A fantasy western that plays out like a cross between
The Lost World (1912) novel and the
King Kong (1933) film. Set in Mexico at the turn of the 20th Century it has a travelling Rodeo Show with a unique attraction, a semi-reprehensible leading man (
James Franciscus) with an agenda, and a palaeontologist who's hungry for prestige. But best of all it has a 'forbidden valley' that has creatures not seen anywhere else for 50 million years.
I'm not automatically attracted to all things dinosaur, except when they're animated by
Ray Harryhausen, like they are in
Gwangi. He even succeeds in having us sympathise with the great beasts more than once.
It has some dodgy ADR in places, and characters in need of more depth, but visually it's a fun, fantastical adventure that speaks to the inner-child.
3 horse toes out of 5
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