We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story, Steven Spielberg’s worst dinosaur movie, was a production nightmare.

The story We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story is one of the weirdest in 90s animated film history. You could say it’s one of the worst movies that tried to be good, which is impressive with it being about dinosaurs, produced by Steven Spielberg, promoted by Pizza Hut, and having the most star-studded celebrity cast. John Goodman, Yardley Smith, Martin Short, Jay Leno, Walter Cronkite, Larry King, Julia Child, Rita Pearlman. It seemed set up for success. But despite having all the right pieces, the production of this film was messy. Nobody - not the animators, not the writer, and definitely not the 4 different directors - cared about it. It ultimately flopped losing $11 million at the box office and being trashed for being too boring for adults an creepy and weird for kids/

A Dinosaur Story was the second animated film to come out of Spielberg’s now defunct animation company, Amblimation. We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story was meant to be the family-friendly counterpart to Spielberg's other dinosaur movie coming out in 1993, Jurassic Park. The movie, based on a book of the same name by Hudson Talbott, a group of dinosaurs that are given sentience time traveller named Dr New Eyes and brought to modern 1993 New York City to fulfil the wishes of children to see real-life dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History. Along the way, they befriend a runaway boy named Louis and a little girl named Cecilia who sounds like Lisa Simpson. The dinos join the Macy’s day parade to avoid suspicion as they make their way to the museum but get sidetracked when the Lous and Cecilia sign a contract in their own blood to join an evil circus. The ringleader, professor Screw Eyes, turns the children into monkeys and to get the kids out of their contract the dinosaurs have to join the circus and become wild again. In the end, they escape with the help of a regular clown, Screweyes is eaten alive by crows, and everyone lives happily ever after. It’s BONKERS!

In this extensive peak behind the curtain, we discuss the making of this nightmare movie. We go through the history Amblimation, Spielberg’s connections with Disney and Don Bluth that lead to the film’s development, the We’re Back predecessor An American Tale” Fievel Goes West, the terrible script, shifting directors, and the current perception of the film. We also highlight the lessons to be learned from reviewing what happened during the messy production.

Whether you're a fan of animated movies, interested in the making of We're Back: A Dinosaur Story, or looking for a fun and nostalgic trip down memory lane, this video essay provides an in-depth analysis of the film's production and its place in animation history.

Roll back the rock to the dawn of time and talk about this terrible movie with me.

00:00 Jurassic Park changed the face of Dinosaurs
00:41 My life story with We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story
1:02 The plot of We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story
2:06 Mini Review of We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story
2:52 The impressive cast of We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story
3:13 Why the production of We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story
3:46 The making of Who Framed Roger Rabbit
4:54 Steven Spielberg and Don Bluth’s feud and split
5:47 The birth of Amblimation, Spielberg’s animation company
6:13 The Making of American Tale: Fievel Goes West
6:58 The book We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story by Hudson Talbott
7:40 Buying the rights for the We’re Back book
8:17 Starting production on We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story
8:33 The problems with the script - Holding the movie hostage with the script
11:58 Reviewing the screenplay
13:33 My favourite We’re Back quote
14:00 How they got so many celebrities voice overs in the cast
14:29 Getting Walter Cronkite and Julia Child
14:48 Trying to direct Julia Child – She isn’t a real actress
16:14 The awkward voice over session with Martin Short
17:20 Casting Professor Screweyes - Malkovich was too scary, Lloyd was too goofy
17:50 James Horner phoned in the score
19:24 Changing directors to make Cats
20:41 Changing directors again -firing the new ones for the old
21:03 Starting production on Balto
21:33 Too scary for kids
21:50 Making the movie less scary
22:08 Releasing the movie and merch
22:35 Box office flop and a public embarrassment
23:01 Critical response to We’re Back
24:02 Macy’s Day Rex balloon pop incident
24:49 What can we learn from the making of We’re Back: A Dinosaur Story?
26:33 More behind-the-scenes film history
26:48 Social Media

My video discussing Titanic as an exploitation film:
   • When is Exploitation Ok?  | The Dark ...  

The We're Back: A Dinosaur Story Soundtrack playlist:
   • 01 - Main Title/Primeval Times - Jame...  

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End Screen Music:
| Title: Mob Battle
| Artist: Silent Partner
|    • Mob Battle – Silent Partner (No Copyr...