Chased by dinosaurs is a two part series ,in which as I understood the creators of Walking with Dinosaurs decided to make in order to focus in some dinosaur species, who did not had scene time in the Original series. Personally I think this was a great idea and even greater was to have as presenter Nigel Marven ,who with his energy and love of his work was the ideal person for the job. My only complain is the fact that the series ended so quickly, I mean I like they did not made it in to a cash cow ,but with so many weird species in the archosaurs family, I feel a bit cheated. Nevertheless this safari-style like the Walking with Dinosaurs was perfect and works to the show advantage the fact that is more of a focus on a specific dinosaurs rather than a tour of their kingdom though time. In the end, I loved it and recommend it for you ,Happy Dino-hours.
10 Reviews
An epic prehistoric adventure
Samiam325 July 2009
The sixth entry in the 'Walking with', series and in some ways it is the best. Zoologist Nigel Marvin goes crocodile hunter in three different programs of prehistoric scale. From following the migration of the South American giant Argentinasaurus (the largest known dinosaur), to humping miles of Mongolian desert in search of the mysterious 30" clawed Therizionsaurus. Then, onto diving in the seven deadliest prehistoric seas, with creatures ranging from the 3 meter fish-eating reptile Nothosaurus, to the 15 meter, whale-eating shark Megalodon. Whoever says that man is the greatest species on the planet, has a lot to learn, perhaps this will clue you in. Fun, freaky and highly educational, this is something anyone can enjoy.
This was actually very good!
userwithnoname3 January 2007
I applaud the producers' efforts in this production. I'm a fan of the whole "walking with..." series in general -- I own nearly all of them on DVD! Yes, I did buy this because it was a spin-off and was therefore skeptical at first. After all, sequels are rarely good and certainly not the same standard as the other productions in the series. Like all those who have reviewed this on Amazon I was quite surprised...
Unlike the earlier productions, this show features Nigel Marvin. Basically he goes back in time and visits...well the animals of his or the producers' choosing....in other words, the more interesting animals! In the first show, we get Argentinasaurus and Giganotasaurus, not to mention Sarcosuchus. The second features Tarbosaurus and Therizinsaurus, and the third part presents a series of seven "sea monsters" of prehistory. All this of course is hardly in keeping with WWD or WWB, both of which uses detailed narratives and delves deeper into each subject. Instead of a prehistoric wildlife show, we get a prehistoric safari!
At first, this might sound contrived and unrealistic, but you come to realize that the idea was to truly recreate the "walking with dinosaurs" experience. A lot of us are fascinated by prehistoric life and the real way to appreciate the sheer scale and magnificence of these animals is to walk with them, literally! This was the appeal of Jurassic Park, both the idea and the film; but movies naturally sacrifice detail or accuracy for drama and action. For example, we actually get to see the correct 3ft Velociraptor and the Protoceratops in this! Chased by Dinosaurs is about as accurate as the series (accuracy typical of BBC documentaries), yet presents man and dinosaur interacting on screen. What's more, the CGI and SFX are of very good standard, comparable to all other such productions.
My interest in this series was the cast...heh...Nigel was a great actor ;-) but I really meant the animals! Argentinasaurus and Giganotasaurus were the two giant dinosaurs discovered not long ago, still holding the titles of biggest plant-eater and meat-eater respectively. I didn't really know about Therizinsaurus, but I assumed it was not unlike Deinocheirus (terrible hand) which has long been the anomaly of paleontology. Sarcosuchus was the "supercroc", the brief appearance of which was one of the best parts of the show. Others like Megalodon, Dunkleosteus, Leedsichthys and Archelon are other highlights, the greats and bigs, familiar to casual readers and followers of paleontology, not to mention shark and turtle lovers....
One can imagine Hollywood producing big budget movies featuring prehistoric animals in the future, utilizing either the time-travel or living fossil story lines -- a number of them already exist. However, my preference for this subject has always been with the scientific documentaries. Fortunately, as the technology becomes cheaper and available we will no longer have to rely on movies for realistic recreations of the prehistoric world .
Unlike the earlier productions, this show features Nigel Marvin. Basically he goes back in time and visits...well the animals of his or the producers' choosing....in other words, the more interesting animals! In the first show, we get Argentinasaurus and Giganotasaurus, not to mention Sarcosuchus. The second features Tarbosaurus and Therizinsaurus, and the third part presents a series of seven "sea monsters" of prehistory. All this of course is hardly in keeping with WWD or WWB, both of which uses detailed narratives and delves deeper into each subject. Instead of a prehistoric wildlife show, we get a prehistoric safari!
At first, this might sound contrived and unrealistic, but you come to realize that the idea was to truly recreate the "walking with dinosaurs" experience. A lot of us are fascinated by prehistoric life and the real way to appreciate the sheer scale and magnificence of these animals is to walk with them, literally! This was the appeal of Jurassic Park, both the idea and the film; but movies naturally sacrifice detail or accuracy for drama and action. For example, we actually get to see the correct 3ft Velociraptor and the Protoceratops in this! Chased by Dinosaurs is about as accurate as the series (accuracy typical of BBC documentaries), yet presents man and dinosaur interacting on screen. What's more, the CGI and SFX are of very good standard, comparable to all other such productions.
My interest in this series was the cast...heh...Nigel was a great actor ;-) but I really meant the animals! Argentinasaurus and Giganotasaurus were the two giant dinosaurs discovered not long ago, still holding the titles of biggest plant-eater and meat-eater respectively. I didn't really know about Therizinsaurus, but I assumed it was not unlike Deinocheirus (terrible hand) which has long been the anomaly of paleontology. Sarcosuchus was the "supercroc", the brief appearance of which was one of the best parts of the show. Others like Megalodon, Dunkleosteus, Leedsichthys and Archelon are other highlights, the greats and bigs, familiar to casual readers and followers of paleontology, not to mention shark and turtle lovers....
One can imagine Hollywood producing big budget movies featuring prehistoric animals in the future, utilizing either the time-travel or living fossil story lines -- a number of them already exist. However, my preference for this subject has always been with the scientific documentaries. Fortunately, as the technology becomes cheaper and available we will no longer have to rely on movies for realistic recreations of the prehistoric world .
Once we were walking with them. Now they're chasing us
bumleg-112 May 2006
SPOILERS
Tim Haines and Jasper James, creators of Walking with Dinosaurs and Walking with Beasts team up yet again to deliver more prehistoric action. Up until now, all "Walking with" programmes were shot with no people except the narrator. But now a there's a presenter in there interacting with and reacting to the dinosaurs. In these three adventures, animal-enthusiast Nigel Marven travels back to several different points in prehistory. In "The Giant Claw" Nigel visits Late Cretacous Mongolia to find a therizinosaurus, a dinosaur with a claw over two-feet long! In "Land of Giants", he visits South America in the Early Cretacous to watch the biggest meat-eating dinosaur bring down the biggest plant-eating dinosaur! And in the "Sea Monsters" trilogy, Nigel visits seven prehistoric seas, each one deadlier than the last. Along the way he has a lot of memorable - and terrifying! - experiences: running through a nesting-site, waving a red flag like a matador; flying with a flock of pteranodons or riding on the back of a giant archelon turtle. He also meets a collection of nasty and bizarre creatures such as scorpions the size of dogs, dinosaurs with feathers, giganotosaurs ( predatory dinosaurs larger than T-rex ) and megalodon a shark that makes the modern great-white look like a goldfish! The creators put a lot of hard work into this, but the person who worked the hardest was Nigel. He needed to have us believe that he was actually there among dinosaurs. He can certainly put on a frightened face when someone else looks upon him as lunch and a convincing grin when he sees something astounding. He has been up close in personal with nature today so he certainly knows what he's doing. The BBC has come a long way since Walking with Dinosaurs and I hope a lot of people know and appreciate that.
Tim Haines and Jasper James, creators of Walking with Dinosaurs and Walking with Beasts team up yet again to deliver more prehistoric action. Up until now, all "Walking with" programmes were shot with no people except the narrator. But now a there's a presenter in there interacting with and reacting to the dinosaurs. In these three adventures, animal-enthusiast Nigel Marven travels back to several different points in prehistory. In "The Giant Claw" Nigel visits Late Cretacous Mongolia to find a therizinosaurus, a dinosaur with a claw over two-feet long! In "Land of Giants", he visits South America in the Early Cretacous to watch the biggest meat-eating dinosaur bring down the biggest plant-eating dinosaur! And in the "Sea Monsters" trilogy, Nigel visits seven prehistoric seas, each one deadlier than the last. Along the way he has a lot of memorable - and terrifying! - experiences: running through a nesting-site, waving a red flag like a matador; flying with a flock of pteranodons or riding on the back of a giant archelon turtle. He also meets a collection of nasty and bizarre creatures such as scorpions the size of dogs, dinosaurs with feathers, giganotosaurs ( predatory dinosaurs larger than T-rex ) and megalodon a shark that makes the modern great-white look like a goldfish! The creators put a lot of hard work into this, but the person who worked the hardest was Nigel. He needed to have us believe that he was actually there among dinosaurs. He can certainly put on a frightened face when someone else looks upon him as lunch and a convincing grin when he sees something astounding. He has been up close in personal with nature today so he certainly knows what he's doing. The BBC has come a long way since Walking with Dinosaurs and I hope a lot of people know and appreciate that.
Loved it
wsargent-126 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers within!!!
I grew up loving Dinosaurs. I love this show. Instead of it being an Indiana Jones adventure its more like the Crocodile Hunter. There's great attention to detail and to science. There's also a lot of humor and well thought out interaction. The film work is marvelous. The special effects are second only to major film work I loved it.
BBC did an incredible job of making this a believable documentary. The DVD is broken into a number of smaller episdes, each exploring another aspect of the ancient world. Again, the research was well done.
SPOILER
I loved Nigels interaction and misadventures with animals, particularly when the Megladon almost ate him and he chewed out his staff for their gaffes!
Great great show, wish they'd make more!
I grew up loving Dinosaurs. I love this show. Instead of it being an Indiana Jones adventure its more like the Crocodile Hunter. There's great attention to detail and to science. There's also a lot of humor and well thought out interaction. The film work is marvelous. The special effects are second only to major film work I loved it.
BBC did an incredible job of making this a believable documentary. The DVD is broken into a number of smaller episdes, each exploring another aspect of the ancient world. Again, the research was well done.
SPOILER
I loved Nigels interaction and misadventures with animals, particularly when the Megladon almost ate him and he chewed out his staff for their gaffes!
Great great show, wish they'd make more!
Prehistoric Animal Planet Series Enhanced by Nigel Marvin's Natural Realism
japamo17 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Simply put, "Chased by Dinosaurs" (hereafter CBD) is a mind-boggling, wondrous pseudo-documentary about dinosaurs and other extinct creatures. CBD works not just because we encounter well-rendered spectacular creatures like the gargantuan 100-ton sauropod Argentinosaurus, or the mega-crocodilian Sarcosuchus, or the genuinely freakish herbivorous theropod Therizinosaurus - renditions every bit the equal of the BBC "Walking..." series. CBD succeeds because our Australian host, the appealingly ebullient zoologist/adventurer Nigel Marvin brings an unforced natural realism to the proceedings. Unlike his late, animated compatriot, the "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, Nigel treats his fantastic adventures matter-of-factly like any other wildlife documentary, with awe, yes, but also with cooler professionalism and authority (no knock against Mr Irwin, of course). He employs known and tested wildlife capture and observation techniques (i.e. those he would use on modern animals) on prehistoric beasts as well. For example, he puts a sock over the head of a bipedal ostrich-like ornithiscian Mononykus to calm it down and examine it. For the most part, however, Nigel is not there to trap any beasts, as he did in "Prehistoric Park". He is there just to observe and give his audience detailed and amazing information about the animals.
More tellingly, Nigel does not pretend to have all the answers. In "The Giant Claw" episode, set in Mongolia and China, Nigel discovers 3-foot, wickedly curved claws that would put Wolverine to shame and thinks he is on the trail of a carnivorous dinosaur even more fearsome than T-Rex. When he finally catches up to his quarry, called Therizinosaurus, he realizes that his hypothesis does not quite match up. This illustrates the scientific guesswork and trial-and-error involved in paleontological studies of long-gone animals and how our perspective of them constantly shifts as we learn more about them.
After witnessing fantastic dinosaurs and crocodiles, what do you do for an encore? Well, Nigel turns to the ocean to try to determine the seven deadliest ocean creatures of all time. Oscillating back and forth through time from the Devonian era to the Oligocene era (I think), Nigel finds and rates truly fabulous water freaks, such as the killer-whale sized fish Dunkleosteus (with bear trap jaw), the ancient sea-serpent-like giant whale Basilosaurus, and a 20-foot spiral-shelled crab-like arthropod Orthocone. Some of his choices are unexpected; Nigel finds an ornery two-horned Arsinoetherium, which looks like a rhino, is semi-aquatic like a hippo, but is actually distantly related to the elephant. Again, Nigel employs modern equipment and traps to lure the sea beasts for their close-up. Despite the seriousness of his quests, Nigel is not afraid to show his comic side. CBD frequently shows him narrowly escaping being bitten or gored. In particular, during the Megalodon (a sperm-whale sized shark related to the great white) sequence, when he initially fails to attach an underwater camera to its dorsal fin from a boat, he gets exasperated and calls one of the crew members who caused him to miss "an idiot" (he apologizes afterwards). But generally, Nigel gets along with the people who aid his dangerous quests. With their help, Nigel finally does get to the deadliest sea creature. I won't reveal what it is, but it lives in what Nigel calls "Hell's Aquarium" and is certainly a sight to see. As in the "Walking..." series and "Prehistoric Park", CBD has its cliffhangers and morbid humor, especially at the very end of "Chased by Sea Monsters".
In addition to Nigel's romps, CBD has two more conventional paleontology episodes; the first one concerns the discovery in Argentina of the (to date) world's largest herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs (Argentinosaurus and Giganotosaurus). The second one explores the hypothesis by paleontologist Phillip Currie that carnivorous dinosaurs like Albertosaurus and T-rex were not solitary hunters, but formed cooperative packs.
In conclusion, if you are a paleontology, wildlife, dinosaur, prehistoric beast, or Nigel fan, give yourself a treat and watch CBD. Both your emotions and your brain will thank you.
More tellingly, Nigel does not pretend to have all the answers. In "The Giant Claw" episode, set in Mongolia and China, Nigel discovers 3-foot, wickedly curved claws that would put Wolverine to shame and thinks he is on the trail of a carnivorous dinosaur even more fearsome than T-Rex. When he finally catches up to his quarry, called Therizinosaurus, he realizes that his hypothesis does not quite match up. This illustrates the scientific guesswork and trial-and-error involved in paleontological studies of long-gone animals and how our perspective of them constantly shifts as we learn more about them.
After witnessing fantastic dinosaurs and crocodiles, what do you do for an encore? Well, Nigel turns to the ocean to try to determine the seven deadliest ocean creatures of all time. Oscillating back and forth through time from the Devonian era to the Oligocene era (I think), Nigel finds and rates truly fabulous water freaks, such as the killer-whale sized fish Dunkleosteus (with bear trap jaw), the ancient sea-serpent-like giant whale Basilosaurus, and a 20-foot spiral-shelled crab-like arthropod Orthocone. Some of his choices are unexpected; Nigel finds an ornery two-horned Arsinoetherium, which looks like a rhino, is semi-aquatic like a hippo, but is actually distantly related to the elephant. Again, Nigel employs modern equipment and traps to lure the sea beasts for their close-up. Despite the seriousness of his quests, Nigel is not afraid to show his comic side. CBD frequently shows him narrowly escaping being bitten or gored. In particular, during the Megalodon (a sperm-whale sized shark related to the great white) sequence, when he initially fails to attach an underwater camera to its dorsal fin from a boat, he gets exasperated and calls one of the crew members who caused him to miss "an idiot" (he apologizes afterwards). But generally, Nigel gets along with the people who aid his dangerous quests. With their help, Nigel finally does get to the deadliest sea creature. I won't reveal what it is, but it lives in what Nigel calls "Hell's Aquarium" and is certainly a sight to see. As in the "Walking..." series and "Prehistoric Park", CBD has its cliffhangers and morbid humor, especially at the very end of "Chased by Sea Monsters".
In addition to Nigel's romps, CBD has two more conventional paleontology episodes; the first one concerns the discovery in Argentina of the (to date) world's largest herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs (Argentinosaurus and Giganotosaurus). The second one explores the hypothesis by paleontologist Phillip Currie that carnivorous dinosaurs like Albertosaurus and T-rex were not solitary hunters, but formed cooperative packs.
In conclusion, if you are a paleontology, wildlife, dinosaur, prehistoric beast, or Nigel fan, give yourself a treat and watch CBD. Both your emotions and your brain will thank you.
pretty cool...
gorramwhedonfan10 March 2005
I saw this a while back, and it was pretty cool. Its been a while, so I don't quite remember everything. But I do remember that it was done terrific. Nigel was great, and the CG and live-action blended seamlessly. It's a definite for anyone who loves all of the Discover Channels Dino-Documentaries. It combined elements of Walking With Dinosaurs and When Dinosaurs Roamed America, with elements of Nigels own Wild Animal Docs. Its really interesting, the dinos look amazing, and its even a bit funny. The one draw back is the length of time. Being a dinosaur lover, I would like for a really epic doc, and even though Chased is entertaining, and it's not too short, I would just like to see longer docs, or maybe more of these. Anyway, if you get the chance, check it out.
One of the best documentaries of all time
tyrannophillip15 May 2021
I have nothing but absolute praise for this documentary! There are so many things to love about this documentary! First, the CGI is - as always in the Walking with Trilogy - absolutely perfect. The animals look like they are actually in the landscapes that are being filmed. You won't find any documentaries from other producers that look better. Also, Nigel Marven's acting is really good and convincing. Even though the creatures will mostly be added in later, he still acts as if there were real creatures he's interacting with him. Also, the storytelling is really good. For example, Nigel tells us that Therizinosaurus was probably a carnivore, like most theropods. It's over the course of the show that he finds out Therizinosaurus is actually one of the strangest herbivorous dinosaurs ever.
Emmy award winning Dinosaur fun!
daveamac15 September 2020
This is a terrific show! - a mix of natural history, sci-fi and drama. Nigel has bags of charisma and really helps the show to both educate and entertain, all at the same time.
Overall it's original, exciting and a testimony to all involved (hence the well deserved Emmy). I hope that the team assembles for a modern version!
Overall it's original, exciting and a testimony to all involved (hence the well deserved Emmy). I hope that the team assembles for a modern version!
What the hell happened?
seenit-694-6698024 March 2010
After three ground-breaking programmes that utterly redefined television documentary making, along came this mess of a show. Clearly the objective was to build upon the populist daring of the likes of the late Steve Irwin. Only one problem though: Irwin had charisma, this guy has none. And I mean none. Even the mosquitoes steal some scenes.
But, I hear you saying, haven't the dinosaurs got even better? Sadly no. If anything they're actually reduced to a walk on role in long shot or "chasing" the host. I estimate 70% of screen time has Nigel mumbling something either uninteresting or unfunny or warning us about what could happen when the dinosaurs do turn up. Trying to "scare" us in other words. He doesn't need to try. This show IS scary, but for the wrong reasons. It's contrived and boring and an embarrassment to all involved. Don't even bother trying YOUTUBE. Save your money and download limit.
But, I hear you saying, haven't the dinosaurs got even better? Sadly no. If anything they're actually reduced to a walk on role in long shot or "chasing" the host. I estimate 70% of screen time has Nigel mumbling something either uninteresting or unfunny or warning us about what could happen when the dinosaurs do turn up. Trying to "scare" us in other words. He doesn't need to try. This show IS scary, but for the wrong reasons. It's contrived and boring and an embarrassment to all involved. Don't even bother trying YOUTUBE. Save your money and download limit.
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