Dinosaur Island is a 2014 British-Australian familyadventure film. The film is written and directed by Matt Drummond and co-produced by Jason Moody and Megan Williams. It focuses on an island where a special kind of crystal acts as a portal that can bring different things from different times on the island. The film was inspired by a conversation between Drummond and American film producer Paul Mason while both were living on the South Pacific Island of Vanuatu. Journey to Dinosaur Island has also been called the first feature film to depict a feathered Tyrannosaurus.
Plot
Lucas, a 13-year-old boy, visits his grandmother's old house which is now set 'for sale'. There, while exploring bookshelf, he finds a crystal enclosed in a box. Amused, he takes it with him. The adventure begins when, in his plane, he moves the crystal onto the next empty seat and it shines. A disaster strikes the plane and Lucas finds himself stranded in a strange land littered with ghost ships and prehistoric creatures. While searching for other signs of life, Lucas hears a radio broadcast in the distance and is drawn into the jungle, where he encounters a beautiful young girl Kate, who claims to have come from the 1950s. He learns from her that Kate also used to possess a similar crystal like the one with Lucas. She gives him her diary which she denotes as ‘Survival Guide’ for Lucas. He also meets a Sinornithosaurus whom Kate named Mimos. Mimos was able to imitate any sound he heard. At a minor earthquake, Lucas learns that mists arrives with earthquakes and bring airplanes, like the one in which Lucas arrived, from different time including past and even future. The airplanes are always empty but bring many useful things. When another airplane arrives, Lucas and Kate leave to explore it. At the same moment, some tribal people attack the plane and capture the duo. On their way they face gigantic Pitcher Plants and Venus Flytraps. On reaching the village, they are put into a pyramid-shaped wooden jail. There, Lucas meets another prisoner who when sees the crystal in Lucas's hand, gets surprised and call it a ‘sing sing stone’. He whistles and because of it, a mist forms over the crystal. This mist brings things from time. He says that these stone are present in larger form between the twin volcanoes and they are responsible for forming the mist and bringing planes on that island. Lucas concludes that it is a massive piezoelectriccrystal cluster which attains its resonant frequency due to seismic activities and creates the portal which can also help him to get back home. He and Kate, together escape through an opening at the top. Kate frees some large pterosaurs, one of which gives them a ride towards the volcano twins although they have a bad landing. When a Tyrannosaurus chases them, Mimos imitates the roar and scare him away. Again some dromaeosaurs chase after them but they make their way to the middle of the volcanic twins. Upon reaching the destination, Lucas uses a jar and fills it with water. He creates the sound required to energise the crystals. Suddenly, one of the dromaeosaurs enters and catches Mimos. However they manage to beat him but lose their jar. Mimos suddenly wakes up, imitates the jar singing and fly away. The crystals start creating the portal. But Kate says that she will not go back without her diary, which was lying in a stone cavity. She insists that without proof the world will not believe her and Lucas must go into the portal as she will be right behind him. Lucas proceeds. He wakes up in a hospital, and hears the news about the mysterious island. Soon he meets his grandma, Kathryn, who says she prefers Kate as Kathryn is so old fashioned. It is revealed that she is actually Kate whom Lucas met at the island. With the proofs of her diary, she receives Nobel Prize Award for Science and the film ends.
Visual effects were completed by Hive Studios International, with Matt Drummond acting as VFX Supervisor.
Release
The International rights to Journey to Dinosaur Island were acquired at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival by Arclight Films and were later sold into 50+ countries internationally outselling the local Australian film Paper Planes. The film premiered on February 14, 2015 and was released via Hoyts and United Cinemas in Australia on February 28, 2015 and remained in cinemas for approximately 5 weeks. The film has been released theatrically in Japan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Germany, Spain and New Zealand. Journey to Dinosaur Island would become known as the first theatrical release to ever feature a feathered dinosaur. Journey to Dinosaur Island was released worldwide on DVD, TV and VOD platforms reaching top 10 placing in Australia, New Zealand and US iTunes charts.
Awards
Journey to Dinosaur Island was nominated for a 2015 AEAF Award for Feature Film Animation. The awards are given for creative technical excellence in the use of visual effects and animation in the creation of screened work.
