Movie review: Walking With Dinosaurs 3D

Patchi the Pachyrhinosaurus, the star of Walking with Dinosaurs 3D.

Verdict: Littlies will be enchanted by these visually impressive talking dinos.

Walking with Dinosaurs started as a BBC Earth television series in 1999, became a live show that traveled the world in 2007 and has now evolved into this 3D movie.

Aimed at giving kids an idea of what life was like in the Late Cretaceous period when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, 70 million years ago, this very cleverly constructed film integrates computer animated dinosaurs seamlessly into real landscapes shot in Alaska and New Zealand.

It looks fantastic. The detail and movement is impressive and the 3D adds real value; Pterosaurs fly past you, butterflies flutter right in front of you, and attacking Gorgosaurus feel like they're going to eat you.

But where Walking with Dinosaurs lets itself down is with the narration. The film follows three Pachyrhinosaurus dinosaurs from infancy to adulthood; runt Patchi (Long), older brother Scowler (Skyler Stone) and Patchi's friend Juniper (Tiya Sircar).

They're joined by a chatty bird called Alex (Leguizamo) who helps narrates his friend Patchi's underdog story as they meet friendly and not so friendly dinosaurs on their migration.

They're the only characters that speak, but as their mouths don't move their narration becomes almost a stream of consciousness - and it never stops! With beautiful scenery and powerful images a little less chitchat would have been appreciated.

But then Walking with Dinosaurs is obviously for the kids, and the incessant narration and throwaway jokes do keep young ones entertained.

It's so child friendly Alex even gives a warning when there's a scary bit coming up.

Walking with Dinosaurs may not offer a great deal for adults, but it will continue to feed kids' fascination with dinosaurs, and that's a good thing.

Cast: John Leguizamo & Justin Long, Skyler Stone Director: Neil Nightingale Running Time: 90 mins Rating: G