Why Dinosaurs? is a feature length documentary by father/son duo Tony & James Pinto, who meet with people around the world, from professional paleontologists to toy collectors, all to answer the question: Why do we love dinosaurs?
I first watched this documentary at its screening at the final TetZooCon in 2024. I enjoyed it, but as with TetZooCon 2024 itself, I never got around to writing about it at the time. Happily though, after an extensive film circuit tour, the creators have released it for free on their YouTube page, and so I had another chance to go back and watch it again so I could review it.
The film covers a broad range of topics relevant to dinosaurs, from toys & movies to famous discoveries, and features interviews with a wide variety of individuals, from enthusiasts to professional scientists. I had fun recognizing various people throughout the documentary, and getting introduced to some I hadn’t heard of!
While primarily focused on dinosaurs in general, the film also documents James Pinto’s own evolution from dinosaur-obsessed youngster to his pursuit of a PhD in the field. I think most viewers, under the assumption that they are also dinosaur lovers, will recognize something of themselves in James.
The cinematography and editing are excellent, and I enjoyed the little flourishes such as the way they occasionally edited in soft tissue outlines around certain fossils. To top it all off, the movie even has its own custom score, composed and conducted by Raphaël Dargent. It gives the documentary a grand, sweeping feel that perfectly compliments the subject matter.
Reactions to the film have been enthusiastic, and it has won several awards, for good reason. It is a joyous celebration of all things dinosaur, and an absolute pleasure to watch. While no documentary of a watchable runtime could ever be truly comprehensive in scope, Why Dinosaurs? covers more ground than most, and does an excellent job of capturing a wide range in dinosaur enthusiasts. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and it most definitely earns the Dino Dad “Stomp of Approval”! If for whatever reason the embedded video at the top of this page doesn’tload for you, you can follow this link to watch Why Dinosaurs? on Youtube. Enjoy!
Dino Dad Reviews 