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The Spinosaurus was the largest animatronic ever built. It was 25 feet high, its length reaching around 40 feet long, weighing 24,000 Ibs, and was operated by hydraulics. This allowed it to operate while completely submerged in water. It ended just behind the hip, so any shot that shows more than this had to be computer generated.
The effects crew used two hundred fifty gallons of oatmeal to simulate Spinosaur droppings.
A few of the action sequences are borrowed from left over ideas from the first two Jurassic Park movies, some of which were in the original scripts and made it as far as being storyboarded before they were scrapped due to time and budget constraints. These scenes include the pteranodon and river boat sequences.
Sir Sam Neill has come to this film's defense saying that the film got "unfair" treatment from critics, and thinks that it's a "pretty damn good" film.
According to an interview with William H. Macy, he said this movie's animatronic Spinosaurus had a one thousand-horsepower motor and that creature could turn its head at twice the force of gravity with the tip of its nose moving at a speed of more than one hundred miles per hour.
(at around 55 mins) The reveal of the Spinosaurus standing still near the fence is one of Stan Winston's favorite shots. Director Joe Johnston had to keep telling the effects team to dial back the animal's movement because he wanted it to be as still as possible before bursting into a run, which are how real predators hunt.