Viewed 3 days ago, Saturday January 10 2009: We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story – an animated feature based on a book by Hudson Talbott, and including the voices of John Goodman, Rhea Perlman, Walter Cronkite, Julia Child, Kenneth Mars, and others. Screenplay by John Patrick Shanley, recently noted for the play “Doubt” (not to mention the movie), and who will always be highly regarded (by me) for the under-appreciated Joe Versus the Volcano.

This is the story of a bunch of dinosaurs who are happily, hungrily, and savagely minding their own business when a scientist from the future feeds them “Brain Gain” cereal that makes them smarter, and who then brings them into the future to fulfill the wishes of children who want to meet real dinosaurs. Also in the present is the scientist’s evil brother who has his own nefarious plans.

No fancy animation, no real elaborate story (in fact, one that is downright silly), but the grandkids sure are enthralled by it. This is not the first time we’ve watched it and I doubt it’ll be the last (more log entries to come?!). 5-1/2 year old grandson watches it with rapt attention, and 3-year-old granddaughter mostly so, except when the dinosaurs are acting like beasts, during which times she sometimes averts her eyes.

If you have some youngsters of about this age and you want to watch something with them, you could do worse. Kids and dinosaur stories, they go together. There’s really not much more to say about it than that.