Set 80 million years ago when prehistoric reptiles ran rampant, the film blends computer-generated beasties with real backgrounds.
The breathtaking New Zealand locations - the same as those used for The Lord of the Ring - are the high point. The story, which is easy for the little ones to follow, gets right down to adventure with the titular creature seeking to avenge the death of his family at the claws of a one-eyed rival.
Our dino-hero narrates the tale using different English-speaking voices for different stages of his life. There are no human characters at all, only several species of dino. Without exception, they all look cheesy. Never mind. There's a palpable earnestness behind Tarbosaurus. It's worth a trip for the kiddie brigade.