Pterodactyl (2005)

Ah yes! Just when you thought it was safe to turn on your computer, it is time for another bad movie review! Last night, Nancy and I sat down to watch another movie: Pterodactyl. She found this movie in the $2 bin of that same closing video store and it might actually have been worth the price paid. When I saw the title, I was all ready to watch some dinosaur-driven grade A schlock! I mean, this movie stars Coolio of Dracula 3000 fame. Aw yeah! Schlock is in the air! Now, lets get to it.

Deep in the heart of the Turkish forest lies Mt. Ararat (yeah, the same mountain where Noah is supposed to land the ark), a dormant volcano that holds a deadly, prehistoric secret that has been sleeping for millions of years.

"Hello my honey, hello my baby.."

After an earthquake rocks the region, a paleontologist (Professor Lovecraft.. Mountain of Madness nod?), who is desperate to publish, leads a team of graduate students to investigate. Yeah, I know. Why a paleontologist to investigate an earthquake? How the hell should I know? Makes no sense to me either. The do need AAA, however.



Unbeknown to the paleontologists, a military expedition lead by Captain Bergen (aka Coolio) is on the hunt for a dangerous terrorist. They soon find the hapless, stranded scientists and are forced to take them along.

I'll show you Sumpin' New!

Soon, they realize that they must rely on each other if they are going to survive a new threat:

DIVE!!!

Now they have to avoid death from above while they make their way out of the the forest below! Exciting, ain't it?



Yeah, this movie has some real issues: (1) What are paleontologists doing out investigating the affects of an earthquake? (2) They have a rocket launcher that shoots rockets that the flock leader can dodge in flight. They find him sleeping on a cliff but wait all night until he's awake before they try to shoot him? What the Frijoles? and (3) Mid-way through the movie, the special-ops team blows up the only working Jeep--just because they can! Why not ride it out of the forest?

Still, it is an OK schlock-fest. The special effects are alright (except the dino eggs hatching), the dialogue is not too bad overall, and the fight scenes are pretty good. It's worth the $.49 rental fee to watch on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Rating: 2 Bites out of 5

-Safari Bob