--- title: "Walking with Dinosaurs: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/walking-with-dinosaurs/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/walking-with-dinosaurs" critics_score: 42 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Walking with Dinosaurs (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 42 from 17 reviews: 1 positive, 7 mixed, 9 negative. The reviews lean negative, and the agreement is unusually tidy: almost every critic, including the harshest, grants that the dinosaurs look remarkable. Praise clusters on the effects work, the photorealistic animals and the way they sit in real Alaskan landscapes. Even those who dislike the film call the imagery dazzling before moving on to what they dislike. What they dislike is everything on the soundtrack. The complaint, repeated across most reviews, is the dialogue: incessant jokes, juvenile voice performances and pop songs laid over creatures whose mouths do not move. Several critics say this strips out the educational approach of the original BBC series, and Vulture goes so far as to recommend the series instead. The spread is wide. The Evening Standard, alone in the positive column, finds it enjoyable if predictable, and the Guardian calls it dependable holiday entertainment, while Empire judges it insipid. Nobody, for or against, argues that the story is the point. ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2013. The critic finds the adventure predictable but enjoyable. They single out the spry narration and poetic animation for praise. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/walking-with-dinosaurs-the-3d-movie-film-review-9017461.html) ## Screen Daily — Mark Adams Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2013. The review's verdict cannot be determined because the article body is behind a paywall. No praise or complaint is visible in the accessible metadata. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/walking-with-dinosaurs-the-3d-movie/5064745.article?blocktitle=REVIEWS&contentID=40296) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2013. Bradshaw finds the film silly but dependable family entertainment. He praises its reliable, machine-tooled appeal for holiday audiences, while noting its perfunctory educational framing. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/dec/19/walking-with-dinosaurs-3d-movie-review) ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 2013. The review finds the film visually impressive but let down by its dialogue. It praises the lifelike dinosaurs and dimensional 3D imagery, while criticizing the unnecessary, often unfunny lines. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/walking-dinosaurs-film-review-665992/) ## Time Out — Trevor Johnston Rating 3/5. 3 January 2014. Johnston gives the film three out of five stars, indicating a mixed-to-positive verdict. The accessible page provides no review text identifying a particular strength or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/walking-with-dinosaurs-3d) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating C-. 19 December 2013. Dowd pans the film as a dumbed-down, generic adventure that strips away the original series’ educational approach. He praises the detailed visual effects and their seamless blending with real landscapes, but calls that achievement fleeting. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/producers-dumb-down-walking-with-dinosaurs-for-movie-sc-1798179033) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2013. Sharkey finds the film modest and not disastrous, but says it feels like an idea that is not ready to stand on its own. She praises the remarkably lifelike dinosaurs and landscapes while faulting the story for failing to integrate its educational material with Patchi’s personal troubles. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-dec-19-la-et-mn-walking-with-dinosaurs-20131220-story.html) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 2/5. Jones finds the film’s animation and Alaskan landscapes impressive, but says its voiceovers and script undermine them. He particularly objects to the juvenile jokes and musical-style voice performances. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-lor5yu/walking-with-dinosaurs-the-3d-movie/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2013. Debruge finds the film’s nonstop joking dialogue undermines its educational potential and grows grating. He praises the dazzling combination of animated dinosaurs and beautiful real-world backgrounds. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-walking-with-dinosaurs-1200978082/) ## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin Rating 1/4. 19 December 2013. Cabin finds the film’s attempt to combine education with child-friendly entertainment strained and its story dull. He praises the impressive visual effects but says the imagined drama feels disconnected from the imagery. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/walking-with-dinosaurs/) ## IndieWire — Charles Solomon Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2013. Solomon finds the film derivative and burdened by inane, incessant dialogue. He notes that the dinosaur animation is reasonably successful, but says it lacks convincing movement and individuality. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-walking-with-dinosaurs-124563/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2013. Ebiri finds the film a lifeless, juvenile misfire and recommends watching the original BBC series instead. He praises the photorealistic dinosaur animation and its beautiful landscapes, while faulting the humor and dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/12/walking-with-dinosaurs-3d-movie-review.html) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 2013. Jolin finds the film insipid and says its creative choices ruin what might otherwise have been watchable. He praises the visual-effects work and the expressive, textured dinosaurs, but objects to the incessant voiceovers and pop songs. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/walking-dinosaurs-3d-movie-review/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Rating 3/5. 17 December 2013. The review finds the film visually impressive but weighed down by a weak, limited story. It praises the dinosaurs blending into the real-world Alaskan scenery, while noting that their unmoving mouths make dialogue confusing. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a538869/walking-with-dinosaurs-the-3d-movie-review-steven-spielberg-can-rest-easy/) ## Paste — Tom Meek Rating 6.0. 17 December 2013. Meek finds the film visually impressive but undermined by an inane story and distracting voiceovers. He singles out the seamless dinosaur effects for praise and the awkward music and crude jokes for criticism. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/walking-with-dinosaurs) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 2013. The critic finds the film dull and its child-focused storytelling grating. He singles out the Californian-kid dialogue and weak script as major problems. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/walking-with-dinosaurs-3d-2013-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2013. The critic finds the film irritating and narratively dull, with little to care about. They praise the impressive animation but say it is undercut by cartoonish dialogue and especially grating voice performances. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/walking-dinosaurs-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/walking-with-dinosaurs.md