Entertainment
New King Arthur Series Ends With Epic Battle, Screaming For A Second Season
By Jennifer Asencio
| Published
A finale for a season of a series has two jobs: to close the season’s story arc while also leaving enough of the larger world’s story open for a possible next season. This is even more important for serial shows like The Pendragon Cycle because the entire season usually has its own plot and circumstances while introducing elements of the larger story. The seasonal arc is supposed to provide closure in case the series doesn’t continue its larger arc with another season.
A Sprawling Setup Hints At A Much Bigger Picture
While the overarching plot of Rise of the Merlin is how he winds up advisor to the One and Future King, Arthur’s parents have only just met, and right now, there are Saxon invaders to take care of. Lots of them. A lot more of them than there are Britons under Aurellius’s banner, and some of his allies are getting scared.
Fortunately, there’s Gorlas to hold things together with his usual candor, while his beautiful daughter Ygerna makes eyes at Uther. All of Briton’s kings must unite to fight this threat, but there are a few in question, and Merlin isn’t back yet. Regardless, ready or not, it’s time for war. Will Merlin bring reinforcements? Will Briton prevail against the Saxons? Will Aurellius become High King?
While all the short-term threads are tied together, this finale didn’t seem like an ending. It left more questions than answers, and a lot of the plotlines that have long-term arcs did not get resolved. This is but a segment of Merlin’s very long life, the part that positions him as the eventual advisor of Uther and his son, Arthur. The Pendragon Cycle is not a contained story in the first place, but the window we are provided is not adequate, and I couldn’t help feeling that the series could have benefited from one more episode. Or, perhaps, a second season, please.
Nevertheless, the immediate threat of Hengist and his hordes of barbarians hangs over the camp during the first half of the episode. Having participated in the Society for Creative Anachronisms, a historical cosplay group for medieval enthusiasts, I felt right at home among the tents, kitchen tables with cooks portioning herbs, squires frantically running from encampment to encampment, and especially the noise.
Dramatic intrigue aside, the camp feels like it leaps out of history, which has been a strength of the show in its later episodes. Did I mention the noise? This camp is a living place, and the din of activity is always present in the background, contributing deeply to its authenticity. This episode hardly has any soundtrack music, and this was a good choice that allowed each scene to speak for itself.
Once the armies face off, though, the episode turns into something else: an amazing spectacle of savage medieval warfare, starting with the eerie effect of the Saxon army’s approach. The lack of soundtrack music is even more effective here. Gritty, chaotic, and violent (hide the kids and the squeamish), this is the best battle in the series. The direction of Jesse V. Johnson really takes the forefront at this point. Once again, authenticity reigns as the camera is deftly maneuvered through the field to follow the various players and their tribulations. Distant shots of the battlefield give a sense of scale that compliment the close frames by adding more urgency to them.
The Epic Battle Buildup
Josiah Nelson’s script shows off both his strengths and his weaknesses. I’ve said before that he’s great at drama, tension, and character development, but that sometimes he lingers too long on both the decision to act and the action itself. In a few places, scenes start to lag, but these are quickly caught before they become tiresome. A lot of time is spent in the build-up to the battle, with the various under-kings squabbling, plotting, and considering retreat. Nelson’s writing is especially good when he’s focused on this kind of intrigue.
The actors seized this opportunity. Riveting performances abound from all the cast, but the spotlight this episode falls to Chick Allan as Gorlas, Nicholas Boulton as Morcant, and Steve Varnom as Custennin.
In pairs, they shine, but when confronted with one another, their performances are mind-blowing. Boulton has been excellent through the entire series at portraying Morcant’s Doubting Thomas attitude toward the youthful king and is especially vibrant with the Saxons on the doorstep. Allan brings his rugged humor to Gorlas’s loyalty to Aurellius, especially on the battlefield. Varnom is at his best, now that Custennin is allowed his full range, especially in battle while wielding a very unusual weapon. But in an episode full of great acting, it’s almost unfair to single anyone out.
A Climax That Needs Closure
The finale of The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin seems to have been the focal point of all the production. Hints of it have been dropped along the way: beautiful sets, attention to small details of medieval life, and intense skirmishes that were only a taste of what was to come. This episode brings all that to a resounding crescendo of cinematic visual spectacle. It is almost perfect. Almost.
But the elephant in the room is that it doesn’t provide the closure of a finale. There is still more of Merlin’s story yet untold, too much left undone and unseen. Fans of Arthurian legend will be left with a sense of foreboding that is unfitting for a finale, especially if the show never gets a second season. The single weakness in an otherwise great finale is that Merlin’s story is so dominant over the entire series that it takes precedence over the Saxon invasion, and not enough closure is offered him, which made the finale bittersweet.
Nevertheless, there are so many good things about the finale of The Pendragon Cycle that it’s unfair to hold the fate of future seasons against it. On the contrary, I want to see another season, and the best way to get one is to watch the show and encourage Daily Wire+ to make more.
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is now streaming in its entirety on Daily Wire+. Check it out and give this Arthurian epic the attention it deserves.
Continue Reading
British actress Maryam d’Abo was in her mid-20s when she was cast to play Kara — who ends up in the arms of Timothy Dalton as James Bond — in the 1987 action movie, “The Living Daylights.” Guess what she looks like now in her…
Kevin Federline
Facing His Own Legal Issues …
Amid Britney’s DUI Trouble
Published
Britney Spears’ ex-husband Kevin Federline was hit with a lawsuit over an allegedly unpaid credit card bill just weeks before the pop star’s arrest … TMZ has learned.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, K-Fed was sued by Bank of America on February 19 in Hawaii.
The bank alleges the one-time DJ owes $12,186.64 … but has failed to pay up on the bill.
The suit said Kevin opened his account in December 2024 …. which would be one month after Britney made her last child support payment to him for their sons, Jayden and Sean.
As we previously reported, the singer was paying Kevin $20,000 a month in support for years.
TMZ first reported … Britney was arrested Wednesday night for allegedly driving under the influence in Ventura County, California.
The pop star was taken to a hospital following the arrest and then transported to jail, where we’re told she was “crying a lot” during the booking process.
Britney was released Thursday morning and is due in court in May.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/independence-day-will-smith-zombieland-jesse-eisenberg-28-years-later-Ralph-Fiennes-030426-36127c66de03429585f63c161d4fa9f3.jpg)
The streamer carries several films about the end times, featuring zombies, aliens, and more.
Let’s get loud!
Jennifer Lopez finally released her new song with David Guetta, “Save Me Tonight,” on Friday, March 6, exactly nine months after she debuted it during a live concert.
The EDM track marks the first-ever collaboration between Lopez, 56, and Guetta, 58, showcasing her soaring vocals over his dance floor-ready production.
“Don’t know if it lasts forever / But it’s now or never / You could save me tonight,” she belts. “Don’t know where your touch could take me / But it feels like maybe / You could save me tonight.”
Jennifer Lopez is ready to paint the town red! The multihyphenate’s new concert residency, Up All Night Live in Las Vegas, kicks off at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on December 30 — and she’s giving Us Weekly a first look at what fans can expect. In exclusive photos from rehearsals, Lopez, 56, and her […]
Lopez and Guetta also dropped a video of her performing the high-energy tune in a sparkling silver bodysuit and matching knee-high boots.
Jennifer Lopez and David Guetta Warner Records
The “On the Floor” singer first teased “Save Me Tonight” during her headlining set at the World Pride Music Festival in Washington, D.C., in June 2025. Since then, it has been a staple on her setlist for her Up All Night tour in Europe and Asia last summer as well as her Las Vegas residency The JLo Show, which launched in December.
Lopez is set to kick off the next leg of her concerts at The Colosseum inside Caesars Palace on Friday night. Her performance of “Save Me Tonight” will be simulcast live on her TikTok, Instagram and YouTube pages to celebrate its release.
“Save Me Tonight” is one of six new songs that the Grammy nominee debuted at a top-secret listening party for fans in Los Angeles in July 2025. Us Weekly exclusively reported at the time that she also played “Up All Night,” “Regular,” “Free,” “Wreckage of You” and “Birthday,” the latter of which she released on streaming services later that month.
“She feels very free right now,” attendee Edgardo Luis Rivera explained to Us at the time, “and on this summer tour, she wants to perform some new material that she’s been working on because a lot of these new songs express how she feels.”
Guetta has also had a massive year. In December, he became the only artist in Billboard history to have 20 career No. 1s on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart.
Like Lopez, the DJ is in the midst of his own Vegas residency, with shows at both LIV Nightclub and LIV Beach at the Fontainebleau scheduled to resume in April before he heads to Europe this summer.
In addition, Guetta recently became a father of four. He announced on February 26 that his girlfriend, Jessica Ledon, gave birth to a baby named Skyler, joining their 2-year-old son, Cyan. The producer is also the father of son Tim Elvis, 22, and daughter Angie, 18, with his ex-wife, Cathy Lobé.
Justin Timberlake does not want his DWI video released and is fighting hard to keep it from becoming public.
The singer was involved in a DWI incident in the Hamptons in 2024 that led to his arrest and later resulted in him being ordered to complete 25 to 40 hours of community service and pay a fine.
Reports have now claimed that Justin Timberlake’s push to prevent the release of the video goes beyond his petition claim that it could cause “severe and irreparable harm” to him.
Article continues below advertisement
Justin Timberlake’s DWI Video Is ‘Messy’
Despite nearly two years having passed since his DWI incident, Justin Timberlake is still dealing with the repercussions of his actions.
The singer was arrested in June 2024 during a traffic stop in the Hamptons, with reports at the time claiming that he reeked of booze, failed a sobriety test, and refused to take a breathalyzer test.
Later that year, the “Selfish” crooner was given a community service sentence and a fine, but he now faces the possibility of a video of the incident being released to the public, and has moved to block it.
While that possibility is still being determined, sources have revealed that Timberlake’s push not to have the video released goes beyond what is cited in the court petition he filed.
Article continues below advertisement
“It’s the tone. The entitlement. The attitude. It’s messy,” a source told Rob Shuter’s #ShuterScoop. “And it clashes with the image he’s been selling.”
Article continues below advertisement
The Footage Could Destroy The ‘Polished And Controlled’ Image The Singer Has Built For Years
Over the years, Timberlake has focused on rebuilding his public image, which includes issuing apologies to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson over his controversial situations with the duo.
The singer has also shown an emotional side to himself by discussing his struggles with Lyme disease, which he first revealed in a social media post in July 2025.
As such, it is believed that the DWI footage could do more than just dent the carefully crafted public image that Justin Timberlake has worked to build.
“His brand is polished and controlled,” said another source. “If this footage drops, people will see an unfiltered moment that undercuts all of that.”
Article continues below advertisement
A different insider also pointed out that Timberlake is aware of how unforgiving the public can be and isn’t willing to take that risk despite the lack of any legal implications.
“He knows the internet never forgets,” the source shared. “One viral clip could follow him forever.”
Article continues below advertisement
Justin Timberlake Recently Filed A Petition To Block The Video Release
Earlier in the week, Timberlake filed a petition to block the release of the video of his DWI after he received a notice that there was a request to have it released under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), per The Blast.
In his filing, Timberlake cited several reasons why the court should halt the video release, one of which includes that it “contains personally identifying information and private details that are not germane to any law enforcement action of public concern.”
“The footage at issue depicts Petitioner in an acutely vulnerable state during a roadside encounter with law enforcement, capturing intimate details of Petitioner’s physical appearance, demeanor, speech, and conduct during field sobriety testing, the subsequent arrest, and Petitioner’s confinement following arrest over the next several hours,” Timberlake further argued.
Article continues below advertisement
The Singer Is Worried About ‘Harm From Public Exposure,’ Court Documents Reveal
Elsewhere in the petition, Timberlake claimed that he would face “irreparable” harm if the video is released.
“The harm from public exposure—stigma, harassment, reputational injury, and the permanent loss of privacy—is immediate and irreparable,” the document also read.
During an impromptu hearing over the matter on Monday, Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Joseph Farneti urged Timberlake and the police department to mediate and see if a resolution could be reached.
Justin Timberlake Was Granted A Temporary Injuction To Prevent The Video Release
According to Newsday, no agreement between Timberlake and the police department was reached, with the singer only securing a temporary restraining order on the footage on Thursday.
With the order in place, the police department now has until April 9 to submit the necessary documents supporting the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request by members of the media seeking the release of the video.
If the documents are proven insufficient, the footage could ultimately be sealed from the public in accordance with Timberlake’s wishes.
Summary
- Collider’s Steve Weintraub talks with Jon Hamm for Pixar’s Hoppers.
- Hamm discusses the animation projects he’s been a part of and his favorite Pixar films.
- He also shares his favorite films from Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg.
Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm is probably best known for his role as Don Draper in Mad Men, but lately, he’s found a new passion within the industry. While talking with Collider’s Steve Weintraub about Pixar’s new comedy adventure, Hoppers, Hamm was discussing the magic of animation and how he’s been fortunate to lend his unmistakable voice to several animated projects now. “I’ve been animated,” he says proudly, “and I like it.”
In Hoppers, Hamm voices Mayor Jerry Generazzo, who’s taken hostage by a group of animals on a mission, rallied by a 19-year-old animal-lover named Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda). Disney and Pixar’s latest takes audiences on a hilarious adventure when Mabel borrows a new technology to “hop” into the body of a robotic beaver, allowing her to infiltrate the animal kingdom. By doing so, she manages to convince King George (Bobby Moynihan) and the others to take a stand against a looming threat.
Check out the full conversation in the video above or the transcript below, where Hamm breaks down the animation process to turn him and fellow castmates, Dave Franco, Vanessa Bayer, Moynihan, and more, into their Hoppers characters, and which Pixar movies are his favorites. He also shares his favorite films from directors Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg.
How Does Pixar Always Leave Us All a “Weeping Mess”?
Jon Hamm shares his favorite Pixar movies.
COLLIDER: I heard you haven’t seen this yet.
JON HAMM: I have not. I’m looking forward to seeing it at the premiere in front of a ton of kids and a packed audience. I’m very, very excited to see it.
I’m going to give you a spoiler warning: the movie is incredible.
HAMM: Good.
It is easily my favorite Pixar movie in years. It is tremendous. You have no idea what you’re about to get yourself into.
HAMM: I’m very excited. I have some idea. I did make it and read it. I have a lot of trust in the people who had their hands on it, so I’m very excited to see what they’ve done.
I’ve been asking this of everyone at every Pixar junket, but do you have a favorite Pixar movie?
HAMM: It’s hard to pick one.
I know. The answer is Ratatouille.
HAMM: [Laughs] It’s hard to pick one. Ratatouille is great. Obviously, Patton [Oswalt]’s work in that was so spectacular, but also the message of the film and the idea of the critic is so… as you may or may not have an opinion on that yourself. I love WALL-E. I love how the story was told without, really, any voices, just sounds and images. It’s a really elegant, beautiful way to tell a story. Toy Story, my god. I mean, the amount of times I’ve sat on a plane and watched that movie, those movies, and am completely a weeping mess, to the point where stewardesses were getting worried. [Laughs]
What Pixar does, their history of doing this, is combine an incredibly well-told story with deeply, deeply funny, humorous elements, and really connect emotionally. All the movies that we mentioned do that incredibly well, and I think this is certainly worthy of that lineage.
By the way, I would also accept WALL-E as an answer for my favorite Pixar.
HAMM: Yeah, man. It’s great.
It’s incredible.
Jon Hamm Explains Pixar’s Animation Process
Have we seen Mayor Jerry somewhere before…?
So when they came to you to play Mayor Jerry, did the design always look like that, or when you got cast, all of a sudden he morphs to look a little bit like you?
HAMM: It’s hard to tell which is the chicken or the egg. But I certainly think that what the animators do incredibly is that as you continue, as you start laying down the tracks, and as you get through the scripts and as they get rewritten and as they get roughed in and animated a little bit, they definitely start taking all of the footage that they have of you in the booth and they start using that as a kind of guide track for the characters’ facial expressions, for their physicality, for sure. As you go through the movie and you start watching it, you really start to see Bobby [Moynihan] in King George, and you see Vanessa [Bayer] in Diane, and you really start to see Dave [Franco] in Titus. You really start to see these people. They kind of come out through the animation. It’s very cool.
So, I don’t know how. I think it’s magical. I cannot draw a lick, so I think it’s incredible what these guys can do. It’s very cool. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in quite a few cool animated films, whether it’s Shrek or Minions or now this, or even Grimsburg on Fox. I’ve been animated, and I like it.
Oh, I can’t imagine, truthfully.
Jon Hamm Discusses His Favorite Films From Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg
“Wait, what did I just watch? What just happened?”
I’ve been asking this of a lot of people I’ve been interviewing recently. Do you have a favorite Christopher Nolan movie?
HAMM: Favorite Christopher Nolan movie? I’ll go back to the source material and say Memento. I think that one showed his incredible attention to detail and the incredible acuity that he has with telling a very complicated story. And it was a story that I don’t think a lot of people were prepared for. It was almost like the first time you saw The Usual Suspects, and you’re like, “Wait, what did I just watch? What just happened?” It’s just so creative with the storytelling. I thought that was the one that really established him as someone to watch.
The other thing I’ve been asking everyone is what’s your favorite Steven Spielberg?
HAMM: Holy moly. That’s a tall order. But I guess if I’m going to go with one, I’d say Jaws.
That is a very common answer with a lot of people. It’s a masterpiece and flawless.
HAMM: Yeah. And the most amazing thing about it was Jaws was, what, ‘77, ‘76?
I almost want to say ‘75.
HAMM: Maybe it was. Maybe it was around there. To then kind of the next major thing be E.T. is such a genre shift.
I think he did Close Encounters.
HAMM: Close Encounters in between, but to tell a story, that deeply terrifying blockbuster that Jaws was, and then to come back on the other end of the spectrum and you tell E.T.? And you’re right, Close Encounters in between, but holy moly, what a what a gifted storyteller.
Hoppers is in theaters now.
- Release Date
-
March 6, 2026
- Runtime
-
105 minutes
- Director
-
Daniel Chong
- Writers
-
Daniel Chong, Jesse Andrews
- Producers
-
Nicole Paradis Grindle
-
Piper Curda
Mabel Tanaka / Mabel Beaver (voice)
-
Tom Sandoval
Hints at Victoria Lee Robinson Relationship News
Published
TMZ.com
Tom Sandoval is clearly loving life these days … and a lot of it has to do with his GF — ’cause the relationship is going so strong, he’s even teasing a possible ring in the near future!
We caught up with Tom outside NYC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza on Wednesday … and he couldn’t stop gushing about hitting the 2-year mark with GF Victoria Lee Robinson, dropping some serious hints about what the next stage of their relationship might look like.
Check out the full clip — the guy’s clearly head over heels — and the convo kicked off with him reflecting on how far he’s come since the whole #Scandoval drama.
It turned into a wide-ranging chat … because Tom also gave us his take on the current season of “Traitors,” weighing in as someone who’s been through the game himself.
Bottom line — Tom’s looking happy, in love, and very much like a guy enjoying his next chapter!
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Vladimir1-ad4c7f7b745140f4882ac0306759c427.jpg)
The Rachel Weisz series omits a portion of the novel’s ending, leaving the characters’ fates more ambiguous.
Grey’s Anatomy just had Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver‘s characters sign their divorce papers — only to show Owen and Teddy’s shocking hookup.
During the Thursday, March 5, episode of the hit ABC series, Owen supported Teddy as she contemplated another risky heart surgery on a patient. It was ultimately successful, which the former couple discussed at the end of their shift when Teddy came to pick up the kids.
Owen and Teddy admitted they were both still adjusting to their new normal before they decided to sleep together again. Their relationship status remained unclear as the episode wrapped up without a conclusion.
Earlier this season, Owen dealt with the end of his marriage to Teddy as she moved on with Cass (Sophia Bush). Owen had his own romantic development when he went out to dinner with Nora (Floriana Lima) before they eventually broke up.
The night … was March 27, 2005. Television titan Shonda Rhimes knew what she had just created — but audiences still had no idea. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to […]
“A couple of scripts came in [recently] and I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ It gets messy and it is so Grey’s Anatomy. I just love it so much,” Raver, 56, exclusively told Us Weekly in January.
The actress learned what is to come with the rest of the cast.
“We’re all reading what’s happening [during a table read], and I love it,” she shared. “Some of us are in scrubs, some of us are in our street clothes. Then when we find out the information, it’s a shock and a surprise to all of us. We are like the audience, too, and then we look at each other like, ‘This is really happening.’”
Raver, who has played Teddy since season 6, promised “really great” Grey’s Anatomy story lines — and revealed whether she has any concerns about her character’s fate.
“That’s the life of an actor,” she noted. “It’s really just about trying to be present and doing the work and following the amazing story lines that the writers are given. Especially with how now we’re always having these incredible cliffhangers. No one ever knows.”
Raver promised that the audience would be “riveted” by what’s to come, adding, “There is a cliffhanger, so I think that that’s going to be really surprising. … I love being able to go every day and be able to tell these stories from a director’s point of view. Each story line leaves us with that quintessential Grey’s Anatomy vibes where you are crying, laughing and the residents are so good. There’s a lot of shenanigans going on with them. It’s a really exciting episode.”
Raver continued: “I feel like every time I direct a new episode of Grey’s, there are more things [I learn] because there’s a different format or a different way to shoot it. But I think maybe my confidence in how I want to tell this story and where I want to put the cameras [has gotten better]. TV moves so fast, so I feel like the more I do, the more comfortable I am with the speed that you need to go through it. I am just getting more and more comfortable with the craft of it, which allows me to then really enjoy the process.”
Grey’s Anatomy airs on ABC Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Hulu.
When Steven Spielberg‘s Jurassic Park came out in 1993, it changed the way we looked at dinosaurs. No longer were they drawings in a book or stop-motion in a cheesy movie. Thanks in part to the genius of Industrial Light & Magic, dinosaurs felt alive like never before. Now, the iconic director and visual effects studio are back together again for another dino story. This time, instead of the world of fiction, with dinosaurs impossibly living amongst modern humans, Netflix‘s The Dinosaurs is a four-part docuseries that goes back millions of years to show the rise and fall of their era — and if the story’s jaw-dropping visuals aren’t enough of a selling point, it’s all narrated by Morgan Freeman.
What Is ‘The Dinosaurs’ About?
Steven Spielberg, Morgan Freeman, Industrial Light & Magic, and Netflix have actually worked together before on the 2023 Netflix docuseries Life on Our Planet. The eight episodes covered the history of life on Earth from the very beginning to the animals of today. This was done through a combination of live-action footage, when possible, and CGI when needed, with the technology coming in handy for episodes that covered the reign of the dinosaurs.
The Dinosaurs covers the days of Tyrannosaurus Rex and company in four detailed episodes, but rather than only depicting big names like the T-rex or a Triceratops, Netflix’s docuseries succeeds by digging deep and covering four distinct eras and what came from them better than most history lessons ever could. “Rise” focuses on the beginning, where small dinosaurs from 235 million years ago fight for survival in a new world. In “Conquest,” dinosaurs grow, only for many to be wiped out by the Ice Age. “Empire” is aptly titled because dinosaurs are now giants and the rules of an ever-changing Earth. Lastly, “Fall,” as the name implies, takes us all the way to the end, with an asteroid like a ticking time bomb to the end credits.
‘The Dinosaurs’ Is Treated Like a Brutal Nature Documentary
The Dinosaurs is not only built on the passion of Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment, but also on the know-how of Silverback Films, the creators of wildlife documentaries such as Secrets of the Bees, Ocean with David Attenborough, and Secret Lives of Orangutans. Their influence shows heavily in the best of ways, taking The Dinosaurs out of the realm of stuffy history lessons and narrowed scope. In a large world with fantastical figures from before our time, The Dinosaurs takes an emotional approach, with its subjects fighting to live in a world where only finding food and making it to the next day matters. Each episode plants the audience in the daily life of a little Marasuchus, a mammoth saurpod, or a terrifying carnivore in a world that’s eat or be eaten.
The 10 Most Entertaining Steven Spielberg Movies, Ranked
The viewers are moved in herds. They really are moved in herds.
Dinosaurs might be one of the first things kids are fascinated by, but The Dinosaurs is probably not for the little ones. The docuseries is brutal and unforgiving. It sucks you in with the warm blanket of Morgan Freeman’s voice, but he’s narrating a vision of hell and even tells us so. Each episode is one scene after another of getting to know a dinosaur, one usually all alone, before its life is either snuffed out by a predator, a sudden fire, or the inability to adapt to a world that keeps evolving. A few scenes are hard to watch because The Dinosaurs does such a phenomenal job of taking these prehistoric creatures and turning them into three-dimensional beings with personalities and fears who only want to make it through another day.
Industrial Light & Magic Brings ‘The Dinosaurs’ to Life
Industrial Light & Magic, which was co-founded by George Lucas in the mid-1970s, has made the impossible possible in movies such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Poltergeist, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, before reinventing itself in the early ’90s thanks to CGI. Jurassic Park changed the game, putting the possibilities of our imagination on the screen in a way that felt lifelike. In The Dinosaurs, ILM isn’t there to supplement an existing film; they are the movie. The detail is there in every speck of sand, crack of dirt, and lush vegetation needed to thrive. Some of it resembles the world humanity knows right outside our door, while other scenes might as well be an alien planet. It’s the attention to detail of the dinosaurs themselves that puts the docuseries above anything else like it. CGI is good at making living things seem more alive in the dark. However, The Dinosaurs depicts its subjects right out in the open, blending them seamlessly with the world around them.
The only flaw of The Dinosaurs is the repetitive nature of its episodes. A dinosaur is introduced, it’s shown struggling to survive and eat, then it’s wiped out, and it’s on to the next. What begins as a heavy emotional impact in early episodes starts to become not only predictable but numbing by the end. The series doesn’t overstay its welcome, though. At four episodes of nearly 45 minutes each, The Dinosaurs gets it right. It’s dark and at times all too much, but the mastery of ILM and Morgan Freeman guiding the audience through hellscapes of another era helps the series rise above its limitations. The Dinosaurs will rip your heart out, but it wisely ends on a note of hope and respect. These dinosaurs don’t talk or devour people; they only live and die as they were, their ends brought to life millions of years later through the evolution of humanity, and thanks to Netflix, you’ve never seen them like this before.
- Release Date
-
March 6, 2026
- Network
-
Netflix
- Directors
-
Nick Shoolingin-Jordan
Pros & Cons
- ILM’s technology makes the dinosaurs look more real than ever.
- A lot of time is spent with dinosaurs you’ve never heard of, not just big names like the T-rex.
- It’s a wise choice to tell stories with the dinosaurs so that we care about them.
- The episode structure is the same throughout, leading to less emotional impact later on.
Sports26 seconds ago
Trish Stratus Drops WWE “Finale” Bombshell
Tech2 minutes ago
HiFiMAN Arya & HE1000 WiFi Debut at CanJam NYC 2026 Bringing Planar Magnetic Headphones Into the Wireless Era
Business2 minutes ago
DHL shares up after Barclays upgrade to “overweight,” PT raised by 26%
-
Politics3 days agoAlan Cumming Brands Baftas Ceremony A ‘Triggering S**tshow’
-
Fashion7 days agoWeekend Open Thread: Iris Top
-
Tech5 days agoUnihertz’s Titan 2 Elite Arrives Just as Physical Keyboards Refuse to Fade Away
-
NewsBeat6 days agoAbusive parents will now be treated like sex offenders and placed on a ‘child cruelty register’ | News UK
-
NewsBeat6 days agoDubai flights cancelled as Brit told airspace closed ’10 minutes after boarding’
-
Sports6 days ago
The Vikings Need a Duck
-
NewsBeat6 days agoThe empty pub on busy Cambridge road that has been boarded up for years
-
NewsBeat5 days ago‘Significant’ damage to boarded-up Horden house after fire
-
Tech1 day agoBitwarden adds support for passkey login on Windows 11
-
Entertainment4 days agoBaby Gear Guide: Strollers, Car Seats
-
Sports18 hours ago499 runs and 34 sixes later, India beat England to enter T20 World Cup final | Cricket News
-
Politics5 days ago
FIFA hypocrisy after Israel murder over 400 Palestinian footballers
-
NewsBeat5 days agoEmirates confirms when flights will resume amid Dubai airport chaos
-
NewsBeat4 days agoIs it acceptable to comment on the appearance of strangers in public? Readers discuss
-
Tech5 days agoViral ad shows aged Musk, Altman, and Bezos using jobless humans to power AI
-
Video4 days agoHow to Build Finance Dashboards With AI in Minutes
-
Business2 days agoGuthrie Disappearance Enters Fifth Week as Family Visits Memorial
-
Crypto World5 days agoUS Judge Lets Binance Unregistered Token Class Action Proceed
-
NewsBeat4 days agoUkraine-Russia war latest: Belgium releases video showing forces boarding Russian shadow fleet oil tanker
-
Fashion5 days agoOn the Scene at the 57th Annual NAACP Image Awards: Teyana Taylor in Black Ashi Studio, Colman Domingo in Yellow Sergio Hudson, Chloe Bailey in Christian Siriano, and More!