The Dino King
Speckles the Tarbosaurus The Dino King | |
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Directed by | Han Sang-Ho |
Produced by | Kim Won-Bum, Song Rak-Hyun, Kim Hyun-Chul, Choi Oh-Shin |
Written by | Han Sang-Ho, Lee Yong-Gyu |
Cinematography | Kim Byoung-Il |
Distributed by | CJ Entertainment |
Release dates | January 26, 2012 |
Running time | 90 minutes |
Budget | ₩7 billion |
The Dino King is the United States title for the 3D Korean computer-generated film Speckles the Tarbosaurus (점박이: 한반도의 공룡 3D: Jumbagi: Hanbandoui gongryong 3D), first released in Korea in January 2012.
Plot
80 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period, a young Tarbosaurus named Speckles, for his unique birthmark, lives and hunts with his older juvenile brother, Quicks, his twin sisters and his mother. Speckles is left alone when a rogue, scarfaced Tyrannosaurus named One-Eye causes a massive stampede to kill Speckles' family in order to usurp their territory.
Four years later, Speckles has scraped by on his own, scavenging and raiding nests. One day while attempting to steal food from One-Eye, Speckles encounters a female Tarbosaurus named "Blue-Eyes" and the pair team up to hunt and survive together.
Over the years, Speckles and Blue-Eyes attempt to maintain a hunting territory away from One-Eye. Eventually, however, One-Eye discovers their hunting grounds and again attempts to usurp their territory. Speckles fights and eventually defeats and drives away his old nemesis.
After defeating One-Eye, Speckles and Blue-Eyes reclaim Speckles' old family nest and hunting grounds. Now a mature adult pair with three young offspring, the family is happy until forced to flee from their territory by a volcanic eruption. Speckles becomes the de facto alpha of a large migratory herd of dinosaurs fleeing the natural disaster. During the disaster, one of the children is killed and Blue-Eyes is wounded; she eventually collapses from exhaustion two weeks later. Seeing this, a large pack of Velociraptors attacks the Tarbosaurus family, and though Speckles valiantly tries to hold them off, Blue-Eyes dies from her wound and Speckles is forced leave her body behind in order to save the children.
After a long journey, the herd arrives at a new, fertile area in which to settle. However, Speckles once again encounters One-Eye, who has been driven out by the same natural disaster. As before, One-Eye causes the herbivores to stampede in order to ambush Speckles and his two babies. Another child is killed and the remaining child, Speckles Jr., is pushed over a cliff into the ocean. Speckles dives into the sea to save him and is pursued by One-Eye. One Eye is attacked and eaten alive by two gigantic Tylosaurus. Speckles eventually reaches Speckles Jr. and returns him safely to shore.
In the closing monologue, Speckles wishes a peaceful, happy life for his son.
Voice of Speckles, the narrator
English
- Veronica Taylor (young)
- C.D. Barnes (adult)
Production
In 2008 the Korean TV channel Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) released a three-part CGI prehistoric life documentary dealing with cretaceous dinosaurs in Korea: Koreanosaurus (한반도의 공룡, Hanbandoui gongryong: Dinosaurs in the Korean Peninsula, not to be confused with the dinosaur genus Koreanosaurus). The documentary achieved much success among Korean audiences and the production team of Koreanosaurus launched the production of Speckles the Tarbosaurus. Meanwhile, in 2009, the American 3D science-fiction film Avatar was released and its popularity inspired the creators of Speckles the Tarbosaurus to apply the technology to the film project.[1] Location footage was filmed in New Zealand.[1]
Reception
The film attracted over 1 million admissions in 2012, becoming the second most successful local animation of all time. It was released to 37 territories and generated additional revenue through IPTV and DVD sales.[2]
Dinosaurs and other animals in the film
- Ankylosaurus
- Charonosaurus
- Haenamichnus
- Hypsilophodon
- Microraptor
- Nemicolopterus
- Pachycephalosaurus
- Protoceratops
- Pukyongosaurus
- Repenomamus
- Tarbosaurus
- Therizinosaurus
- Torosaurus
- Tsintaosaurus
- Tylosaurus
- Tyrannosaurus
- Velociraptor
Titles by Country
- France: La Vie des dinosaures
- Germany: Speckles - Die Abenteuer eines Dinosauriers 3D
- Italy: Spotty il dinosauro 3D
- Korea: 점박이: 한반도의 공룡 3D
- United Kingdom: Speckles the Tarbosaurus
- United States: The Dino King
- Australia: Dino King: Speckles Big Adventure
- Japan: 大恐竜時代 タルボサウルスvsティラノサウルス
Sequel
On June 5, 2015, South Korea's Dream Search C&C announced that a sequel was in the works which it will co-produce along with China's Hengsheng Group.[2] The sequel will also be in 3D and is expected to simultaneously open across Korean and Chinese theaters in summer of 2016.[2]
See also
References
- 1 2 The Dino King 3D / Speckles the Tarbosaurus in Scifi Japan, an Asian science-fiction films specialized website
- 1 2 3 Lee Hyo-won (June 5, 2015). "South Korea, China to Co-Produce Sequel to 3D Animated Feature 'Speckles the Tarbosaurus'". The Hollywood Reporter. (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved June 5, 2015.