One of Ray Harryhausen's most famous films, The Valley of Gwangi is an all-time dinosaur classic that has inspired future dinosaur films such as "Jurassic Park." It really pushed Ray to make the interactions between the cowboys and the prehistoric beasts convincing, which for the most part he was successful.
Plot: The discovery of a living Eohippus (a three-toed, tiny ancestor of the horse) causes cowboys, circus performers, and scientists alike to visit the land where it came from: a prehistoric valley untouched by time and the modern world until now. The valley's inhabitants, ruled by the fearsome carnosaur Gwangi, don't seem to be pleased to see these outsiders and would like nothing more than to tear them apart.
The story was originally created by Ray's mentor Willis O'Brien (who did the effects for King Kong), who couldn't make it after writing the original script, so it's only fitting that his successor would finish it for him. And boy did he finish it well. This movie has all the spectacle of a true sci-fi action/adventure film. The action scenes are great and the music is wonderful and fits perfectly with the tone of the film. Many creature scenes that were done by Ray are fantastic, such as the roping of Gwangi and Gwangi's battle with a styracosaur, all done seamlessly.
Overall, I consider this movie over "Cowboys and Aliens." Greatly done and definitely one of Ray Harryhausen's best works. Check it out.
Plot: The discovery of a living Eohippus (a three-toed, tiny ancestor of the horse) causes cowboys, circus performers, and scientists alike to visit the land where it came from: a prehistoric valley untouched by time and the modern world until now. The valley's inhabitants, ruled by the fearsome carnosaur Gwangi, don't seem to be pleased to see these outsiders and would like nothing more than to tear them apart.
The story was originally created by Ray's mentor Willis O'Brien (who did the effects for King Kong), who couldn't make it after writing the original script, so it's only fitting that his successor would finish it for him. And boy did he finish it well. This movie has all the spectacle of a true sci-fi action/adventure film. The action scenes are great and the music is wonderful and fits perfectly with the tone of the film. Many creature scenes that were done by Ray are fantastic, such as the roping of Gwangi and Gwangi's battle with a styracosaur, all done seamlessly.
Overall, I consider this movie over "Cowboys and Aliens." Greatly done and definitely one of Ray Harryhausen's best works. Check it out.