders than possibly any other carnivorous dinosaur ever has done, either before or after him (you can't help but feel bad for the poor predator). It's a fantastically executed underdog plot, making you enthused and intrigued to see this weedy runt of the litter make it through his current plight of horrendous predicaments and successfully mature to adulthood (as told to us through Branagh's gentle narration). And as for when our boy Big Al finally meets his untimely demise, I'm not going to ruin tour experience by saying anything about it anywhere in here (because that would be doing a disservice) but let's just say he succumbs to a rather fitting end as he at least goes out of this world with some shred of his dignity still left intact (almost reminiscent of a tragic hero's character arc).

I'm fully aware how I come off as extremely cynical and pessimistic "dino-hater" with that downer of an opening statement up above, but it's just the cold-hearted truth of my past bitterness. When something's insanely popular and forever being talked about nonstop by the mainstream populous, I think you'd admit and even have to agree that it can get pretty tiresome real fast (similar to "Frozen fatigue" when Disney saturated their IP's brand), especially when it's concerning the hot topic of spreading misinformation in today's world (such as the case with glorifying long-outdated stereotypes and purposefully choosing to ignore more-updated facts, which ARE actually interesting to learn about). Not to sound like a jaded drama queen but it's kind of a little disheartening when you actually think about it, seeing this many people worldwide actively blindsiding real-life science like that, all because they still hunger for the same old big scary killing-machines (that continuously eat people and constantly fight each other all the time) and only want to see the Hollywood conglomeration continue to make THAT sort of stuff. Maybe if I were a young oblivious kid again, then I'd still be suckered into it. But I'm a rational adult now, so its "fantasy" appeal has lost its hold over me since I got a more firm grip on reality.

Instead of showing their willingness to be open-minded and embrace, all they do is demonstrate their reluctance by being incredibly closed-minded on the matter (it's like they're stuck in a rut). I suppose that's the predominant reason for why I lost interest and turned away from the subject in my later life (more rebellious years, going against the popular opinion), deciding then to basically convert my "childhood dino obsession" by investing all that time-&-energy into researching "life after the dinosaurs" instead (just out of spite).

Great dino-mentury

[KoolCatReviews · 9/10 · 3 September 2021]

This was alot of effort to make these two 30 minute episodes. Simply something we would not get anymore. Smashing documentary that any dinosaur fan should watch. Great technology on the show to make not only the TV show but to also document the fossils. A really is a must-watch show.

Good watch for dinosaur fans

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 23 August 2017]

"The Ballad of Big Al" is a 29-minute short film from 2000, so this one will soon have its 20th anniversary. It is an add-on for the television show "Walking with Dinosaurs" from one year earlier and Kenneth Branagh is once again the narrator, at least if you listen to the English version. The focus here is on the ill-fated life of a young allosaurus, so if you see the running time of under half an hour here, you may already guess correctly that it was cut short. Also with basically almost everything in here being fiction about the life of a dinosaur, I also would not really call it a documentary. The fact that they made a connection between a skeleton they found recently and a fictitious character is not enough to say it is a documentary. The name Big Al says it all already. This does not mean it's a weak or even bad film though. I mean 2 Emmy wins and a rating above 8 may be a bit on the exaggerated side, but it was an entertaining half hour with a nicely written fictitious plot. We also learn a bit about what life back then must have been like, so the film also delivers on an educational level. Overall, I give it a thumbs-up and it is certainly worth checking out, almost a must see if you got an above-average interest in dinosaurs.

Just as amazing as Walking with Dinosaurs

[tyrantlizardthad · 10/10 · 19 August 2021]

This special contains all of the things that made Walking with Dinosaurs so revolutionary: it's brilliant storytelling, poetic narration, exhilarating and gorgeous soundtrack, great atmosphere, exemplary animation, and amazing authentic documentary-making. As such, Ballad of Big Al is also a masterpiece, and since this was made a year later and production probably lasted longer on this special then it did for each individual episode of WWD, it looks even more polished when it comes to the visuals, having better animatronics and an improved Allosaurus model from the original series, one that not only looks more aesthetically pleasing (not that the one from the original series looked bad though) but more scientifically accurate (it's almost as if they come hand in hand...). It's easily one of the best depiction of Allosaurus in any media, and is probably one of the best reconstructions of an animal in the entire Walking with Series.

The special tells the story of the life of an individual Allosaurus known from a very complete specimen nicknamed "Big Al". We see his entire life from when he first hatched to his unfortunate young death. A standout scene is the Battle of the Salt Plains in which the Allosaurus gang up to isolate a weak and sick Diplodocus from its herd. Everything from the magnificent camera work to the incredible soundtrack is awe-inspiring and masterful. From beginning to end, Ballad of Big Al is riveting, exciting, and actually makes you sympathize with it's main character, just like the best the Walking with Series has to offer, and this definitely is among them.