Dinosaur 13 Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "Dinosaur 13" by Lionsgate Films and CNN Films employs an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio and offers a varied visual experience. Contemporary interview segments, reenactments, and location shoots are presented with commendable clarity and sharpness, featuring vibrant colors and natural skin tones. These segments display rich detail and depth, particularly in the way black levels define both subjects and settings. The modern footage provides a crisp, clear view, enhancing the documentary's engaging narrative.

However, the archival footage, including home movies from the Larson archives and 90s news video, exhibits a range of quality issues. The home videos, in particular, show significant tracking problems and other wear-related distortions, while the news footage often suffers from ghosting and indistinct clarity. Despite these inherent limitations, the editorial choice to preserve these archival elements is understandable for historical accuracy. It’s worth noting that occasional anomalies, such as moiré effects on buildings in Hill City, do occur but remain minor distractions in the overall viewing experience.

In summary, while the Blu-ray presentation of “Dinosaur 13” excels in delivering modern content with high fidelity and vibrant visuals, it faces challenges with older archival material. These technical limitations are intrinsic to the source quality but are handled as effectively as possible to maintain the integrity of the documentary's storytelling.

The audio presentation of the "Dinosaur 13" Blu-ray employs a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, which may be slightly overkill given the documentary nature of the film, predominantly composed of talking heads and voiceovers. Fidelity is impeccably maintained throughout, with a notable absence of any distortions or issues. The surround activity, driven primarily by Matt Morton’s sometimes portentous score, is present but minimal, accentuating the dialogue and narrative focus without becoming intrusive.

The track is clean and dynamic, featuring crisp audio particularly in modern footage and interviews. Archive clips and home videos exhibit some expected signs of aging but remain clearly audible. The low-frequency extension is minimal, largely affected by the score’s subtleties without significant impact on overall audio depth. The surround sound presence is nearly negligible but does offer slight immersion through the score when necessary. Dialogue reproduction stands out, being consistently crisp, loud, and clear, with a very clean and focused output that ensures comprehension and engagement throughout the film. Subtitles are available in English SDH and Spanish for greater accessibility.

The Blu-Ray extras for "Dinosaur 13" provide a comprehensive and engaging look into the fascinating story of "Sue." Accompanying the main feature, a collection of high-definition special features offers additional context and depth. Noteworthy is "The Continuing Story of Sue," which serves as an expansive epilogue, delving into the Field Museum's efforts and passion for Sue, offering insights omitted from the main documentary. The vintage documentary "Fossil Whales of Peru" is presented uniquely and adds historical dimension. Additionally, the disc includes videos that showcase the entire auction process and a quick but enjoyable piece on assembling a dinosaur. Although they vary in quality and format, these extras collectively enrich the overall viewing experience and offer a well-rounded understanding of Sue's journey.

Extras included in this disc:

• Deleted Scenes: Additional footage not used in the final film.
• The Continuing Story of Sue: Expanded coverage of the Field Museum’s role.
• Fossil Whales of Peru: A brief, vintage documentary.
• Complete Auction of Sue: Full footage of Sue’s auction.
• How to Build a Dinosaur: Insight into the assembly process of a dinosaur.

"Dinosaur 13" documents the gripping tale of Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex ever found, discovered by Peter Larson and his team from the Black Hills Institute in 1990. According to the film, what began as a monumental paleontological milestone quickly spiraled into a ten-year legal ordeal involving the U.S. government, Native American tribes, museums, and academic paleontologists. Sue's discovery, contentious ownership, and subsequent legal battles brought intense public and media scrutiny that few outside the paleontology community remember vividly, despite being contemporaneous with the Jurassic Park phenomenon.

The documentary presents a compelling narrative largely from the perspective of Larson and his team, emphasizing their professional expertise and passion. It critiques the actions of government entities and rival scientists, portraying them as adversaries infringing on entrepreneurial spirit and scientific discovery. The film captures the emotional toll and frustration felt by those involved as they watched Sue become entangled in bureaucratic red tape. While it doesn't offer a fully balanced or nuanced view, focusing on the plight of the embattled paleontologists adds an engaging tension to the story.

The narrative is enhanced by archival footage and interviews that vividly bring to life the hope and despair experienced by Larson’s group. The film highlights not just the scientific significance of Sue but also the human drama surrounding her custody battle. Though some aspects of the story receive limited representation, "Dinosaur 13" excels in conveying the monumental impact this T-Rex had on its discoverers and the paleontological landscape, while subtly suggesting that Sue's current prestigious residence in Chicago’s Field Museum offers bittersweet consolation for those who unearthed her.

Dinosaur 13 presents an engaging and dramatic recounting of the discovery and subsequent legal battles surrounding "Sue," the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil found to date. The film provides a thorough exploration of the Kafkaesque ordeal faced by a group of seemingly well-intentioned individuals whose efforts in paleontology are suddenly ensnared by a labyrinthine legal quagmire. While the documentary leans heavily into the protagonists' perspective, with a noticeable tendency to downplay their financial motivations, it successfully captivates viewers with its unique blend of entrepreneurial ambition and scientific discovery.

The Blu-ray edition of Dinosaur 13 is noteworthy for its commendable audio and video quality, ensuring an immersive viewing experience that does justice to the majestic visuals of the dig sites and courtroom drama. The disc also features a robust selection of extras, including behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, which enrich the viewer's understanding of both the scientific and personal stakes involved in the story.

In conclusion, some watching Dinosaur 13 will probably feel, as I did, that they're not quite getting the whole story, but what's presented here is certainly a trip through a Kafkaesque experience by some apparently well intentioned folks, even if there's an intentional ploy to downplay their monetary interests in what happens to Sue. One way or the other this is one of the more fascinating combinations of an entrepreneurial spirit with an odd niche in science and exploration that has been explored in a documentary, and despite its obviously lopsided approach toward the material, the story is so odd and even moving that it's easy to forgive the film its more screed like elements. Anyone who has seen Sue or has a Sue trinket around the house will probably want to watch this primer in how she got to where she is today. Recommended.