DINOSAUR 13 Is A Must See!

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven, film review, Dinosaur 13, Peter Larson, Todd Miller

It's a cautionary tale!

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Coming to theatres in limited theatrical release, On Demand and Digital HD this Friday is a forgotten tale of DINOSAUR 13.

This film follows renowned Paleontologist Pete Larson, Sue Hendrickson, Neal Larson, Bob Farrar and Terry Wentz on a journey like no other. In the base of the Black Hills, they would find the largest complete Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The face of their T-Rex begins to take shape and the excitement is overwhelming. Now named “Sue”, with each swipe of the brush she comes alive! They group can not wait to return to the Black Hills Institute in Hill City with their find.

Maurice Williams, owner of the land, took $5,000 for Sue. What the group didn’t know was that he legally could not do that. There were Tribal rules and Government regulations that became the catalyst for Sue’s removal by an invasion of Federal officers.

Awareness was raised almost immediately to free Sue and bring her back to Hill City. Petitions, runs, interviews and speaking in public the word got out about what this small city was doing.

The courts became involved as well as the academia as the group still fought to get Sue home. The custody battle came down to ownership and the decision a shocking one.

Larson knew only one thing, there had to be a way to set Sue free!

FINAL WORD: What an amazing look at a discovery found from a mere walk in a beautiful South Dakota plain! Sue is 80% complete and stunning to look at 65 million years later.

Having the original footage of finding Sue and working on bringing her back to life, as it were, is fearless of the staff. Then, in May of 1992, the FBI show up at their door wanting to take Sue and all records.

The protesting town watches the seizure of their treasured Sue. Eventually she was placed in storage and the town mourns the loss. That’s exactly what the viewer will feel, the loss and betrayal of their own government.

Peter and his team at the Black Hills Institute are to be commended on so many levels for their perseverance and belief in fighting for what is right. From beginning to end there is a positivity brought in by Peter and a true relationships with a creature that once existed on our planet.

Documentary includes: Vincent Santucci, Kevin Schieffer, William Asbury, Druve Vitter, Robert Mandel, Carson Murdy, David Redden, Stan Adelstein, Richard Gray,

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give DINOSAUR 13 four tubs of popcorn out of five. Quite honestly I went in with an expectation of seeing one thing but instead learned something quite different. This is a moment in our history that could easily have gone by unnoticed except for a belief shared by director Todd Miller who brings DINOSAUR 13 to the screen.

Watching this documentary brings out an entire range of emotion beginning with excitement, followed quickly by anger and sadness at the injustice toward what are clearly good people, utter disgust at the lack of recognition, and lastly resolution knowing nothing has stopped these extraordinary people from doing what they love.

In the end – it’s a cautionary tale of David and Goliath between capitalism and government, and a gal named Sue in between!