The Ballad of Big Al (2000)

This was a staple of my childhood. I watched it just asmich as I did the Jurassic Park and Land Before Time films. It's not just nostalgia that's the reason I like this documentary so much, but it's just a good spinoff of Walking with Dinosaurs. It has the same style and structure as any episode of the original series would have, which is terrific. It feels like a slightly longer episode of the series, but makntains the feeling of being its own thing. Unlike the show, this follows only one specific animal throughout. While the show did this as well, it also mixed that in with presenting a lot of other creatures, which is fine, but I'm glad that this one doesn't stick to that formula. This is the Ballad of Big Al, and Big Al is the central focus throughout. The documentary also does a great job of making you feel simpathetic toward Big Al, which often does not happen since we like to depict carnivorous dinosaurs as ruthless killing machines, and not simpathetic animals. Once Big Al gets injured at the end, and dies just before the wet season returns, you really feel sad for this animal not able to make it long enough. Overall, this program is a very nice addition to the "Walking with" franchise. It's one of the programs that made me not only love dinosaurs, but made Allosaurus my personal favorite dinosaur.

As another reviewer has already mentioned, "Allosaurus: A Walking with Dinosaurs Special" (hereafter "Allo") is essentially the seventh episode of that magnificent pseudo-documentary series, and maintains that series lofty production and narrative standards (including retaining Kenneth Branaugh as solemn narrator). I think "Allo" was created in response to some ineffable clamor for carnivore balance. In other words, T-rex had his own episode on "Walking with Dinosaurs"; now it's Allosaurus's turn to shine.The first 30 minutes of "Allo" chronicles the relatively short but painfully eventful life of an Allosaurus, christened "Big Al". We follow his life from a tiny hatchling to a nearly full-grown subadult. He encounters stegosauruses. He participates in a rousing diplodocus hunt with others of his kind. He attempts to woo a much larger, more mature,and definitely more ferocious female allosaurus. Throughout his life, BigAl was basically the carnivorous dinosaur's answer to Evel Knievel. He suffered bites, scratches, lacerations, and bone dislocations, especially to his feet and legs. The litany of injuries finally takes its toll on Big Al, eventually losing his hunting ability and succumbing to starvation and thirst.As I was watching "Allo", I was astonished by many things. For example, how did a hatchling the size of a pigeon grow to be a 3-4 ton apex predator? Also, where did Big Al's mother get her maternal instinct, enabling her to protect her brood like a mother crocodile from predators, including, unsuccessfully, against a cannibalistic male allosaurus? How many of Big Al's nest mates survived along with him (probably not too many; allosaurus chicks, like crocodile babies, probably had a very high mortality rate)? Did Allosaurus really cooperate to take down gigantic prey like Diplodocus? Did sexual dimorphism really exist among allosaurs, meaning size differences among the sexes, in this case females larger than males? Some of these questions are addressed in the second 30-minute half of "Allo", where fossil analysis speculates upon Big Al's life and provided inspiration for the first half.One thing stood out prominently in "Allo": Big Al and his ilk may have been at the top of the food chain during the Jurassic, but their lives were far from easy. Despite their size, allosaurs must have had a tough time against the larger herbivores. As I recall, Big Al meets two stegosauruses but decides not to attack them, probably because of their sharp spiked tails and aggressive posture. During the thrilling diplodocus hunt on the salt flats, it takes three(!) allosauruses, including Big Al several hours to bring down even a sick, overheated member of the herd. Even after they start to consume the multi-ton carcass, a bigger female allosaurus arrives and threatens to claim the kill as her own. Speaking of females, Big Al's clumsy attempt to woo a female allosaurus literally ends in crushing failure. Most importantly, an allosaurus's feet and legs were its fortune; any serious damage to either could spell doom. Big Al breaks one of his middle toes while chasing one of the bipedal, relatively small Dryosaurs - a fatal wound for any hunter, but especially a two-legged one.Both halves of the "Allo" disk provide intriguing scientific, paleontological, and zoological information about Big Al and his world. Of course, some of this information is speculative, which may put off some viewers, just as it may have done with the "Walking..." series. Also, a few viewers may disapprove of giving a dinosaur a name, as if he were a harmless pet, because it may lessen his dignity. Phffft! I think chances are you will enjoy learning about Big Al's life and death in "Allo". After all, T-rex has had enough press.

This is without doubt one of the very best documentaries have ever seen. The Ballad of Big Al is a follow-up or extra episode for Walking With Dinosaurs. It describes the life of a particularly big Allosaurus, called Big Al, from the point where it hatches to it's death.The amazing CGI seen in Walking With Dinosaurs was even better in The Ballad of Big Al. This documentary is missing absolutely nothing. It has breath-taking scenes as well as suspenseful and terrifying moments. I found myself often at the edge of my seat.The story was well thought out and directed very nicely. The music and sound effects were top notch. Overall there are no real flaws in this documentary. There are absolutely no boring parts.If you have the slightest interest in dinosaurs this documentary will definitely greatly satisfy you.My Rating: 9.8/10

I have seen all 3 series of the "Walking with..." specials. They are all high quality and add more of a wild life nature show feel to it than they do a typical boring special on dinos.Some really cool shots are in this film. For example:When the baby Al and his siblings are feeding near a creek, we see them jumping up to try and catch dragonflies. One falls into the water. The scene is really cute. Yet also in on scene have a baby Al nip at the camera. This little touch makes this series so well done. Gets you out of the mind set of you are watching fake dinos and for a second makes you feel as though they are real.Watch all of the Walking With series if you can get the chance.A+