critics consensus

It's undeniably slanted and doesn't cover as much of the story as it should, but Dinosaur 13 makes for gripping documentary viewing, flaws and all. Read critic reviews

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Dinosaur 13 Photos

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Movie Info

Two years after the discovery of "Sue," the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton found to date, government officials seize the remains and claim that "Sue" was stolen from federal land.

Rating:

PG (Mild Thematic Elements|Language|Brief Smoking)
Genre:

documentary
Original Language:

English
Director:

Todd Douglas Miller
Producer:

Todd Douglas Miller
Release Date (Streaming):

Dec 17, 2015
Runtime:

1h 46m
Production Co:

Statement Pictures

Cast & Crew

Stan Adelstein
Self

Lanice Archer
Self

Robert Bakker
Self

Philip Currie
Self

Kristin Donnan
Self

Bruce Ellison
Self

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News & Interviews for Dinosaur 13

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Critic Reviews for Dinosaur 13

All Critics (49) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (13)

The storytelling raises more logistical and legal questions than it's equipped to answer. But what Miller does have, for anyone unfamiliar with Sue's fate, is a story with a suspenseful climax.

August 20, 2014 | Full Review…

Wesley Morris
Grantland
In his eagerness to create a David-and-Goliath story, and with his distractingly pro-BHI bias, Mr. Miller fails to ask a lot of questions.

August 18, 2014 | Full Review…

John Anderson
Wall Street Journal
The bittersweet end does genuinely unfair things to the heart strings. Do not miss.

August 16, 2014 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Donald Clarke
Irish Times
The fate of some very old bones may not sound like compelling cinema, but when they compose the 65-million-year-old skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex that was 41 feet long and 18 feet high back in the day, all bets are off.

August 15, 2014 | Full Review…

Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
"Dinosaur 13" is "Kramer vs. Kramer" for paleontologists ...

August 15, 2014 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Susan Wloszczyna
RogerEbert.com
These events would have been better handled in a single installment of Dateline.

August 15, 2014 | Rating: 1.5/4

David Hiltbrand
Philadelphia Inquirer
Joyful discovery and dry legalities in dino documentary.

April 3, 2020 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Brian Costello
Common Sense Media
Provoking outrage at injustice, Dinosaur 13 is an emotional and inspiring watch for any viewer.

June 11, 2019 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Tom Bond
One Room With A View
Miller keeps you absorbed in Sue's tale despite the legal shenanigans that take up most of the film; he keeps it simple, focusing on the story of Larson, a passionate, smart and lovable expert.

April 3, 2019 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Ed Frankl
CineVue
Riveting entertainment, Dinosaur 13 is one of those happy accidents of documentary filmmaking.

March 26, 2016 | Rating: B | Full Review…

John Fink
The Film Stage
This labor-of-love portrait of those who labor in the dirt for love of dinosaurs is also a chronicle of the ways in which the modern legal system can threaten the preservation of even prehistory.

January 29, 2015 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Any documentary can be slanted to a particular point of view, but most filmmakers try to be a bit more subtle. Cry me a river, "Dinosaur 13."

January 8, 2015 | Rating: D | Full Review…

Paul Chambers
Movie Chambers