movie review: jurassic fight club

(Production Notes: We're sorry for interupting the flow of Traum's Melbourne adventure. As you'll see this is a time sensitive post, and it will be moved after its relevance goes away.

To the people at the History Channel kind enough to send us this press kit, we're sorry for the last minute nature of post. Due to the delays of posting down here to New Zealand we only just recieved the press kit TODAY an mere hour before the episode aired on the East Coast of the US.)

with my not being allowed to use my "cell"phone during the museum quest it came as a surprise that the instant i turned my phone back on that i got a call immediately!


it was my special talent agent peter bond. "traumador!" peter said in amazement and frustration. "i've been trying to reach you for a month!!!"

"sorry about that peter," i started to trying and explain.

peter cut me off though. "traum it's very important i find out where you are!"

"the melbourne museum," i matter of fact stated.

"perfect don't leave there," he ordered.

that was a bit of a ridiculous request. i was going to have to leave at some point.

"no no no!" peter had lost his typical cool when i started to protest. "listen traumador, your blog is starting to take off baby. so people are noticing it. big people traum."

"the history channel noticed your reviews of dinosaur movies, and they want you to take an advanced look at their new show jurassic fight club," he informed me. wow that was so cool! i got real excited. "i know there big guy, but there's one problem. the show airs tonight! meaning i'm super expressing you the press kit they sent me. it'll cost a bit, but the exposure will be great."

"really you think my site will give them great exposure?" i asked astonished.

peter paused for a moment. "yeah... give them exposure. exactly," he finally said. i asked him how they could afford to super post the kit to me in australia in under a day? peter replied. "well, you see due to the... contract. yeah contract. we sadly have to pay for that. no worries though. with the authority you gave me to see over your funds i've taken care of the airfare."

i knew i might regret giving peter access to my bank account... i was almost broke. AGAIN!

at the same time if this was going to lead to my big break than it was worth it!


a few hours later a call came over the museum PA. the kit had shown up, and what a kit it was. look at it! have a cool pop up book like inside... plus the first episode of the new jurassic fight club.

sadly the kit arrived just after the show aired on TV, but here's what you're in for if you have to wait for a rerun...

Jurassic Fight Club: Cannibal Dinosaur

General Summary

(remember this review is from a dinosaur point of view)

Score: 80%

Good Points:

interviews with actual palaeontologists

excellent graphics to illustrate facts

great build up to the AWESOME end battle!

Weak Points:

way TOO over sensationalized

only majungatholus was cast making cretaceous madagascar seem VERY empty!

Plot Summary

funny enough i don't have to say much. the whole show is a plot summary!

basically a fossil abelisaurid called majungatholus (which was actually renamed majungasaurus, but the show was made just as this change went into effect) was discovered in madagascar with bite marks on it indicating it had been eaten, and possibly attacked by another member of its own species.

the show goes through the fossil evidence of a possible confrontation (well in the show it is shown as a certain confrontation) between a male and female majungatholus ending in a huge mega show down between the two.

Dinosaur Celebrities and Stars

this is an easy show (well episode anyway) to do a cast list for. there are exactly three characters. all of whom are majungatholuses.

they include this rather orienimented male.

a very plain female, and (not pictured) her cute little baby.

it is great to see majungatholus (aka majungasaurus) get into a show of its own. abelisaurids in general seem to come up short in shows and movies due to their not being quite as large as us tyrannosaurids or their fellow southren hemiosphere giants the carcharodontosaurids. yet they were still impressive carnivores and theropods in their own right, just not the biggest.

which is probably how majungatholus caught the attention of the human producers. being the biggest predator on the newly isolated cretaceous madagascar it made an excellent centre piece for a show. especially for their well documented cannibalistic tendancies.

though it is worth mentioning that this ONLY casting majungatholus is one of the problems with this sample episode. madagascar had some really neat and unique dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures at this time. yet they don't show up at all! their not even mentioned.

the only hints at other animals even existing around majungatholus are small clips from other episodes we are shown through the course of this episode.

Dinosaur Portrayal

in some ways i know more about majungatholus by watching this show than i do any other dinosaurs in other modern documentaries (like walking with dinosaurs). the way they examine majungatholus' anatomy and fossils is very impressive and comprehensive for a show. very cool forensic style palaeontology.

do remember i said some ways though. the only behaviour we get is the boy/girl interactions of this abelisaur. they cover everything you could every want about majungatholus mating rituals and parenting, but nothing about in the life of. this is due to their being no other creatures shown. which i think was a wasted oppurtunity. many will walk away thinking abelisaurs just tried to kill each other...

Dinosaur Perception

despite the horrific premise of majungatholus fighting and killing each other (just like a bad old fashion dinosaur movie) it is done in a completely factual and mostly accurate manner.

we are given a detailed look at the science and evidence leading to this confrontation. with this tapestry it is very believable to see the end fight. i'm curious to see how we equally savage (though not as a deadly to each other) tyrannosaurs will be covered in the show.

my only grip with the perception this show gives, is that though the scientists interviewed and host "dinosaur" george blasing convey majungatholus as a real animal with real behaviour and motivations, the narrator goes WAY over the top on building up to the fight. everytime a fact is given in a reasonable manner the narrator restates it in over sensational rephrasing for no effect other than to waste time if i follow why properly. it made my grind my teeth a little while watching, and my sharp t-rex teeth aren't meant to do that owwwww!

Dinosaur/Human Relations

as this is a factual exploration of my ancestors (well okay abelisaur ancestors, as far as theropods go i'm barely related to them honestly) there are no human dinosaur interactions except for palaeontologists with fossils.

this was great because 99% of modern dinosaur human interactions is through you mammals finding and looking at our dead remains. it was awesome to see some of the science of palaeontology done on screen. though it would have been nice for some of the shots done in museum labs and collections to be slowed down, there was a lot of that fast CSI style editing going on at parts (i also laughed at how all the museums best specimens and casts were spread on the table for collections shots!).

Favourite Scene of the Movie

overall a great show, but one fact stated by "dinosaur" george really spoke to me.

"dinosaur brains are really simple, and go from on to off. their always living in the moment."

that so summarizes how my tiny brain works!!!

Score: 80%

More Episodes to come though!

again this was only a sample episode they gave me to review.

according to the package there's a lot more coming!

the next episode stars my cousin larry and his mate teresa tyrannosaur. as well as other pack of the primordial feather members nanotyrannus.

here is the nanotyrannus from this episode: t-rex hunter airing on august 5th

is it just me, or does this guy in this pic remind anybody of godzilla?

here is desdemona deinonychus posing for her episode gang killers airing august 12th

the tenontosaur from this same episode.

the next episode bloodiest battle airing august 19th allosaurs such as this one here go toe to two with their horned contemporary ceratosaur.

a stegosaur from maybe this episode or hunter becomes the hunted. i'm not sure. the promo disc only had the picture not the info.

this is followed on august 26th with deep sea killers where a megalodon shark takes on a brygophyseter whale.

on september 2nd ice aged monsters gives us a mega lion takes on a cave bear.

september 9th in hunter becomes hunted we get a second allosaur vs. ceratosaur match!

maybe this camarosaur is around to watch the fight... or he is from bloodiest battle. i'm not sure again an image with in details.

utahraptor takes on the tank like ankylosaur gastonia in raptors last stand on sept. 16th

on sept. 23rd largest killers will examine many of prehistories greatest predators...

than comes a program i've been waiting my whole life for! septemeber 30th river of death covers my home province!!! some albertosaurs goto pick a fight with a herd of pachyrhinosaurs!
i wonder if lillian is playing one of the albertosaurs? man not only a taste of home, but a hot babe on TV... as a t-rex i don't often get to look at girls on TV. well except my cousin's girl friend. not exactly someone you can oodle over...

another episode that could be about alberta (but will probably be in montana since their about the same in the cretaceous) a pack of dromaeosaurs try to catch an edmontosaur only to have a tyrannosaur (larry again) interupt their dinner in valley of fear on october 7th.

in the finale yet ANOTHER look at the extinction of dinosaurs. like we dinosaurs don't have this event rubbed in our faces enough at museums and such already! that's armageddon on oct. 14th.